The Rural Voice, 1991-12, Page 37Cidt'b
Toys
& Collectibles
• Die-cast scale model toys
• Special Edition Barbie dolls
• Porcelain dolls
• Costume rentals for all occasions
Walkerton, Ontario
Brant sideroad 15, S. of Hwy. 4
519-881-1148
Thanks to the farmers who have supplied us
with excellent wool
and to all our
customers who
purchased yarn for
their knitting projects.
Merry Christmas.
The Philosopher's Wool Co.
Inverhuron, 519-368.5354
A Super
Christmas Gift
for your
children
Home Movies
to
BENJAM/N
VIDEO
rEINCE n
gr�upy iriID '.i
• Regular 8 & Super 8 toVideo
• Foreign Tape Conversions
• Video Tilting
MAC
CAMPBELL'S CAMERAS
AND PHOTOGRAPHY
Royal Bank Block, 164 The Square
Goderich
519-524-7532
acu.rreawiertrer•YIIII4,
34 THE RURAL VOICE
olas banished, and replaced in Eng-
land by Father Christmas, and in
France as Pere Noel. But in Holland
St. Nicholas was the patron saint of
sailors and was retained despite
Calvinistic pressures. His name was
altered to Sinterklaas or Sint Nikolaas.
In America, Clement Moore's
famous The Night before Christmas
was first illustrated in 1822, showing
Santa Claus as a gnome -like figure
wearing pantaloons and frock coat.
Nash later portrayed this same figure
as a jolly, round bellied,white-
bearded, fur -clad elf. Santa was a
pipe smoking, toy -toting character that
flew magically through the air with
the aid of eight tiny reindeer.
The story of Santa Claus for our
children has expanded to include a
magical workshop at the North Pole,
employing merry elves to create all
the toys received on Christmas Eve by
good little children.
Victorian writers romanticized the
spirit of Christmas, and reflected upon
the simple times, simple gifts, and the
purity of the moment we call Christ-
mas. Even critical writers like Charles
Dickens played upon the sentimen-
tality of the season, and impressed his
readers the joy of giving to the poor
and less fortunate.
Gift giving was not limited to Saint
Nicholas Day, December 6, or Christ-
mas Day. Boxing Day is a continua-
tion of Christmas gift giving. Tradi-
tionally known as Saint Stephen's Day
it was a time to solicit and collect for
churches and charities. There is very
little information available about Saint
Stephen. He was probably Greek.
One story has Stephen chosen along
with six others to distribute food to the
needy on behalf of the Greek Christ-
ians during the time of the Apostles.
The day after Christmas in England
was a day to give "boxes" or gratuities
to errand boys, postmen and people in
the service industry. A bit reminiscent
of St. Stephen's work, considering the
poverty of the lower working class in
England during the 1700s and 1800s.
While we may like to change the
fortunes of today, time cannot be re-
versed, and the emphasis on the com-
mercial side of Christmas is hard to
avoid. Maybe the art of giving to
those less fortunate as practised in
early Roman times, and emphasized
throughout Christian teachings, is
really the part of the Christmas spirit
that we should dwell upon.
The hard times in rural commun-
ities may force many back to the more
simple times of the Christmas season.
Maybe not such a bad turn of events.
More emphasis on the giving of
simple things to represent the joy of
Christmas may be one of the redeem-
ing salvations of the season. Amid all
the glitz and glitter the Christ Child
continues to shine leading us through
the morass of our modern Christmas
rituals to a more enjoyable, truer cel-
ebration of the season.
"Merry Christmas to all, and to all
a good night."0