HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1988-12-21, Page 18PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1988.
Peter & Linda Uyl
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The Swiss styling of their Morris township home is a little bit of back home for Theresa and Arnold Egli. The couple
combine their Swiss traditions with Canadian traditions in the Christmas celebration for their young family.
Family recalls Swiss Christmas
traditions in new Canadian home
BY KEITH ROULSTON
As in Canada, Christmas celebra
tions in Switzerland are changing a
lot as the years go by, Arnold and
Theresa Egli say.
The Eglis have been in Canada for
eight years now, operating a pig
farm in Morris township, on Conces
sion 9, east of Blyth. They’ve
broughta little of their old homeland
with them in a new home that shows
the Swiss style in its architecture.
Like many European countries,
Switzerland separates the Santa
Claus tradition from the Christmas
day itself. December 6 is the
traditional day for the visit of St.
Nicholas, the modern re-enactment
of the original saint from the fourth
century. That evening St. Nicholas
goes from house to house, accom
panied by two black servants. He
carries a book ii. which information
about children’s behaviour in the
past year is recorded. The good
children are rewarded while the
children who haven’t been good are
warned to mend their ways.
The St. Nicholas tradition has
become gentler over the years,
Theresa says. In the old days St.
Nicholas might take a switch to the
“bad” children and it could become
quite scary to be a child accused of
beingbad. Today children are all
sure to get a bag of nuts, apples and
gingerbread.
The visit of St. Nicholas has a wide
range of formality or informality. For
Theresa, St. Nicholas was a neigh
bour who every year undertook the
same task for the neighbourhood.
He’d know what children there were
to be visited and would prepare well
in advance for that big day.
In towns and cities, the planning
can be more formal. There’s a
service in one church in the Engli’s
hometown where all the St.
Nicholases come and are blessed
before going out into the streets.
Each has his own territory assigned.
Peoplewhowant St Nicholas to visit
their home call a couple of weeks in
advance.
The look of St. Nicholas can
change from one area of the country
to another. In the cities he may look
U)]SM£S
In joyous appreciation
of your friendship and
good will, we offer
our deepest thanks,
along with glad tidings
of the season.
BLYTH
Harm & Irene *
Kathy & Diane
like a bishop, complete with tall hat
andbishop’s crook. In smaller towns
and rural areas, such as the area of
central Switzerland where Theresa
and Arnold grew up, St. Nicholas is
dressed more simply in a red cloak.
In some areas St. Nicholas travels
in a sled pulled by donkeys and
sometimes, particularly if there’s no
snow, he travels by horse. The
smaller children believe that St.
Nicholas lives in the forest and the
Swiss equivalent of our Beavers and
Cubs, holds a lovely romantic
candlelit service in the forest.
The separation between Christ
mas and the visit of St. Nicholas is
much more complete in Switzerland.
Christmas celebrations don’t really
begin until Christmas Eve when
mostfamilies put up their Christmas
Continued on page 19
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Sugar plums and sugar canes
and packages wrapped with joy...
are just the stuff that dreams are
made for every girl and boy.
May all your Christmas dreams come true
as we extend our thanks to you!
Iftcuie,
The most