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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Clinton News Record, 1939-12-14, Page 3Are Aft Most Of Those At Christmas Have No Connection With It OU'LL be giving presents this.Christ- mas. Your house will be decked with holly and t lstletoe, there'll be a Christnias tree, and the kids will be hanging up their stockings. Maybe you'll go to church. Of all these customs. only one has any real connection with Christmas. That is the last-mentioned -- and probably least observed. Exchanging presents belongs properly to • the New Year. Christmas trees existed lung before Chris- tianity. And oil Santa Claus is quite out of place at Christmas. His date— St. Nicholas Eve_ is redly December :i, In certain countries New -Year is still the gift season, as it was in the earliest days of Ronne. The Rotnans generally gave figs and dates revered with gold leaf, accom- panied by money with which to buy statues of the gods. Mistletoe has realty no Christnias significance, for it was the Druids' New Year gifts ---cut from the sacred trees with a golden knife to the people. Cautious Queen Down through the ages, front B,C. to A.D.. Nese Year remained the time for gifts. Christmas presents were still un- known in the time of I lenry III. but New Year presents weren't. In fact, that monarch extorted New Year gifts frem his subjects as his right. Queen Eliza- beth depended on New Year gifts for her magnificent wurdrube--and it is recanted that she took gond rare not to give too much back. Pins and gloves were the must popular presents. At the end of the fifteenth century, women were still using woollen skewers, and welcomed an "expensive" present of pins. Often they received in- stead money to buy the pins themselves —which gave tis tete expression "pins money." Origin Of Trees Christnias tree; were introduced Into England from Germany not so long ago —but for their true origin one, must go back to ancient Egypt, where palm trees put forth a shoot every month and were of festive signiftcanee at the end of the year, because x thcy boretwelve shoots, representing twelve months. New Wear again, you see. Whether or not it was that giving presents to children on December 5, in recognition of the kindly St. Nicholas, the festivities of Christmas, and the ex- change of gifts at New Year, became too expensive as individual customs, the fact remains that gradually they all became lumped together on Christmas Day. Christmas Time Savers A quick and effective way to cut candied peel is to rub it on a suet grater. To blanch almonds, place' them in a pan of cold water, bring slowly to the boil, then drop imniediately into cold water. If this method Is adopted the skins can be removed by rubbing the almonds between the fingers. artamosrearsasearmamics g)4.1cribi (ccp �ii� 33artbit ($�iter ;n Ofb clitanc.Ouiia 1 happened ,some. years back, writes Lance Colam, that I was in Mukden during the. Christmas season. Man- churia, or Manchukuo as it is now called, is not my idea of the best place to spend the festive season, although it certainly provided me with one of the strangest Christnias Days that I have yet spent. In She days of which I tell the country was still nominally under the control of the Chinese Government. In actual fact it was governed. by .a bandit chief—they were commonly known as war lords—who tools orders from 00 one, and maintained his position and power by sheer force and repression. This bandit chief was Marshal Chang. The profession of war Lord is a decaying one in China, but a few years back huge areas of the country knew no other form of rule. The population of Manchukuo today appear to he no more happy than they were in the days of Marshal Chang, which are already being remembered as though they belonged to a past Utopia, Machine -Gun Welcome Mukden is a depressing city. In the winter it bitterly cold and wind-swept. In the summer it is exceedingly hot, There were few town improvements, as at the entrance gate of the estate.' It was surrounded by a ten -foot stone wall, on the top of which ran electrified" wires. At night time powerful searchlights played along these wires, and woe betide anyone who tried to climb over; There were constant guards in the sentry boxes, with machine-guns trained along the walls. fust to show that they were keeping careful watch the guards would, at inter - vats, fire off their machine-gun. Whispering' for Tips At the entrance gates we were stopped by an armed guard, who carefully saw that we were all correct. This was fairly obvious, for as a protection we had been given a small mounted armed guard of eight soldiers who hart accompanied the party from Mukden, On arrival we all appreciated very much the glasses of hot toddy, made with the best Scotch whisky. We were then shown into a large room where we were introduced to the Marshal and his rather considerable family. What- ever defects Marshal Chang may have had they did not include that of being a poor host. He was most gracious and kindly; soon everyone was feeling quite at home. merchant for a dozen bottles of everything included in his price -list. There were champagne and cider: Vodka bottles stood next to' Italian earutoath. ' Beer had not been forgotten, and many popular brands were provided. I have never seen such alcoholic lavishness, although apart from one or two Germans who were present, it was not appreciated asit might have been by more generous drinkers On the whole we were a very sober lot, and none of the missionaries forgot him- self. Tyrants Day Off The Marshal himself ate little, but drank a considerable amount of very sweet champagne, which he carried very well, for it seemed to have no effect on him. 11e remained all through dinner urbane and kindly. The atmosphere was very happy, and the children, who had at first been a little scared, soon lost their reserve. By the time they reached the cracker - pulling stage they found the Marshal to be the kindest -old gentleman they had ever meta They ali.chose him to pull crackers with. I found myself 'wondering how it was possible for him to be the ruthless tyrant who would order the massacre of hundreds without a thought in order to CHRISTMAS YAWNING This little one has awakened a ti ifle too early, in a childish anxiety not to miss Santa Claus. that expression of tired boredom will pass like :t flash when her eyes see what the good lather Christmas has left for her. Western civilization understands the word. Marshal Chang governed with a Brett and drastic hand. But he had consider- able popularity with the poor and with • fond. nc children, of whom he was asu grey o 1, I fe was also on friendly terms with the stall frireign connntnity, which ranged from a newspaper correspondent to a mixture of American missionaries, mostly re, exulted from the Middle \Vest, A few days befn a Christmas we all received an invitation to a party to be given by the `Iarshal on Christmas Day. It was an honor, regarded as a command. i%veryone went. Wrapped up to the teeth, for it was freezingly cold, we drove out to the Mar- shal's home, which lay about a mile out- side i\lukclen, Motor -cars were out of the question, for the roads or tracks were liquid mud which had become frozen. The little carriages in which we trav- elled heaved and rocked like cockle boats in a rough sea. To snake our progress more unpleasant we found that the Mar- shal had made his road proof against any possible form of rapid transport. The last half utile before we reached his gates had been trenched in zig-zag fashion every thirty yards. Sometimes one of the wheels would slip into the side of a trench, and we had to get out and heave. After a very slow progress we arrived In a -hurt 1 ime it servant mine in 1,,. say dinner was sei'n'ed. We all tveut into another adjoining room where there w.ts a small army et Chinese servants to wait on rts. The': had evilest,} been care- fully e- fnlly tr until, for on every odd oceaston they would whisper in rat's ear, dl.tpp.n- Chisuuuns, happily Chismas." For this greeting they expected a financial reward. Dishes of Mystery The menu was a strangely varied one. It consisted of the frullui -ung dishes: biushrnont and Crab Soup. Sharks' Fins, Garouba Fish. Chicken --Duck-- l urkey. Bamboo and Ponco Noodles, Plum Pudding. In addition the table was covered with a varlets. of small dishes containing a strange assortment of food. It never does to inquire what such dishes are. Yon either eat then, and possibly like theta, or leave theta alone. Squeamish- ness is not encouraged at a Chinese din- ner party. The drinks appeared to comprise every possible selection, and Marahat Chang must have sent an order to some wins DICKENS' CHRISTMAS CAROL Many merry Christmases, friend- ships, great accumulation of cheer- fut recollections, affection on earth, and Heaven at last for all of its, - --Charles Dickens, cit John Forster, 1846, However, maintain itis power. The meel continued for over an lour, and, most of us were feeling very satisfied both with Christmas and with life. At a sign from the Marshal utt we went back into the original room. The servants during our absence had brought in large Christ- mas tree which haul been lit up with many colored candles, and ladeu with numerous presents. Nothing wnuli satisfy the children but that our host should dress himself up as Father Christmas. Ile did this cheerfully, and had there been a com- petition for a champion Chinese Father Christnias I ant sure the Marshal would have won, He beamed radiantly, and personified genialit}. Ile started to give out the presents to the youngsters. Jost as he was beginning on the odder people a servant came into the roost and whispered a message into his ear. He asked to be excused for a few minutes. On his return lie carried on as before and we alt were delighted with the taste and generosity he had shown in the selection of gifts. My own present from hint was 100 Corona cigars, and a gold wristwatch. The evening :most passed, and the time came when we resolved to start on the Journey home. But before we actually left the Marshal had prepared one more surprise. As we went out of the front door he must have given some signal, for on every side there showered into the clear winter sky a magnificent display of fireworks. JriJiU or Oreeting `Less Than a Century Ago, They Replaced Long ' Letters Tf IE greatest volume of Christmas ' mail consists of greeting cards:" This branch of the season's trade is. rapidly increasing. Every year card; designs become more varied and colorful;. and stationers everywhere report bigger sales. Yet it is less than a century since the! first Christmas cards made their appears ance in England. In days gone by it used to be a general, custom to write long letters to all one's friends and acquaintances at Christnias-,' time. People who never met each other from one year's end to another would, exchange at least a dozen pages of greet-' ing a few days before the 25th, and Citi letter -writing often occupied several weeks. First to Publish The credit for inventing the timesaving card goes to a Birmingham artist named William A. Dobson, who later became a member of the Royal Academy. In 18.14 he designed tt card, painted with rich colors, symbolizing the spirit of Christ- nias. In the following year he had his little masterpiece lithographed and sent copies to some of his friends. Other claimants fur the invention of• Christnias cards were Sir Henry Cole, ai famous Civil Servant, and the Rev, W. E. Bradley, a clerg}mtut and author whet lived in Newcastle -upon -'Pyne, ,t is said, however, that both these sten took the idea from Dobson's original card which had been shown to them. If Sir Henry did not actually, ,produce the earliest card, lie was at any rate the first persue to publish them. Several well-known artists of the day were inviter, to submit designs and by 1318 cards were on sale in the shops. These cost 25 cents each. Less than ten years afterwards the novelty had acquired widespread pop- ularity. A score of publisher's in Loudon, Edinburgh, and .,cher cities were pre. during quite a aide variety of gond designs. Sentimental Victorians The Cltristnr,ts cards that appeared in the sixties and seventies of last century were of a rather sentimental character, rather like the popular Valentines of the sate period. But the year 1805, or there- abouts, they had reached a high degree of merit and the better va riettts were quite outstanding examples of t he printers' art. Some time ago it became fashionable to collect Christmas card designs that had been produced before the Great \Var. Perhaps the largest collection ever pet together Seas oM comprising no fewer than 163,000 different varieties. This two: housed in seventy thick foolscap vol. tunics! The first 25 cent card published by Sir Henry Cole still has a high value among present -clay collectors, and a genuine hand -colored specimen fetches as much as 62.10 or 3300. But the reprints that were issued much later have no vahie at all. Seasonable Sentiment While rich sten sigh and poor mere fret, Dear me! We can't spare Christmas yet! —Edward S. Martin, Christmas, 1898. Santa Says: You can make your CHRISTMAS SHOPPING a real pleasure and your money go further if you! shop at Plumsteel Bros. We have gifts for all the family and at prices you want to pay. FOR MOTHER we have House .Slippers from 59c up Fancy Handkerchiefs, boxed, 19c, 25c and up to 750 Wooled _Blankets, Very Special $1.95. SILK HOSE at: 85c and $1.00 FOR FATHER -- FINE SHIRTS at $1.00, 1.25, 1.50 and 2.00 TIES in Christmas Boxes 25c, 35c, 50c, 75c, $1.00 SOCKS Pre -War Prices 25c to $1.00 FANCY SCARVES—SILK or WOOL, 35c to $1.25 BRACES and ARM BANDS (fancy boxed) 25c up SLIPPERS—Cosy and Warm $1.00 up. PYJAMAS & GOWNS, Fancy Broadcloth pl or Warm Flannelette $1.00, $1.50, $2.001 We also_have an extra heavy stock of Men's & Boy's. Sweaters -and Windbreakers at Pre -War Prices) DRESS 'GLOVES, Lined or Unlined ... $1.00 pr, up Also a •TuIl range of useful and very acceptable Gifts for Boys and Girls. EXTRA SPECIAL—See our Men's Heavy Ribbed Shirts .& Drawers, wonderful value, $1.19 gar. 1 1 OVERCOATS—Don't miss the chance to buy that new :Overcoat at pre-war prices. Our stock g large, .our styles the latest & our prices very low. do etisat=iftt r mi-Ws-ZP at2MPfPintZtZ'start'tbtlat=r2rstsr atZt2r2MarDr�sMDiZMIPr�fDA yi':tatets•te acfaVete Ksces t.' tcfatetc*'e to tetitst€2 sW,sz+gtetfiVetetcte?sctetMseetet;t du A A A f SEASON'S GREETINGS WE SPECIALIZE IN SHELL PRODUCTS SEALED FOR YOUR PROTECTION CONDOR OIL in 5 Gallon Lots SPECIAL PRICES On SEALED SHELL and CONDOR OiL in 5 Gallon Lots EXIDE BATTERIES Recharging a Specialty CIGARETTES CIGARS TOBACCOS Prestone { Gal. $3.45 Shellzone Gal. $3.45 Froskil Alcohol $1.35 Reg Cudmore NORTH END SHELL SERVICE STATION 4 Clinton Ontario, "Y ra r8t`�Yi.--'To�fi3t8i3i�t�;2r'J'ri�;`3t`J.lat2la'rai8rai`+�ia `HFA'h2ic�fr`7i]F�t2t:3Fa:3�'�",a7`3`rar2t�.19t`2t"o'tdi'a7"dt`�t3t3:'.�f`3ratdrl xr Metetavecv ztetevetevataz etcoatelem atonete-t, ogimemmorogo ctetimoc' IT COSTS NO MORE TO SHOP AT MacDONALD'S Where you will find a good assortment of the following: 1 Full -Fashioned Silk Hose Wool, and Silk & Wool Hose Ladies Sweater Coats Ladies Knitted Suits Houle Coats Lingerie Bed Spreads Blouses Also a good assortment of Handkerchiefs, Aprons, Bed Jackets. Scarfs, Baby Gifts and other novelty gifts. 4 we invite you to call and see our Christmas Stock A. MacDonald, Specialty Shoppe f.iatatadtratarsta:latMet atom;2t IX3tarat rstatistat2rstattsi2tat-st2tatatsratsrstaraaMDtstsstaMI FtstatetCtglMetEtgltit KItzMtater tete teteu.,tiroAMICea€<ate V tetCVMMte WISHING YOU ALL A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR. BROWNIE'S Service Station Dealer in Chrysler and Plymouth Cars. SHELL GAS and OIL GOODYEAR TIRES Willard Batteries - Car Accessories Phone 5 forService. iar9rB;ars'rs tat2t2istatB r' t,ADSi tsts'r3tstar'btar r3r8h3rDti»atsiatatsr2OWFS 2rss2tDdnInl.N. 1 1 oA