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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Clinton News Record, 1936-12-24, Page 7PAGE URS., DEC 24, 1;o26 THE CLINTON NEWS -RECORD PAGE 7 Edited by Rebekah. Pt Ruiilatiolls ,01 git 1. A Column Prepared Especially for Women: But Not Forbidden to Men A CHRISTMAS LETTER :dust now a secret door, locked long ago, " :Flew open very silently; and lo! ' The room within was lit with rosy gleams, -Aid violets made it very sweet with dreams! :All the oId pictures on the walls I !And from from the window—ah, the long, long view! ;So my soul stayed there, singing in. December Words to an old, old time, just: "I remember!" COh, friend of mine, I need not write your name— ' This' is what happened when your :letter came. —Fay Inehfawn. A Merry Christmas to You All. I wonder how many of the readers < of this column have formed the Christmas -letter habit, It is such a nice habit to form and to keep up. :But while I do so enjoy getting Christmas letters, and I have a few friendswho seldom or never disap- ' point me, I do not do as much of it as I might. I very often write a lit- tle note on -the back of my Christmas '•eards, choosing -the kind that lend themselves to this, but write very -few real Letters, 1•1111111111111011111111i• 10.1P A few years ago I received a card from an old friend who has been sending me .a' Christmas card for .. a great many years, it being about the only communication we have during the year, as usual, but that year the card came from a distant point in the United States, and I thought she was in her own little Ontario town home. There was plenty of room on the back of this card for her to have written a nice little letter, telling me why she was down there, how long she was staying and how she was enjoy- ing herself. I thought it really stupid to miss such a chance and that Christmas card did me little good that year. Another friend always writes such a charming little letter with her Christmas message, telling me about. the other members of her family and other mutual friends. It warms my heart and sends a glow all over me to have old memories recalled so pleasantly, while a couple more old friends write real, honest -to -goodness letters all about themselves, their friends in whom I am also interested, and what they are doing and saying. It is one of the nicest habits 1 know of and well worth cultivating. It might be well, if you have not done it for Christmas or if it is too late, start for New Year's, choosing some- one whom you have not seen for some time and who would enjoy get- ting a letterful of news such as you can write. REBEKAH. GININSMs `The Origin of Many Christmas Customs Christmas with all its joyous reun- memoration of the Nativity it is in- : ions and hallowedmemories is upon teresting to trace the origin of some us again. It is a season when for a • brief period we are all little children : again, when the spirit of love and good fellowship is uppermost, and 'earthly cares and troubles disappear, however briefly, routed by the magic of the happy laughter of the little ,enes. The editor has been looking up the records of Christmas obser- • varices, and very interesting they are. Apparently for many of our old ,. customs handed down to us from long dead centuries, we are greatly in- .:debted to the pagans. The word Christmas is from the 'old English words Cristes maesse, which means Christ's mass, and De- cember 25 was chosen as the day for celebrating the Nativity because it marked the beginning of the great winter festivals when the ancient Britons, Germans and Gauls made 'merry in pagan fashion. It was the -season of the winter solstice. With • the advent of Christianity these pa- I gun practices were forbidden, but in-► stead of discarding them entirely the old symbols and customs were adapt - ,ed to the new Christian festivals. 'Hence we have such familiar objects in Christmas celegrations as the Christmas tree, Santa Claus or St. Nicholas, the Yule Iog, holly and mis-I tletoe, gift giving, carol singing, etc. King Arthur is supposed to have celebrated the first Christmas day 'observed in England by a festival Twteld in the city of York in 521, and which lasted several days. By the Middle Ages the Christmas festivals 'had become themost popular of P P celebrations. They became extreme- sly elaborate in Shakespeare's time, on occasions Iasting until Twelfth Day, or Epiphany, twelve days after; 'Christmas. Duringthis period there was no work of any kind, and people cave themselves over to festivities. Aside from the purely religious ob- servances connected with the corn-' (Founded 1885) LONDON ONTARIO • ANNOUNCES THE WINTER TERM "Opening January 4, 1937 Application may now be made for '•admission to the 'following courses:— BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, SECRETARIAL, OFFICE TRAINING, ACCOUNTING, STENOGRAPHY. To date this year, employment oppor- tunities for graduates have increased 25% over the same period of 1985. We believe this improvement will continue and that there is every encouragement for young people to prepare for busi- nest careers, After the Winter Term classes are formed, the next date upon which students will be admitted is March 29 W. F. Marshall, Principal W. d. Roadhouse, B,Com, Yioe-Principal • FREE BULLETIN OP COURSES SENT ON REQUEST of the customs and objects so cher- ished at this season. The words San- ta Claus, for instance, appear to be derived from San Nicholas, the Eng- lish of which is St. Nicholas, who was the patron saint of Russia. St. Nich- olas, a man of great piety, was Bi- shop of Myra in Lycia, a country on the south coast of Asia Minor. Just how he became the patron of the young the following old legend pur- ports to tell: The sons of a rich Asiatic, on their way to Athens for education, were slain by a robber innkeeper, dismem- bered and their parts hidden in a brine tub. In the morning came the Saint, whose visions had warned him. of the crime, whose authority forced confession, and whose prayers restor- ed the boys to life. ' Ever since, St. Nicholas has been the special saint of the school boy, and certain of the customs of the montem day at Eton College are said to have originated in old festivals in his honor. The popular myth of Santa Claus entering sleeping homes by way of the chimney seems to have arisen from the custom among the early English of cleaning their chimneys on New Year's Day so that luck could descend and remain all year, For many years Santa found only wooden shoes awaiting him in the chimney corners, but as the wise little heads found that stockings held more, the shoes were displaced. Santa would leave no gifts unless he saw the little shoes or stockings all in a row by the fireplace and so knew thatthe children were tucked away in bed. Evidently this myth was invented' by some parents of long ago for their own convenience,and it spread rap, idly. The popularity of the mistletoe as a Christmas decoration has come down from the ancient Druids who held it in great veneration. Only happiness could enter the house whose doorway was decorated with his plant, while evil woodland spir- its were barred. Kissing under the mistletoe was an old Druidic custom and is still quite popular. Laurel was used in olden days in England at Christmas time in imitation of the ancient Romans to whom laurel stood for peace, joy and victory. A house decorated with laurel indicated .that Christ had entered there. Gradually the laurel was replaced in popular es- teem by the holly and, the ivy.,, Many legends have been written on the origin of the Christmas tree. One popular German tale make St. Winfred the originator of the idea. Another credits it to Martin Luther. Many believe that the Christmas tree is a survival of the ancient ,Roman custom of decorating pine trees with images of Bacchus for the celebration of the festival of Saturnalia. This festival occurred in December, and was a time of unrestrained merry- making, even the slaves being asked to join. Of course your Christmas baking is all clone and put away, but you may, have time this Christmas Eve, or next week, to make some candy for the young folk, Here are a few re- cipes: • Chocolate Truffles One-half pound chocolate, half cup sweetened condensed milk. Melt cho- colate in double boiler. Remove from fire and add condensed milk, stirring constantly. When mixture thickens, drop from teaspoon on buttered sheet or plate. Half nuts may be placed on top of each candy or they may be rol- led in finely chopped nut meats or in shredded cocoanut. Frosted Caramel Squares One-half cup shortening; 1 cup su- gar; 2 eggs; half teaspoon vanilla; half teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon baking powder; one and a half cups flour; 1 cup chopped nut meats. Cream sugar and butter, add two yolks and one white of egg well bea- ten together, vanilla and flour which has been sifted with salt and baking powder. Spread mixture quarter inch thick on flat baking pan and sprinkle with chopped nut meats. Crackerjack Taffy One cup brown sugar; half cup sorghum, bit of water to dissolve. Boil till hard ball of taffy. Add quarter tspn. soda, pour over pop corn, Peanut Fudge Three cups brown sugar, 1 cup milk, 2 tablespoons peanut butter. Boil sugar and milk until a soft ball can be formed in cold water. Take from fire, add peanut butter and beat until creamy. Pour into but- tered pan and mark in squares. Molasses Candy Two cups molasses, 1 cup sugar, 1 tbspn. vinegar. Butter size of a walnut. Boil ingredients together until mixture will become brittle when dropped in cold water. Remove from fire, stir in one-third tspn, bak- ing soda, cool in buttered pan suffi- ciently to pull. Pull and cut with scissors or a sharp knife. _ m Fudge One cup white sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, one-quarter cup syrup or 2 tablespoons, half cup sweet milk, quarter eup melted butter. Boil two and a half minutes, then add 2 tea- spoons cocoa. Boil 5 minutes longer, then take from stove and add 1 teas - spoon vanilla. Beat till creamy, then pour in buttered pan and mark in squares. Maple Cocoanut Drops Two cups brown sugar, 1 tspn. van- illa, three-quarter cup milk, few grains salt, 2 tbspns. butter, 1 cup shredded cocoanut. Cook brown su- gar, milk and butter together, stir- ring until a little mixture forms a soft ball when dropped into cold wa- ter. Remove from fire and cool, add vanilla, salt and cocoanut. Beat un- til creamy. Drop by teaspoonfuls on a greased surface or a piece of waxed paper. Peanut Butter Fudge Oiie-half cup peanut butter, half cup milk, two and half cups granulat- ed sugar, half tbspn. butter, 1 tspn. vanilla. Combine the peanut butter, milk and sugar and let boil gently until a little of the mixture forms a soft ball when tried in. cold water. Then add the butter and vanilla and allow the mixture to cool until tep- id. Beat until creamy, pour into a buttered pan, and when almost cold cut into squares. TINY'S TIM'S TOAST "God bless us ev'ry one!' Dear Tim, Your words bring hope and cheer To hopeless hearts and needy homes At, Christmas time each year. "God bless us ev'ry one! How sweet The message. May it be The vital thought of love and joy On every Christmas tree. "God bless us ev'ry one!" said he Let us unite with him And help the world to understand The toast of Tiny Tim. —James L. Hughes. THE FARM AND CHRISTMAS "Christmas and the Farm; the Farm and Food." Christmas 1936 should see a revi- val of this ancient Christmas toast. Those were the days when the value of the farm was universally recogniz- ed, but in the whirl of modern life the farm, as the sure foundation of material civilization, is apt to be for- gotten. The word farm means food and was so called because in older times the tenant was required to pro- vide the landlord with food by way of rent, Today'this definition has been considerably extended in that the farm supplies the nation with rood, and without food,without the feeding of the multitude, it is not given to human beings to be able openly to express that spirit of uni- versal kindness and peace and good will evoked by the teachings of the Master in the celebration of the festival of Christmas. The connection between agricul- ture and Christmas has been intimate from the beginning. It was to shep- herds watching their flocks by night that the words "Fear not: for, be- hold, I bring you good tidings of great joy" were addressed. It was in a lowly stable attached to a farm - khan that the Saviour of the World was born, and a few days later it was on the back of the most humble farm animal, the ass, that He was borne to Egypt in safety. It was from the agricultural popu- lation mainly that the early Chris- tians drew their adherents, and many years later it was over the farms and orchards in the vicinity of Rome that the early Christians scoured the country in -search of holly branches to decorate their churches and dwel- lings at Christmastide. Meanwhile, the farm, as ever, con- tinued to furnish the wherewithal for the feast, and at the same time, as centuries rolled by and, towns became swamped in their own activities, it was the farm that kept alive the kindly, ancient rites of 'the feast. Many centuries later, Charles Dick- ens restored to the townsfolk of England something of the joy and beauty of the spirit of Christmas which still flourished among agricul- tural communities, Even today many of the ancient agricultural Christmas celebrations, as distinct from the towns, survive, some of them under limited conditions. There is Plough Monday, for example, which is still observed in several countries, including the British. Isles. In old- en times in Europe, Plough Monday marked the end of the Christmas holidays. It was held on the first Monday in January after the Twelfth Day. Iidwas customary on Plough Monday, before the ploughman re- turned to work on the following day, to draw a plough from door to door of the parish to solicit "plough mon- ey" to spend in a frolic. The queen of the banquet was called Bessy. Then there was the ancient feast of the boar's head which still exists in at least three distinet communities in England—at Queen's College, Ox- ford, on. Christmas Day, and at the annual Christmas banquets of the City of London at the Guildhall and of the Worshipful Company of Cut- lers in London. The proceedings are much' the same. Trumpets sound and the boar's head is carriedin proces- sion, escorted by choristers singing the old carol "The boar's head in hand bring. I". At the City of Lon, don feast, the master takes theaem,.. on from the boar's jaws and: at.Ox- ford the Provost: takes the orange and presents it to the principal sing- er. At the Cutlers' Hall, the presi- dent of the feast accepts the present of a pot of mustard, and extols the circumstances of the feast. This re- ference to mustard must be very old, because in a carol that had been in vogue for centuries before, Wynkyn de Worde printed the words in 1521 A.D., the last line of which runs "the bore's heed with mustarde". The phrase "Christmas Box" orig- inated in the early Christian times. It was really then a box which was placed in the church for promiscuous charities and was opened on Christ- mas Day. The contents were distri- buted the next day (Boxing Day) by the priest, and wherethe contribu- tions consisted of cash were known as box money. However, farmers were accustomed to leave their con- tributions in kind, eggs, butter, flour, meat, and other agricultural products, much the same as the farmers of Quebec today place fruits at the church entrance on . Thanksgiving Day, the results of the sales of which go towards masses for the souls of.: relatives. In many churches in Can- ada, the accumulation of Christmas. HEALTH. CARE OF CHILDREN A HEALTH SERVICE dr THE CANADIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION AND 'LIFE INSURANCE COMPANIES IN CANADA BLOOD PRESSURE Blood pressure is the force that the heart exerts in order to pump the blood through the circulatory sys tem. The heart is a hollow muscular organ which acts as a pump to keep the blood in circulation. The blood leaves the heart in two streams. One stream carries the blood to the lungs where it is purified; the oth- er stream goes to all parts of the body, carrying food to the tissues. The arteries are hollow tubes which carry the blood. Normal ar- teries are soft and elastic. The im- pulse ofthe heart beat is carried along through the arteries and can be felt at the wrist, where it is cal- led the pulse. In the normal, healthy body, the blood pressure is normal. Certain abnormal conditions, particularly those affecting the heart, arteries and kidneys, cause an alteration in the blood pressure and it becomes abnor. mai. An abnormal blood pressure is not a disease but is a symptom of some abnormal condition. It is a warning sign and the physician seeks for and treats the cause. Disregard of the needs of the body for exercise, rest, proper food and such things, throws a needless strain upon the whole system, and one symptom of this is frequently an in- creased blood pressure. The family physician should be consulted regularly for advice as to how to live. The periodic health ex- amination is not only for the pur- pose of discovering abnormal condi- tions, but also for receiving advice as to how to keep normal. Questions concerning health, ad- dressed to the Canadian Medical As- sociation, 184 College St., Toronto will be answered personally by letter `HERE'S A STORY FROM GODERICH Woman's place may be in the home, but all too frequently, is the conten- tion of some she is at the bridge table, in mind if not in body. Witness for example the embar- rassing position in which one woman was placed, as she evidently review- ed in her mind a bridge hand of the previous evening. It ivas at a meeting of a church organization. The roll was being cal- led. "Mrs. So and So," called the sec- retary. "I pass," she murmured absently. gifts is distributed in much the same manner as in the earliest Christian days. And at this Christmastide, as in the days gone by, the farm has fur- nished the chief necessaries for the Christmas feast, such as the meats, the turkeys, the geese, the ducks and chickens, the cereal foods, the vege- tables, the cream, milk, eggs, and cheese, not forgetting that many of the other essentials, the candies and confectionery, the pickles, cigars and cigarettes, are all of agricultural ori- gin. So once more, the ancient toast: "Christmas and the Farm: the Farm and Food". FREE: BOOK ON HOCKEY A Great Book "How to Be- come a Hockey Star" by T. Pr' "Tommy" Gorman, manager and coach of the Montreal "Maroons", profusely illus- trated and containing many valuable tips on how to play the game. also AUTOGRAPHED PICTURES of GREAT PLAYERS (mounted for framing) Group Montreal "Maroons" Group "Les Canadiono' or "Idividsae pictures of: Reidy. Northcott Paul Haynes Davi) Trottier - Marty Barry. Russ Mince Pete Ro11Y Earl Robinson Dave Kerr Bob Granie Roy Wortors'. Gus Marker Arra" Bailey How io Morena Art l.oslcur Johnny Chignon ' Prank Boucher Will. Cuda Marty 1lnrko George Mentha Ales Lev! -sky • Your choke of the above • For a label from a tin of "CROWN BRAND" or "LILY WHITE" Corn Syrup.—Write on the back your name and address — plainly — and the words "Hockey Book" or the name of the picture you want (one book or picture for each label). Mail the label to the address below. EDWARDSBURG CROWN (BRAND CORN SYRUP' THE FAMOUS . ENERGY FOOD A product of Thee/MAIM STA RCH COMPANY Limited TORONTO Tn e TIM MODEST CORNER IS DEDICATED TO THE POETS Here They Will Sing You Their Songs—Sometime. ° Gay, Sometimes Sad— But Always Helpful and Inspiring. LET US KEEP CHRISTMAS Then let every°heart keep Its Christmas within— Christ's pity for sorrow, Christ's hatred of sin. Christ's care for the weakest, • Christ's courage for right, Christ's dread of the darkness, Christ's love of the light— Everywhere--everywhere— Christmas tonight. —Phillips Brooks. UNTO US A SON IS GIVEN Given, not lent, And not withdrawn—once sent, This Infant of mankind, this One, Is still the little welcome Son. New every year, New born and newly dear, He comes with tidings and a song, The ages long, the ages long. Even as the cold Keen Winter grows not old, As childhood is so fresh, foreseen, And Spring in the familiar green. Sudden as sweet Come the expected feet. All joy is young, and new all art, And He, too, whom we have by heart. —Alice Meynell. CHRISTMAS SONG Could you have seen the wise men With yearning in their eyes, The eager, anxious mien of them, Beneath the starlit skies, You would have said He must be King, The Child who brought them ques- tioning. Could you have seen the shepherds, Bent down in deep despair, With new life leap to welcome The joy that filled the air, You would have known at once by them A King was born at Bethlehem. But could you have seen Mary. With beauty 'round her shed, In •mother -glory bending Above His infant head, You would have wept. "This little Child Brings peace and grace and mercy mild," —Mary E, McCullough. AN ANGEL SONG A Babe was born in Bethlehem, An Angel song— Who came His people to redeem From sin and wrong. The shepherds haste to manger -bed, All open-eyed— To spread abroad what Angel said, Both far and wide. By sainted souls His praise was sung In temple shrine— Who saw what shame and glory hung For Babe Divine. The wise men journeyed from afar, By His star led— Bearing the gold, incense and myrrh For Kingly Head, Like Shepherds and like wise men, too, But where we live— But where we live— We. seek' and find the Lord Christ, true, Our hearts to give— Our hearts to give. —J, M. Fraser,. in "Seasonal Songs." THEN AND NOW. "If I had been a shepherd boy Out on the hills that Christmas night, And heard the angels' song of joy And seen the heavens flaming- white, lamingwhite, I think I never could forget; I know I'd be remembering yet. "I could not be a shepherd boy For that was long and long ago. But still the angels' chant of joy Comes echoing across; the snow, And 1 can listen if I will And hear their Holy Anthem still, If I had been a sleeping guest Lodged at the inn that Christmas night When the new Lord was laid to rest In the cold stall in' humble plight, I know I would have waked instead And given Him my warm, soft bed. ' But I was nota lodger there, It was so long ago indeed; Yet all around me everywhere Are little children still in need, And when I love and cherish them I serve the Babe of Bethlehem." —Nancy Byrd, Turner RISE UP, SHEPHERD, j AN° FOLLER I Dere's a Star in de Eas' on Christi* mas morn, Rise up, shepherd, an° foller; It'll lead t' de place where de Save, ior's born, Rise up, shepherd, an' foller. Leave yo, sheep an' leave yo' lambs, Rise up, shepherd, an' foller. Leave yo' eyes an' leave yo' rams, Rise up, shepherd, an' foller. Faller, foller, Rise up, shepherd, an' foller. Fuller de Star o' Bethlehem, Rise up, shepherd, an' foller. If yo' take good heed to de angel's words, Rise up, shepherd, an' foller, Yo'll forget yo' flocks, yo'll forget yo' herds; Rise up, shepherd, an' foller. BEFORE THE PALING OF THE, STARS Before the paling of the stars, Before the winter morn, Before the earliest cock -crow, Jesus Christ was born; Born in a stable, Cradled in a manger, In the world His hands had made, Born a stranger. Priest and king lay fast asleep In Jerusalem. Young and old lay fast asleep In crowded Bethlehem. Saint and angel, ox and ass, Kept a watch together Before the Christmas daybreak In the wintry weather. Jesus on His Mother's breast In the stable. cold, Spotless Lamb of God was He, Shepherd of the fold; Let us kneel with Mary Maid, With Joseph bent and hoary, With saint and angel, ox and ass, To hail the King of Glory. —Christina E. Rossetti. THE FIRST CHRISTMAS As that Judean land which long ago Waited through centuries to find a face Where human and Divine met first in grace And proved high love incarnate here below; A little world that worshipped pomp and show Yet lay, as many a strange, imper- ial race, Whom haunting dreams for ever- more encase. Calling a vision that the soul must know— So through the ways I could not un- derstand, Through light that dawned to dis- appear again. And pale mirage upon the distance cast, I waited even as that lonely land, And no dark night has ever been in vain, Since Heaven shines through thee to me at last, —Katherine Hale. THE CHRISTMAS. STAR. In yonder stately, skyward -pointing tower, The chiming bells proclaim the sacred hour, Melodious hymns that through the arches roll, Caught up, are echoed in my very soul, Enrapt, I fix my gaze upon the Star Above the altar, lit as from afar. A universal symbol it hangs there— God, manifest within the house of prayer, 0 Star! your fingers stretch out ev- ery way To show us where our Jesus is today. 0 world so weary! 0 misguided men! Come back and journey to our Christ again. In rivalry the nations are for strife. (The Star still beckons to the fuller life). No ill can overtake where God is guide. Lead on, 0 Star! Christ in our hearta abide, Till every spot the foot of man has trod, Becomes the birthplace of our King —our God. -Florence Walker Nelsoniu