HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1973-12-26, Page 5• • ; .
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ed drawing,
et, a noted
trate Santa
figure was
• rehers for .
• itors of
owledge.
iiiistian
e Advent
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days 'of
the sun-
ern 'Eu-
se their
and per-
by using
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hIry
We're building a Yule that's
filled With joyous wishes.
To you, many thanks.
Holiday Month,.
Many Customs
Cookies ..are
er poOvior'-
at .Xmas
Sleigh. bells. Carols,
Holly wreaths. Snowflakes.
dnd goo40411 to men.
"AnybO4' found feasting
or observing Christmas day
In any way shall pay a fine
of five shillings."
And so, throughout New
England pilgrim' settlers had
to treat Christmas as. just
another 'working day. Gover-
nor Bradford noted that "no
man rested all day"' on' De-
cember 25, 1620, say the edi-
tors of Encyclopedia Ameri-
cana. .•
Today, in the United States
and Canada, Christmas cele-
brations are a colorful blend
of customs from many lands.
The' main features of .the
holiday, festivities are much
the same everywhere—Santa
Claus, Christma,s trees, gifts,
greetings, feasting, family
visits, carol singing.
Each of these customs has
its own history, and for the
student of holiday lore and,
legend; the fascination lies
in*the variety of traditions.
brought by settlers from`
other lands and assimilated
into what is now a truly
American, or truly Canadian
Christmas.
Displaying Tree
The„bustom of the Com-
munity Christmas Tree be--
gan in the. early 1900's, with
the people of Pasadena,
, Calif., who decorated a tall
evergreen on Mount Wilson
With lights and tinsel.
Madison Square in' New
York and the „common in
o'Boston were the scene of
treee set up in 1912. In 1914
Independence Square in
Philadelphia had its first
holiday tree.
Around each: of-these trees
choirs gathered .and sang
carols. - •
The custom of lighting the
National Community Christ-
mas Tree in Washington,D.C.
began in•1923 when the Uni-
versity .of, Vermont sent a
large tree to President Calvin
Coolidge.
Ad4I Special Touch
In Quebec, customs from
France lend their special
touch toga.Canadian Christ-
France gave Canada the
"creche," gatherings after •
midnight Mass with faMily
and friends, savory pork pies
called "tourtieres," collecting
gifts from door to door for
the less privileged persons of
the 'community.
After mass on Christmas
Eve, the people of Quebec
gather at homes of loved
ones to participate in a
night-long, feast called "re-
veillon,i'
Per forming Pageant
From .Germany came the
Nativity, pageant; and the
first play of this sort in the
U.S. was performed at the
German Catholic-Church of
the Holy Trinity, in Boston,
in 1851. "Children dressed as
Oriental shepherds offered
gifts to the Christ Child at
the altar, singing carols at
the same time. The gifts were
later distributed *to•the poor
of the parish;
Play Delights
A hybrid Spanish-Indian
play, called "Los Pastores,"
introduced . by Spanish
monks, may still take place'
`in the backyards of San An-
tonio, Tex, at Christmastime.
With no props, curtairs and
a cast Of amateurs, it yearly
delights with its spiritual in-
novations.
It runs from Christmas to
Candlemas, in homes located
in out-of-way places so only
the initiated can find it. The
object is to preVent the mere-
ly . curious observer from
watching this spritual inira-
cle play.
Homemade cookies are never
more popular than at Christmas-
time and the most popular cookie
of all is shortbread. This,; rich, •
buttery cookie 'has a basically
simple recipe, but requires care
'In 'handling and choice of in-
gredients to achieve perfection.
Sugar should be finely granu-,--
lated, and all-purpose floui
should be combined with ,a little
cornstarch to ensure a tender
cookie. Better still, use cake
and pastry flour; or do as the
exPerts do and use rice flour. „
To prevent/ dry cookies, start
with, less flour than is suggested
and add the remainder gradually.
Too little flour results in a
greasy taste. To test for greasi-
ness, squeeze the dough in your
hand; if it's oily, ,gradually add
more flour. •
Use care in mixing: Oyer-
mixing causes a tough cookie;
undermixing results a very
fragile cookie with a furry top.'
Home economists at the Ontario
Department of Agriculture and
,Food offer this shortbread rec-
ipe, which has been carefully
tested. \
Shortbread
1/2*cup cornstarch
1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup butter
1/3 cup berry sugar or 1/2 cup
icing sugar ,
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Sift twetter the cornstarch and
flour; Cream butter, gradually
beat in Sugar. Slowly beat in,
1/2 cup at a time, all but 1/4
cup of the flour mixture. Using
reserve flour mixture, turn dough
onto a hoard and knead for .5
minutes or until all cracks dis-
appear. Chill 15 to 20 minutes.
Roll, hetween wax paper to 3/8
inch thickness and cut into small
'cookies. Prick with fork and
bake .25 to 30 minutes. Makes -
3, dozen cookies.
A Post Classified' will pay you
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Dial Brussels 887-6641.
•
reeti
fistmas
To our friends, a hearty •
holiday wish, that you may
enjoy all the best the season offers.
•
READ and USE POST CLASSIFIED
MeD0.. NAL . 141U.
. • • :But-Lo t-0* SUPPUES
f ood tidings are
coining yotir way
the bottom of
Our hearts of this special
day, and with our wishes goo
Our thanks for letting
us serve yott:
ite .:6•0 erativat 0:01tohi.
.1111011AVE BRANCH *-
wiwi4Am 30-41) - • . - • BOUSSEES 88746413;
• 'NE BRUSSELS POST, DEtEMB 11913,14.:, I
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