Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1986-12-23, Page 25THE CITIZEN, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1986. PAGE 25. Hark the herald angels sing/*Glory to the newborn King... \Blyth Public School]. Christmas customs come to us from all over the world Why do we send cards at Christmas time or put up a tree? There are many traditions we take for granted during the holiday season, and it is interesting to learn how some of these customs originated. The ancient Druids can be thanked for the custom of hanging mistletoe at Christmas. In the rituals of the Druids, mistletoe was cut down with a golden sickle in November. The mistletoe would be divided up among the people, who took the plant home to hang over their doors. The Druids believed that the plant could work miracles of healing, protect against witch­ craft, and makethe land fertile. The origin of the custom of kissing under the mistletoe is not known, but it may have been inspired by the plant’s supposed powers of fertility. mas cards probably originated with an Englishman, Sir Henry Cole, who commissioned John Horsely to design a card in 1843. The card featured a family celebra­ ting the season, with two smaller motifs depicting charitable acts; • “Clothing the Naked” and “Feed­ ing the Hungry.’’ The card was lithographed and sold in 1846, and thus the Christmas card was born. Whether originating in legend or real life, the customs of Christmas enrich the season for us all. Festival of Lights brings joy to Jewish community The Germans originated the custom of placing a tree in the home at Christmas time. There are several legends to explain the custom. One credits St. Boniface, a missionary to Germany during the eighth century. According to the legend, one Christmas Eve the saint chopped down a sacred oak which had been used as a site for human sacrifices. As the oak fell, a fir tree miraculously appeared in its place. Another legend says that on the night Christ was born, all the trees in the forest bloomed and bore fruit, even though it was the middle of winter. •••••••••• Let us spread His message of love peace throughout the land. To all men of good will — a blessed Christmas! From Piet and Ann Reinsma and Staff •Wallace Turkey Products • BLYTH• •••••••••••••••••••••• For Jewish children, this is the season for a favorite holiday: Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, or the Festival of Dedication. This joyful feast celebrates the victory of Judah Maccabee and his brothers over the tyranny of Syrian-Greek rule, over 2,000 years ago. Not only does the holiday commemorate a great victory, it is also a reminder to the Jewish people of a miracle that occurred when theTemple was cleansed and rededicated, after the Maccabeans had found it desecrated. According to legend, the libera­ tors of the Temple found only one flask of oil with which to light the Temple candelabrum, enough oil for only one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days. These days were later declared a festival, and the holiday of Hanukkah was born. The First Book of Maccabees describes this first celebration and the events leading up to it. During the eight days of Hanuk­ kah, one light of the hanukkiah, a nine-branched lamp used espe­ cially for the holiday, is lit on each successive night, both in the synogogue and the home, until the lamp is ablaze with lights. In the synagogue, portions of the Torah are read on each day of the holiday, as well as psalms of praise. In the home, the lamp is placed in a window to let passersby know which night of the holiday it is. On the fifth night, a candle is lit especially for the children, at which time they may receive their Hanukkah “coins’’, small coin­ shaped chocolates, wrapped in foil. Traditionally, small gifts are exchanged each night, but in modern times, gifts are generally given on one night. Children are traditionally given gelt, or money, as a symbol of the coins struck by the Hasmoneans, the Jews who fought for political independence after the liberation of the Temple. Feasting adds to the joys of the Hanukkah season. Special dishes are prepared at this time, such as pancakes or latkes of all kinds, a yeast doughnut called soofganiyot, and shaped cookies. For the children, the custom of spinning the dreidel is probably the most fun of all. A four-sided top, the dreidel is decorated with Hebrew letters and is spun for sums of money, amid much merriment. Parites, gifts and games ... no wonder Jewish youngsters look forward to this special holiday each winter! More importantly, Hanukkah is the celebration of a victory in the long struggle of the Jewish people for religious freedom. Before the season speeds by, we'd liketoofferourthoughts ofthankstoyou,ourvalued customers. Joe and Lucy Chatterton CHATTERTON AUTO SERVICE Blyth 5 Martin Luther, a German, is thought to have first decorated the Christmas tree. The story goes that Luther, walkingunder the stars one night, was inspired to bring home an uprooted fir tree and place candles on its branches as a reminder of the heavens. The nativity scenes that are so beloved at Christmas time are a tradition given to us by St. Francis of Assisi. On Christmas Eve in 1223, Francis was inspired to reenact the nativity for the people of the town of Greccio in Italy. St. Bonaventure described the event in his writings: “...they made ready a manger, and bade hay, together with an ox and an ass, be brought unto the place ... The man of God, filled with tender love, stood before the manger, bathed in tears, and overflowing joy.” It was claimed that the hay used in the crib had remedied sick beasts afterward, and many other wonders were attributed to this first manger scene. The idea quickly caught the fancy of the faithful and before a century had passed, carvings of the nativity scene, or creches, were used throughout Europe during the holiday season. The custom of sending Christ- NOEL ? Season's Greetings and Happy Holidays to one and all! Doug Kirkby Ron McCallum Bill McClure KMM Drainage Walton iiiiiiiiiiiM'iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiniiuiiiiuniiii MEW CHRISTMAS TO ALL! Rejoice at this holy season! Compliments of Brown's Tire Service RR 2, Blyth - 887-6788 May your happiness be so great that you treasure forever the many wondrous memories of this Christmas and ail its joys, ft FROM MARG & PAUL BRUNKARD Hillcrest Restaurant Londesboro Dec. 24 Closing at 5 p.m. Closed Dec. 25 & 26 & Jan. 1 £ £ I bKil 1