CHINA MAIL CHRISTMAS SUPPLEMENT
NOEL
Suggestions For
The Christmas Party
NLY 16 more days to Christ-
mas! Jack and Jul will dern- itery demand some sort of party -what is to be gone about it?
This must be the undercurrent stó many a mother's thougnts at the moment! The modern child as Deem analysed and allow- ed to bask in the timelight to such an extent that the proviem of en- tertaining the young has become of a periecr nightmare to lots parents.
The matter can be simplified consideranıy if ony a layer or two of the artincial veneer.or "modern ideas and over-psychologising is scraped ou, and the child itself is allowed to appear in its natural
colours.
First of all, you would be sur- prised at the strong sense of pas- sessiveness that Jack and Jill have The about their own domain. majority of chiaren muen prefer to entertain their smau Triends in their own surrounamgs. It gives them a sense of security and 1am- iliarity and this leads us to another point-the actual value of that parase, to entertain."
Future Hostesses
It is all too.
easy to let the young idea develop along its own lines, leaving all necessary dis- cipline. to school authorities. This is a mistake. We live in an age of noise and frantic haste, but surely a little time can be spared for those details of con- duct which make all the differ- ence between graciousness and poise, and the complete lack of either. This party-business. pro- vides an excellent opportunity to tactfully plant in our infants the seeds of the gracious host and hostess of to-morrow!
Matters are simplified if there is a large enough room" con- veniently available for a picture show. Many morners besitate to investigate this form of enter- tainment, thinking that it is both expensive and extremely upset- ting for the interior decorations! It is not really. This modern outfit is compact, and only neel. :2
power-point znu a moderately large slab of plain wall-space on which to hang the screen. The children sit quite happily in a
DRINK
RICKSHA TEA
*
semi-circle, on any kind of chairs or stools, and it is amazıng to ob- serve that they get far more en- Josment out of ancient comics and even scenery exhibited in the home, than out of the most exotic programmes at a picture theatre.
"Then, between pictures, Jack and Jill ower their ille guests a little light refreshment. (If you have an eve to the aftermath, choose sweets without paper wrapping!) In spite of the fre- quent
snacks,
consumption of
you would be surprised at the ap-* petites that develop during two or three hours of this kind of entertainment; also, at the rapidity with which the time goes.
Games And Competitions
Then there is the "party pro-
This impues a number of per." set games and competitions, with prizes. The acquisitive instinct
is a very powerful one and, up to the age of 12 or 15, it appears in its naxed glory, not velled and white-washed as it is in the adul state! Little girls and boys will slave over a guessing game ora peanut hunt with a zeal which see would stagger those who them at other tasks-simply be cause there is a reward in store for the lucky guesser or the earn- est seeker!
This type of party is very often dizcuit to handle. Unless there is a constant succession or games
•
ties, which are destroyed almost immediately. Crackers - yes. They make a satisfyingly frightening noise, and surely the little odds and ends inside them, and the scrap on the outside are quite enough to give the normal child that small souvenir which is the hall-mark of a successful party.
2.
Simple food is always adris- able. One never knows about the interior economy" of other peo- ple's children! And, of course, there must be a centre-piece-a grossly over-decorated cake, snowball, or a Christmas bell If a mother wishes to distribute little gifts it can be done simply and decoratively by building up a special centre-piece for the tea table in the form of a boat, a Christmas pie, or a cornucopia.
Many children, these days, are very fond of the minute: frank- These furt-variety of sausage.
are quite wholesome, and one or two bowls of them, each sausage supplied with a cocktail-cherry stick, prove very popular as an opening number to the fact.
It
is a good idea to have all the cakes small-they are more easy to handle, and the ambitious con- sumer can encompass a much greater variety!
Jellies and fruit salads are not very popular; perhaps it is the duficulty of coping with a plate and spoon when, as often as not, tea is absorbed in the approved "buffet" mode adopted these days. Ice cream usually goes well, especially if offered in cones or wafers-this method, besides be- ing very acceptable to the guests, commends itself highly to the hostess.
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and compentions the enlaren get The Language Of
borea-tne ute boys run amuck, and the little girls stand our and criticise each other's rocks. Uf course they can be inuuced to play non-competitive games in verween, but you · will usually mind that, once you have aroused that acquisitive instinet, their lust for booty cannot be assuaged except by the possibilty of sull another prize, or ...tea. It takes an enormous number of ideas to keep a collection of young things busy for three hours!
The Food Question The question of tea is a vexed one. We have, unfortunately, al- lowed things to become so com- plex that most mothers simply dread the thought of providing a party tea. It is absurd to think that Jack and Jill's mother allows herself to be so ridden by con vention, and what Mrs. So-and- So might think, that she feels that she really must have novelty caps, and other expensive futili-
The Bells
Hear the clear, sweet chimes of
evening
Ling'ring in the fragrant air, Then like spirits fading-vanish.
Leaving echoes rich and rare.
Trem'lous, sad, and direful telling.
Throbbing strains, now loud..
now low,
Tell of loving hearts nigh broken, Sobbing tales of grief and woe.
See the sky is leaden-laden!
And their quickening note
fear "Fills all hearts with swift forebod-
ing
of
That the Fire Fiend is near. Soothing tones caress the twilight,, . "Tis the church bells softly call-
ing, Calling faithful hearts to worship With their mellow tones enthral-
ling.
MERR
China Emporium Ltd.
Queen's Road, C,
Tel: 28005
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