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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1961-12-14, Page 8The dOdericilI S4nal-Stall T UnSdaY, December 14, 1961 6 MISTLETOE AND ¥U1I LOG PlIETCHRISTIAN ORIGIN Nn One really knows exactly and set ablaze. • ° the origin, or even the meaning To bring good luck they tell know how. you the log must not be allowed 01 C e . Citer that it is of pre-Clu:istian to burn out during the Christ strument of evil. =len. The , ancient ' Druids Inasseason. Besides, a part of . :hleesed,•it with great ceremony* has to be kept to start the : to celebrate the beginning of fire next year. the winter season„ It is believed that the ashes, , In some lands even today, the of the Yule log have the power A Yule log is decorated with flow- to increase the fertility of the : Ors and wreaths, annointed with land., Thus, in many places the , Wine, then put in the fireplace fa ers scatter the ashes over — t ir land on New Year's Day.- - 4441ctcm"ti"44'4.4tIvm4 ' Nnother custom that came to sHopfrom pre -Christian times, is ' .. e ing under the mistletoe the mistletoe was used as1 eaeon—of,_leath—Aleorillug t . -- . ORMANDY to Forse mythology,. the godBV'of,i • god of the life - : -., il„ named Loki, planned to destroy the i SIGNAL-Sl'AR • FOR ot48 giving warmth Saltier. WATCHES esses, obtained a promise from i most mfluential of all the god-; SUP SCRIPTION Balder's mother Who was the ANDall-living things that they would I not harm Balder. All agreed, ., DIAMONDS except the mistletoe who hadn't been asked. So, it was with a * . arx*xlialaa,4. --i-Daloweatawayouva mistletoe arrow that Loki in- sextetetc-tet=ctetztvata=t4a-mts=44-tw.vezwetztfr-gaztam - -,ta;itctz- grztexeg4t4tatvetemIteetetetemmteIMCIetetttE Pa Santa Has Armfuls of ... 1 • . LOVELY CHR1STMA5 GIFTS WAITING FOR YOU AT Worsa Bros. duced a blind Mau to klit the) sun god. Wwever, higher pOW- ers intervened, and Balder was restored to We. The mistletoe was 'placed under Trigga's care and she, the mother of Balder, saw to it that it was never again, used to do harm. The custom ef giving a kiss of love or peace beneath the mistletoe is an assurance that it will never be used as an in - HAVE YOU RENEWED ' SEE THE- SELECTION - in the Following Lines • Full line of PYREX WARE Clear and Colored TOYS and GAMES TOBOGGANS SLEIGHS PticKs and HOCKEY :STICKS HAND TOOLS' ELECTRIC IRONS KETTLES TOASTERS CARVING SETS ROAST PANS STEEL TAPES SUPREME ALUMINUM NEW CORNING GLASS powcwARE. FLASHLIGHTS POCKET KNIVES HUNTING KNIVES SINKS and BATHROOMS -CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTS and STANDS aittaellatiCAMEICACCIIIK orsell- Bros. Dial JA 4-7592 ,..411.7WWW i6 4-4 - ' Christmas afternoon, after tea, January, Twelfth -Night, or 41- wkwihidtehdniehstisbasket be, tree is lit. How the OM .— They . ate cakes that. cbrYotutofatsoyshle enters had a bean hidden in one of them. The finder became Epi- phany king. Ile sat on a sp - ial throne at Matins, High Mass and •Vespers. To this day, in France, the Epiphany cake is called "the Cake of the Kincb:ksa.;. French Canada, Germany, Llol- This custom is also found in land and Belgium. Portugal is different. The King Cake is very large and lasts front Christmas 'til Twelfth -Night. must Whoe Whoever finds s nexttheh4,iedadrosn inSP In a"NativitySpain,aiirl scene is the centre of the Christmas celebration in the home. The children's gifts are brought by them about their behavior. the Three Kings. In Italy, La. Black Peter threatens to pop them' into his sack unless they are good. St. Nicholas promises -to—return----later--with----presen , and the children leave out their I shoes for him to fill, along with I a carrot for' his horse. Scme years ago, in Regina, Saskatchewan, the Netherlands Society gave a parade. St. Nicholas rode his white horse, accompaniedpetersl by two Black ' In Sweden An age-old belief in Sweden held that, in the long nights of the Yule season, trolls and -witches came out of their hid- ing -places. At midnight, it was believed, on Christmas Eve, the animals could talk. Long ago in Norway, people believed that, when the wind was high on Christmas Eve, the old Norse gods were sweeping down to make war on Christians. . The Finns do no tuse ever- green for Christmas decoration. They consider it a sign of mourning. But they cover the floors of their houses with straw, for the children to sleep on, in remembrance " of the e In Australia, Santa Claus wears his traditional red suit and white beard, despite the summer heat of Christmas "Down Under." Department - store Santa Clausek_ket so hot ihat"they receive extra pay for he tdipcomfort. In Holland, St. Nicholas brings the children presents on December 5, his Own annivers- ary. He is dressed in a red bishop's robe, rides a white horse and is accompanied by his servant, Black Peter. Men dressed as St. Nicholas and Black Peter visit homes to give the children candy and qoestion Following the legend that St. Nicholas travels from Spain to Holland every year to celebrate the Christ- mas season, St. Nicholas is pictured here as he de - parted Madrid escorted by his black pages on the way to Holland far Christmas. 2 4 A Christmas Customs S:. War Christmas is the loVeriest of all birthdays—that of the Int: fant Jesus. That is why Christ- mas is chiefly a day of worship in many lands. In' French Can- ada, for example, everyone looks forward to midnightmass On Christmas Eve. To French Canadians, Christmas is a time for the family to be together. Gift -giving and -revelry belong to the New Year. • In Canada and the United States the bringer of gifts- at Christmastide is Santa Claus, also called St. Nicholas. In England he is known as Father Christmas. Canada is one of the greatest stippliers of Christmas trees in the world. Hundreds sof thous- ands of trees are grown just for that purpose every year. The great Christmas -tree provinces are British Columbia, Nova .waitgesililitvaibiwAssloilkauraloarailaufrm-aria-aNzliawaoaryaaizoblaaaelazzoizotioisme Scotia, Ntw Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario. Balsam fir is first choice in the Maritimes and Douglas fir on the west coast. Many Canadian families prefer spruce, Scots pine and other eyergreens; however. One out of every four Christmas trees in American homes comes fro p Canada. Turning to the United States —one of the most charming Christmas customs may be found among the Pennsylvania Dutch. They make up their own model Nativity scenes and, have great fun going from house :to house to see the ones their friends have built. In a -Church at Bethlehem, Pennsyl- vania, there is' a remarkable Putz, or Nativity scene, which people come for miles to see. It tells the story of Jesus' birth in seven elaborate scenes. SAVE YOURSELF THE INCONVENIENCE OF ACCIDENT 1111111111111111111111111111111111111 Make sure your snow' tire treads are good. Carry tire -chains in your trunk., Have brakes balanced and make sure the steering system's in shape for winter. Install anti -freeze. Check windshield wipers to make sure youi'll see where you're going Heaters and defrosters should work properly; so should headlights and tail lights. And do you recall any news stories about carbon monoxide poisoning? - Check your exhaust system for leaks. Get your car in shape ft* winter now. You mightsave yourself the inconvenience of an accident. 011#111 fWiiiTERIZE YOUR ) DRIVING Driving 40, door Driving conditions are worse in winter— _ winterize your driving as well as your car Highway Safety Branch ONTARIO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT Hon. L, Rowntree, Q. C., MinIste, wiminomm.rimmommissimmoom Chrisfinas trees came to this continent from Germany, in the sense of their becoming the centre -piece •of a Yuletide cus- tom. It is believed that Hes- sian soldiers, hired by King George III to fight the colonistsp were the 'first ;I-O4.4decorate-lze Christmas tree in the United States. Old Christmas Tree One of the most unusual Christmas trees in the world is .alive. It is a giant sequoia. in, California and is more than 3500 years old. Another re- markable live Chrikmas tree, is an oak growing in a North Carolina park. The Spanish moss festooning its branches weighs more than six tons. Three famous carols were written by Americans: "It Came Upon the Midffight Clear", "0 Little Town of Bethlehem" and "We Three Kings of Orient Are." The radio and television age has popularized such Christ- mas tunes as "Rudolph the Red - Nosed Reindeer" and "White Christmas." Across the Atlantic, in Wales, carolers make their rounds very early on Christmas morning. Sleepy householders invite them in for refreshments to pay for the privilege of being so awakenedr Many, English carols are centuries old. "God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen" goes back to the 16th century— "Joy to the World" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!" to the 18th. "The First Nowell" is a medieval shepherd -song, claimed by both France and England. "Deck the Halls with Boughs 'of Holly" is not only an old English carol, but also a firm rule in British Yuletide house-' ,holcls. J1o11 branches, with_ their glossy green leaves and red berries, along with the white -berried mistletoe and evergreen boughs, adorn the Englishman's, "castle," whether .it be a Mayfir flat or a Devon cottage. But all_the Christmas decorations are taken down on Twelfth -night, January 6th. Boxing Day The first week -day after Christmas is Boxing Day in England. That is the day when the postman, the milkman and servants receive , a gift, or "box." The centre of English festiv- ities used to be the yule log, blazing in the fireplace. In England, it was of ash, oak or pine; in Scotland, birch. It had to be lighted from the brand of the year before and it had to be kept burning on the hearth 'til Twelfth -night. Yule, by the way, is an ancient Anglo-Saxon word for Christmas. In Irish cottages, Christmas candles shine in the dark of mountainside and glen. On Christmas morning, while it is still dark, candles light the way to early mass. Up in Ulster, or Northern Ireland, a special and ancient custom that of the Christmas rhymer. He visits house after hotige, giving tradi- tional performances. The Irish call Cluistmas Eve the Night of Cakes. That is when they bake a Christmas cake spiced with caraway seeds. Christmas In France The' little children of France put out their shoes on Christ- mas Eve, hoping, that le ,Ilere Noel (Father .Chpiatmai):-Will All. them with toys or -candies. ' In some French homes, Father Christmas calls, in person, on VetelometscIcterveme-mtetztemeclowac manager. The Danes eat4 flu Christmas dinner of roast goose, not turkey. Gifts are brought h,the Yiule Man. Little.grein- 110, The NiisSer, play praiki: In 13th century France, the monks of Mont -St -Michael had a special custom for the 6th of Befana takes the place of Santa Claus. She is like a good fairy and brings the children pre- ary 5. Greek children receive their gifts on St. Basil's Day, the first day of the New Year. Over in Asia, the Chinese Christians call Christmas Holy Birth Festival. The Christmas Tree is the Tree of Light. The Filipinos begin their Yule fes- tival nine days before Christ - m§ and end on Christmas Eve with Midnight Mass. At church, drums and castanets accompany the choir, while a band plays in between. The Mexican home at Christ- mas will often be _decorated with lilies, Spanish moss and evergreens., To the south, in Costa Rica, the Nativity scene is often so large as to fill a whole room of the family home. Still farther south, the Peruv- ians set their Nativity scenes on their patios. Christmas Eve is usually hot, but the people make' merry, wearing masks, playing guitars, gourds and castanets. •, —From The Book of Knowledge. Employment in manufactur- ing in Canada reached its post- w,ar peak iji 1957, when the. year's average employment was-, 1,359,061 persons; in the first half of 1961 the average figure was 1,253,000. 7-44!'"*. -4K4!7---Ake,,4MAV4.04t",1keid-AM4F-.: - ,„-:-- „ • 0 , 6 WHEN IT'S FROM BISSET'S IT'S FARM. FRESfri . . OUR BUTtEk IS CHURNED FRESH EVERY DAY DO YOUR CHRISTMAS BAKING AND SERVE -YOUR HOLIDAY TIME MEALS WITH BISSET BROS. BUTTER Quality Ice Cream Is Bisset Bros. Ice Cream fICI.V44 ' iffiektieieteiCAVCICICIMCWICICICat~litIMC The BIG 1/2 gallon Container Of, Ice Cream Remember, tcio, our BARS, DRUMSTICKS and SANDWICHES .15$0" OROS: Nia14112a2M140:4411414000004-121124-WW142M2130444M-XWAIdoaaaavlaX****1070awrablOA*14-714.WO ;e4VS.Akeq'Z'ARAWAP.71,04 „ ' STO II ILL BE ij NIGHT "Ill 91. • . ' , • , •••'' )•••*°' .•••A wigaiew,44-411"- , 1.49/4-Migie" W ..4P1 a aelitAktiX0 -,-.6......W,V.W.66-6,4,••,6,t66.6646•6,6664.-CWW.6.66.;,,..64.0 • ••64640" .4,066 • '10 Nve • 6.