Newspaper Page Text
Bless you!
I T’S THAT time
of year.
Everywhere,
you hear it.
The sneeze, followed
by “Bless you!”
It’s reflexive.
We hear someone in the
news room sneeze and some
body, or
several of
us, will
say, “Bless
you!”
My
daughter
sneezes,
jana. a. “Bless
mitcham y° u! ’
Zach
sneezes,
usually five or so in a
row, so I wait, then....
“Bless you!”
What does that mean?
It’s something of a mystery
how the practice evolved.
Today, the automatic
“Bless you!” is a way of
being polite, or acknowledg
ing another’s presence and
wellbeing - or lack of it.
But at one time, when
plagues were rampant and
lives were in jeopardy from
illnesses we can fight off
today with antibiotics and
immunizations, the phrases
“God bless you!” or “God
bless!” or “Bless you!” held
more meaning. Just in case
the sneezer was not long
for this world, the blessing
was also a benediction.
May God keep you
safe and well.
Or, may He keep you
close in the afterlife.
Along superstitious lines,
there was the thinking
that a sneeze could expel
a person’s soul from his
body and the quick bless
ing could keep that from
happening. Or, perhaps the
sneeze itself was evidence
of an evil spirit leaving the
body, and the blessing could
keep it from returning.
At one time, there was
the belief that the heart
stopped when a person
sneezed, and the quick utter
ance was a way of ensuring
that it began beating again,
or to offer congratulations
once it was evident that the
sneezer still had a heartbeat.
Apparently the practice
of blessing a sneeze dates
back to ancient times.
“Why is it that we salute a
person when he sneezes, an
observation which Tiberius
Caesar, they say, the most
unsociable of men, as we
all know, used to exact,
when riding in his chariot
even?” — Pliny the Elder,
“Natural History,” 77AD
God bless you this holiday
season and keep you well!
Jana Adams Mitcham
is features editor of
The Jackson Herald
Inside: Trees for Troops donated — page 3C
December 10,
2008
0 The Jackson Herald
JR nends
Jana Adams Mitcham,
Features Editor 706-367-8760
jana@mainstreetnews. com
Section C
COMMUNITY CLASS
At left, Faye Wilbanks (center) works
on a holiday centerpiece during a
recent floral design class held at the
Nicholson library. Also shown are
Shirley Hewitt (front, left) and Martha
Babb and Vicki Rosenbaum in the
background. The class created a round
holiday centerpiece, shown above.
Photos by Jana Mitcham
HOLIDAY
CRAFT
Leigh Purcell
tried her hand
at designing
a holiday cen
terpiece at a
class hosted by
the Friends of
the Nicholson
Library.
Photo by
Addie Mitcham
Want to make your
own holiday decoration?
See page 2C for the list of
materials you’ll need and the
steps you’ll take to create a
round Christmas centerpiece.
FLORAL DESIGN CLASS
By Jana A. Mitcham
THE FRIENDS of the Nicholson Library helped to spread some holiday cheer last week by hosting a
Christmas floral design class. Taylor Ginn, an FFA floral design advisor at East Jackson Comprehensive
High School, and two of her students, Kristen McFearin and Megan Manders, led a group of local ladies
through the steps of creating a round centerpiece at the
Harold S. Swindle Public Library.
Greenery, colorful ribbons in red, green and gold, silk
poinsettias and all the tools needed for shaping the design
were available, and even as they concentrated on their
work, the participants seated at four tables shared a few
laughs.
“This is the second class I’ve done for the library,” Ginn
said. “We are planning to do a daisy basket class in the
LL.
spring.
continued on page 2C
DESIGN WORK
Shown at left, Taylor
Ginn led a class on
holiday floral design
last week at the
Nicholson library.
n l lj
Floral design class offered at Nicholson
Shanda Jones, Virginia Brownlee, Gail Maxwell and Marlene Wilkerson
were among the participants in a holiday floral design class held in
Nicholson.
BASED IN JEFFERSON
The North Pole Post Office, a Jefferson-based online business, sends ouf
personalized letters from Santa Claus. Visit www.northpolepostoffice.org.
Greetings from the North Pole
Santa letters sent out from North Pole Post Office
By Jana A. Mitcham
OT EVERYONE knows it, but Santa Claus
has a Jefferson connection.
In fact, some of his letters to children all
over the United States can be traced to a North Pole
Post Office with an online base in that Jackson County
town — www.northpolepostoffice.org.
North Pole Post Office president Jeremy Lester
began developing the idea for the email business about
a year ago, and this is the first year Santa’s letters are
going out in the mail.
Lester has 12 nieces and nephews, and one of
his older nieces, Amber Lester, Commerce, helps as
needed in processing orders and handling mailings. In
addition to helping Santa Claus, lister owns Synergy
Transportation Solutions in Jefferson.
So far, St. Nick has sent out 110 letters, each on holi
day stationery - there are four choices — and each with
the official North Pole, Alaska, postmark.
“I saw an article about another person doing it and
figured it would be a good business opportunity, as well
as pretty fun,” lister explained.
The website allows parents to submit their child’s
information — name, hometown, accomplishments
they’ve made during the year, the name of a friend or
relative, a pet’s name, favorite food and a present from
their wish list. They can also add a P.S. message to go
“As I was checking my list
twice, I saw your name
and that you have been
a very good girl this year
and that you have learned
how to ride your bike
and brush your teeth. ”
— an excerpt from a sample
personalized letter from Santa
at the end of the letter.
Up to Dec. 12, a letter costs $8.95. After that date,
up until Dec. 18, there is an additional $16.95 charge
to cover express mail costs, Lester said. There are other
items available, as well, including a “Santa Evidence
Kit” and a follow-up postcard in January, showing
Santa on vacation. From each order, $1 goes toward
buying toys, clothes and food for families in need.
Log on to www.northpolepostoffice.org for details.