Jul med Coleridge

I 1799 skriver Coleridge hjem til sin Sara fra Tyskland om julen der, og ikke mindst om juletræet:

On the Evening before Christmas Day one of the parlours is lighted up by the Children, into which the parents must not go; a great yew-bough ['stor gren'] is fastened on the Table at a little distance from the wall, a multitude of little Tapers are fastened in the bough, but no so as to burn it until they are nearly burnt out - & coloured paper etc hangs and flutters from the twigs. - Under this bough the Children lay out in great neatness the presents they mean for their parents.

Og om 'julemanden':

Formerly, & still in all the little Towns & villages through the whole of North Germany, these Presents were sent by all the parents of the village to some one Fellow who in high Buskins, a white Robe, a Mask, & an enormous Flax Wig personates Knecht Rupert - i.e. the Servant Rupert. On Christmas night he goes round to every house, & says that Jesus Christ, his Master, sent him there - the Parents & older children receive him with great pomp of reverence, while the little ones are most terribly frightened.

Hun på sin side var nok mere interesseret i, hvornår han egentlig kom hjem, end hun var i de tyske juletraditioner. Det gjorde han først i juli, efter ti måneders ophold - som kun skulle have varet tre måneder.

(Teksten kopieret fra det første bind af Richard Holmes biografi om Coleridge 'Early Visions', som jeg desværre finder noget gumpetung i det.)