Newspaper Page Text
Page 4
—The Pembroke Journal, Thursday, December 21, 1967
Spirit of Christmas Spreads
Good Will and Good Cheer
K now^"
Weather
By E. 11. Simn
What are the ominous direc
dons for winds to blow from’
?an useful weather information
oe obtained from the use of a
wind vane only?
The worst weather in the
United States often follows
winds out of the east or north,
yes, it is possible to detect
valuable clues about the weath
er using only a wind vane, if
one will combine the vane with
a barometer, the accuracy of
predictions will be raised many
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Mr. and Mrs. J. Dixie Ham
and Jim
times.
However, with only a wind
vane, be suspicious of a wind
change from the east to the
north. If the sky looks threaten
ing (or a barometer reading
shows pressure tailing) you
might well be in for a bad storm.
Likewise, a wind changing
from south to east is often a
bad omen. Remember that bad
weather systems in this country
(low pressure areas) move
counter clockwise, and drift
eastwards. Wind changes often
reveal what section of this'
circular movement you are then
in.
How Swedes Celebrate
Christmas in Sweden is
actually the celebration of
In churches and homes, in city streets and stores, across the countryside — the spirit of
Christmas spreads its joy and its contentment. Soon now’, the last-minute hustle and bustle
will give way to the highest moments of holiday celebration. It’s a time for fun and feast
ing, a time for light-hearted laughter and heartfelt prayer, a time when friendships are
renewed and family ties are strengthened.
Throughout this community, and indeed throughout all the communities where Christmas
is celebrated, the spirit of the season finds expression in innumerable ways — among them,
the gladness of gift-giving, the merriment of parties, the happiness of hearth and home
and, above all, the solemn hush of midnight, traditionally the symbolic time for heralding
the Birth of Christ.
From the holly wreath on the door to the packages under the tree, from the gaily deco
rated windows of stores to the manger scenes in the churches, the customs of Christmas
contribute to the meaning of the Day — just as early Christian leaders meant that holiday
customs should.
When Christmas first began to be observed on December 25th, churchmen welcomed the
St. Lucia — and -held on
December 13th. On this day
the oldest girl in each fam
ily rises early, dons a long
5 white dress and crowns her- '
■ self with lighted candles.
dea of incorporating ceremonies and traditions from earlier
yeliefs into the celebration. They thought that people would
feel closer to the new religion if former ways and rituals were
not abolished, but Instead united with the new rites to honor
the birth of Christ.
Today, nearly everyone celebrates Christmas because Christ
mas belongs to everyone.
For the Christian believer, Christmas is cherished as a re
ligious holiday of paramount importance, and as a time meant
for joy and festivity, too.
For people of many different faiths, Christmas is beloved as
a happy holiday, a secular celebration that gives meaningful
expression to universal good will and good cheer.
r— —
Carol Can He
Tongue-Twister
“On the first day of
Christmas, my true love
sent to me a partridge in a
pear tree.”
So begins "The Twelve
Days of Christmas,” a tra
ditional and favorite song
of the holiday season. The
/ ballad tells the story of the
gifts a lover sends to his
lady on each of the 12 days
from Christmas to Epiph
any.
The first gift, a partridge
in a pear tree, may have
been inspired by an old
drinking song, “A Pie sat on
a Pear Tree,” say the editors
of The New Book of Knowl
edge.
As a ballad, "The Twelve
Days of Christmas” is an
example of the "number
chain formula” in folk
songs. As a carol, it is of
the type that marked the
change from formal hymns
in Latin to musical poems
in the vernacular of the
people.
The song can be sung in
a variety of ways In Oreat
Britain and the United
States, it often becomes a
game song in which each
person, following a leader
in repetitions, must pay a
forfeit if he misses a line.
Sometimes the descriptions
of the gifts turn into mouth
defying tongue twisters!
Giving Gifts
Since the Wise Men gave of
their treasures to the Christ
Child, giving has been part of
the tradition of Christmas.
The idea of gifts as homage
dates from even earlier times,
when kings demanded special
tribute from their subjects
during holiday seasons. Thus
the Wise Men, in offering pre
cious gifts of gold, frankin
cense and myrrh, expressed
their reverence for the new
born King of mankind.
Giving to celebrate a happy
time was a familiar part of
many pagan festivals.
The Romans honored Sat
urn, their god of agriculture,
with a winter festival called
the Saturnalia. During this
joyous feast, they exchanged
gifts wax candles, clay dolls
and various trinkets.
When these pagan customs
of exchanging gifts were trans
ferred to the celebration of
the birth of Christ, church
leaders added a new idea;
selfless giving. Through the
ages, giving to help the less
fortunate has been a special
tradition of Christmas.
Sending Greetings
Perhaps even more than the
giving of gifts, the sending of
Christmas greetings symbol
izes the seasonal spirit of good
will.
The personal exchange of
good wishes at holiday time is
a custom that’s older, prob
ably. than Christmas itself.
In ancient winter festivals the
renewal of the earth at the
coming of spring was linked
with the renewal of friend
ships.
Though greetings and
Christmas have long been as
sociated, the printed greeting
card is a relative newcomer to
the Yule scene — introduced
little more than a century ago.
Nowadays, Christmas greeting
cards go out by the billions,
carrying their messages of
“happy holiday" and “best
wishes.”
In the glad tradition of
sending greetings, today's edi
tion of this newspaper pre
sents the special greetings of
local merchants, as they ex
press their good wishes and
gratitude to customers and
friends.
Burning the Log
From a miraculous Star to a
tiny candle, gleaming lights
have cast a glow over holiday
festivities for centuries.
Pagan sun-worshippers lit
candles and kindled fires at
winter festivals to help the re
turning sun gain strength.
Traditional for both light
and warmth is the blazing
Yule log. Like all “Christmas
lights,” it has both a religious
and a festive significance in
holiday lore.
Because legend says that the
Christ Child was washed and
dressed beside an ash wood
fire, the people of early Eng
land always had Yule logs of
ash wood. Ash had a practical
aspect, too, because it was the
only green wood which would
burn.
The Yule log of England and
continental Europe was often
believed to have mystical pow
ers to protect the home. To
give this protection, the Yule
log had to be kept burning all
through the 12 days of Christ
mas
Later, the “blazing Yule”
was primarily associated with
the feasting and festivity of
• the winter holidays.
Kinging Bells
Among the merry sights and
sounds of Christmas, none is
merrier than the ringing of
bells.
Since earliest times, the
pealing of bells has announced
important events, both happy
and sad Tfif first use of bells
to call Christians to worship
took place, it's believed, at
Christmas in Italy, about 400
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The Christmas spirit glows brightly.
Happy surprises come forth from the
gaily-wrapped presents that express the sentiment and love that
Christmas inspires, filling us all with the joy of giving and
sharing. With this thought in mind, we would like to share with
you the good will and good wishes of the season. Sincere greetings.
CARROL CURRY
BLITCHTON SERVICE STATION gas^^OlL
A.D.
Tradition once held that
Christ was born exactly at
midnight. In medieval Britain,
church bells tolled sadly dur
ing the‘hour before midnight
on Christmas Eve. On the
stroke of 12, a joyous pealing
announced the Miracle of
Christmas.
Today, church-spire bells
and carillons ring out the glad
tidings of Christmas.
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I May the true
B ® pk I 1 meaning of
SB i Christmas
I peace abide I j
F J w ’ th you and ft
j yours always. I f
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LAWTON and
BELLE DOWNS
MERRY CHRISTMAS — SECOND SECTION
About Trees
Perhaps the most common
use of holiday greens is seen
in the lively, decorated Christ
mas tree found in many homes
at this time of year.
There are many legends con
cerning the origin of Christ
mas trees. One belief is that
the first Christmas tree was a
palm tree brought from Egypt.
The 12 parts of the palm were
supposed to represent the 12
apostles, according to the edi
tors^of the Encyclopedia Amer
icana.
The use of pine and cedar
L ule trees is generally thought
to be of German derivation.
The introduction of the ever
green Christmas tree came to
English-speaking peoples after
the marriage of Victoria of
England to the German prince,
Albert.