HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1983-12-07, Page 74Pogo 3
GifL giving
The tradition reasserts itself
at Christmas time
At the very heart of the Christmas season
is the spirit of giving. It is a spirit embodied
by Jesus Christ, one which reasserts itself in
many customs, traditions and stories
associated with the holiday which
celebrates the Nativity of He who gave His
very life for all mankind.
In some small way, by giving meaningful
gifts to those we love, and by making
donations to those we do not even know - the
poor, the hungry and the lonely - we echo
faintly His great gift.
We echo also the Three Magi, who
traveled countless miles to bestow upon Him
tokens of their wonder and their love: gold,
frankincense and myrrh.
The great emotion stirred in them as
having presented their offerings, they gazed
upon the infant Savior, is recreated every
Christmas in a myriad of ways, and is felt as
freshly and as strongly in 1983, as it was in
the year of Christ's birth, as strongly in the
heartland of America as it was in the
manger in Bethlehem, lit by the radiance of
the Magi's guiding star.
The tradition of giving to others has
continued through the ages to be associated
with Christmas and, increasingly in modern
times, with the figure of St. Nicholas.
A fourth century bishop born in Lycia in
Asia Minor, St. Nicholas is credited with
many acts of selfless generosity and good
will, both of which are at the heart of the
Christian religion.
On one occasion, Nicholas brought back to
life three small boys killed seven years
before by a cruel butcher. On another, he
calmed a raging sea during a storm which
tossed a sailor overboard from the ship on
which he was a passenger, and miraculously
gave breath back to the drowned man.
Always alert for the suffering of others, he
Decorate
your home
at Christmas
Setting a Christmas scene in your home
can add a great deal to your enjoyment of
the season. Plan a family or friends night to
decorate the tree, hang wreaths and
garlands, and otherwise get into the holiday
spirit. And, along with decorations, don't
forget to stock up on varying sizes of can-
dles -they will add a warm inviting glow to
your home.
Make the most of your entertaining time
too. By using quick and easy finger foods
and decorative, disposable partyware, for
all but the most elaborate of get-togethers,
you'll be saving time in preparation and
cleaning up that can be spent with family.
With some advance planning and a little
imagination suing both store-bought and
around -the -house items, you can easily
create an atmoshpere of Christmas that is
truly magical.
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saved from famine a town in Asia Minor, by
diverting a shipment of grain to them, which
then miraculously reproduced itself, so that
the merchant to whom it belonged lost
nothing.
In another legend, he is credited with
having rescued from slavery three penniless
maidens by anonymously donating to each
of them a. bag of gold, the equivalent of a
dowry.
In commemoration of this last deed, in the
Netherlands (and in the Dutch colony known
as New Netherlands, today new York),
three oranges were traditionally left out in a
dish on St. Nicholas Day, December 6, to
symbolize Nicholas's golden gifts.
As early as the 14th century, St. Nicholas'
feast day was reason enough for giving
presents. At that time, groups of choir boys
from churches whose patron was St.
Nicholas would be given a gift of money and
a holiday.
Traditionally, they would choose one of
their number to be a "bishop" and properly
attired, lead them through the streets as
they called their request for "bishop
money" which would be given them by
passers-by.
Of the money they amassed, half would
buy, candy, the other half candles for use in
the church.
St. Nicholas Day was also the occasion
when well behaved children attending
convent schools would be rewarded with
little gifts. The mischievous ones, on the
other hand, would come in for well deserved
punishment, namely some strokes with the
birch rod.
Even then, St. Nick was careful to find out
which children were "naughty or nice," and
rewarded them appropriatley.
Eventually,of course, St. Nicholas
becaine transformed into Santa Claus, a gift
giver whose serious message of generosity
to all is sometimes masked by the fact that,
as preceived in the contemporary world, he
is primarily a figure of jollity, with a sleigh
full of presents, a booming laugh and a
rotund belly which shakes "like a bowlful of
jelly."
But despite the fact that, at Yuletide, a
Santa Claus can be found at virtually every
street corner and in every department store,
the meaning of the season still rings out loud
and clear, strong enough to echo behind
every "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a
good night," a far more essential phrase:
°'Peace on earth, good will to men." For,
that is what the Christmas spirit of giving is
all about.
YES.... IT'S ARRIVED!
THE VOYAGER SE... LIKE NO OTHER
THE FAMILY WAGON OF THE FUTURE IS HERE!
Ed Hagle-President
PlymQutfi
[( llliitil.l;li
Dodge
Dodge Trucks
SALES/SERVICE
Ed Magi() President of Goderich
Plymouth Chrysler Ltd. is proud to
announce the arrival of the first
1984 Voyager SE in Huron County.
The wagon everyone has been
asking and waiting to see and drive
is now here. Test drive it today!
Voyager --1984 ushers in a new era
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Voyager will change your mind
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It took six years and 700 million
dollars to bring this new vehicle to
reality. Experts claim it was worth
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because it puts us neatly into the
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DIAL 5247383