The Huron Expositor, 1989-12-20, Page 30Thristams customs
a•lromapagea0
longest is said tote the one whose candle
stays upright and :bares to the end.
Of souse what shapes the future not in
lead or wax, -apples cores or •candles, :but
rather for the coming year all that 'hap-
pens can be for our own good as we
-remember the Christ Child who's "got the
whole wide world in His hands."
RHE 'POMP OF .THE YULE LOG
'The Yule log :has a prominent place in
the Christmas festivities of the Serbians
and Croats. The men go to the forest
before sumise on Christmas Morning to cut
a tree and bring it back with great pomp.
On either side of the door where the Yule
log enters the home, are placed lighted
candles. The log is sprinkled with corn and
wine as ;well as adorned with garlands.
PLUNDERING PERSIANS
It is told that the Persians invaded the
Holy Land in .614 and ransacked the holy
places. After they completed their destruc-
tion in Jerusalem they went to Bethlehem.
As they came to the Basilica of Nativity
they esperially took an interest in the
brilliant mosaic of the Magi dressed in
Persian costume and worshipping the
Christ C2rild.
Since the Magi's attire was Persian and
the attackers were Persian, the soldiers
wondered if the place was not under their
protection so they passed by without
plundering this great and meaningful piece
of art.
ALASKAN CHRISTMAS CUSTOM
The Whites, Russians, and Indians of
Alaska .have an interesing custom called
"going around with the star".
They make a star-shaped wooden fr e
and cover it with bright tissue paper, th
the boys and girls carry this from door- '°end humanity.
door for three nights as they sing
Christmas carols. They are usnally invited
in and given something,
Another party ofj oys and girls appear
on the third night, masked to represent
Herod's soldiers. This group tries to cap-
ture the star and destroy it as Herod's
soldiers tried to destroy the Christ Child.
,CHRISTMAS 'yURTE
In 'Roumania especiallklnd of cake Ball-
ed torte is made for Christmas Day. It is
made of .layers of 'thin dough and melted
sugar or -honey, walnuts and sometimes
.hemp seeds.
The 'housewife prepares the cake on the
day -before Christmas. The custom is that
while she is 'kneading the dough she is to
go out into the yard as her husband
follows, axe in hand. As they come to a
tree, the husband threatens to cut it down,
saying that it has yielded no fruit and is
no good. The wife defends the tree pro-
claiming that next year the tree will be as
full of fruit as her fingers are full of
dough. They go from tree to tree in this
manner, but none are cut down. The dough
is supposed to represent the swaddling
clothes of the Christmas baby.
Boys go from house to house reciting
verses and telling fanciful and legendary
stories. 'they carry a bag for any gifts
given to them.
The Roumanians have another custom
called the blessing of the Darube. They
dress in colorful custumes representing
Herod, Pontius Pilate, and other biblical
characters. Gathering on a river bank they
sing carols. The ice on the river is broken
and a wooden cross is thrown in the water.
A road scramble takes place to see who
can rescue the cross. The one who rescues
it is believed to have an extra portion of
good luck in store.
SHARING CHRISTMAS IN LITHUANIA
A layer of hay is placed under the table
cloth on Christmas Eve in the homes of
Lithuania. This is in memory of the hum-
ble stable where Jesus was born in
Bethlehem: During this meal an un-
consecrated wafer is shared by all that are
present to symbolize the sharing of love
TIP DAY
In earlier years English servants and ap-
prentices went around with earthen boxes
at Christmastime to collect their monetary
gifts; hence, this day became known as
Boxing Day. Others feel' that the term box-
ing was derived from the Arabic
Backsheesh meaning tip or gratuity.
A ROYAL CHRISTMAS
The Illustrated London News of 1848 in-
cluded this description of the royal tree:
The Christmas free is annually prepared
by her Majesty's cornmmand for the Royal
Children...The tree employed for this
festive purpose is a young fir of about
eight feet high, and has six tiers of bran-
ches. On each tier, or branch, are arrang-
ed a dozen wax taper. Pendant from the
branches are elegant trays, baskets, bon-
bounieres, and other receptacles for
sweetmeats of the most varied and expen-
sive kind; and of all forms, colours, and
degrees of beauty. Fancy cakes, gilt
gingerbread and eggs filled with
sweetmeats, are also suspended .by
variously coloured ribbons from'the 'bran-
ches. The tree, which ,stands upon a table
covered with white damask, is •supported
at the root by pies of sweets of a larger
kind, and by toys and dolls of all descrip-
tions, suited to the youthful fancy. On the
summit of the tree stands the small figure
of an angel, with outstretched wings,
holding in each hand a wreath.
AUSTRIA'S CHRISTMAS CANDLES
Something special happens in Austria to
remind the children that Christ was born
as our Saviour.
Great preparations are made for
Christmas. Two huge loaves of bread are
baked to represent the Old and New
Testaments. Then three special wax
candles are made. One of these candles is
lit on Christmas Eve and the family sings
a hymn. Before the family begins to eat,
the father, with candles in hand, pro-
claims, "Christ is born". Each child takes
the candle in turn, stands on a stool, and
repeats three times, "Praised be the Lord!
Christ is born".
On Christmas Day The second candle is
lit. At the end of the Christmas festivities
on New Year's Day, the third candle is lit.
ADVENT PROMISES
Some families celebrate four weeks of
Advent preceding Chrismtas. These four
weeks represent four great prophecies
found in the Old Testament that speak of
the coming of the Saviour.
The first promise was made after the
fall of Adam and Eve when it was promis-
ed that the woman and her Son would
crush the serpent's head.
The second promise had to do with
Abraham being chosen as the father of a
new nation, and in his seed all nations of
earth would be blessed. The family of
David was selected out of the nation of
Abraham to which the Saviours of the
world would be born; this fulfilled the
third promise, Out of David's family was
to come the mother of Jesus. "A Virgin
will bring forth a Son and His name shall
be called .Emmanuel, God with us."
LUCK OF CHRIST IN GREECE
One of the customs of the children in the
Greek Empire is to go around to houses on
Christmas morning and collect figs.
walnuts, raisins and sweets. It sounds a bit
like our Halloween. They call this the Luck
of Christ, and call their Christmas the
Feast of Lights.
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Champion
e from page 1
the last two year agreement) and
lowered shift premiums.
The lock out prompted speculation in
the media and in the public about the
possible long term effects of the negotia-
tions on the work atmosphere at the
plant. It was the first labor dispute in the
company's 103 -year history.
"There was a.sense.of frustration with
the ,process. The .employees made .;the
right tieeisfon;" said l ompeihy presiderit
Art Church, recently :breaking the com-
pany's .public "no comment" position held
throughout the negotiations.
Church would not comment on the
negotiations, but described his role as be-
ing "ultimately responsible for the whole
process. My job is to make the place
competitive."
"A business has to be competitive and
my job is to get it to be competitive in
Goderich. We've made a step in that
direction, said Church.
Throughout negotiations there were
rumors that the plant was going to shut
down and move to the US if workers re-
jected contract offers. The owners, Se-
quoia Associates, who acquired the cora-
ly in August 1988, are from California. Union grand lodge representative Don
"Our goal from day one was to make Bate says employees.are doing their jobs,
it work here," says Church. "We shut and he doesn't foresee any problems with
down the plant in South Carolina and production at the plant as fallout of the
moved the parts operation here. We said lockout.
when we got here that we want to build
here, but there's always the proviso - if
we can be competitive."
Church says American ownership has
very little effect on what is a Canadian
company. He says Champion ships one-
third of all its product to the US, and
Americans are Champion's primary
competitors.
The:company'seiong term goal is to go
public,. and be sold on the Toronto Stock
Exchange "where everyone can own a
share if they want to," says Church.
The effects of the labor disruption have
little effect in the long term, but Church
says obviously in the short term com-
petitors take advantage of such a
situation.
:And that's a good reason to have the
thing resolved."
"We've got good employees and they've
made a responsible decision," says
Church. "We're a small town company
competing in the world market. We've
got a good company, a good product, and
good people."
UNION STATEMENT
Hefty fine increases proposed
Ontario Transportation Minister William
Wrye recently introduced amendments to
the Highway Traffic Act which dramatical-
ly increase. the fines for speeding
infractions.
"These changes reflect our new, tough
1 HAPPY BIRTH-TDAY
Happy birthday to Paul McGrath, one-
year -old on December 22, 1989.
approach to drivers who deliberately en-
danger the lives of others by exceeding the
posted speed limits," Mr. Wrye said. "Now
they will have to pay the price for their
recklessness.
"The new fines will restore the deterrent
factor, which had been eroded by 20 years
of inflation since the last increase."
Mr. Wrye said the higher fines will also
support the Ontario Motorist Plan, a
package which is intended to reduce the
economic costs of traffic accidents in this
province.
The proposed schedule will see fines tri-
ple at the top end — bringing the cost of
a ticket for driving 60 ,lnn over the speed
limit to '$585. Under the existing schedule,
The agreement the union accepted dif-
fers very little from the company's se-
cond offer. The membership has more
security in the humping and adding pro-
cedure than was offered in the first
agreement, they will pay only 20 per cent
of their benefits cost as opposed to the
originally proposed 25 per cent, and they
lost one holiday, Easter Monday, but kept
December 24. There were other minor
improvements in the epntract.
"Three years ,from now the contract
should leave them about on par with the
industry or slightly behind, .bait they've'
lost a hell of a lot," said Bate.
He says the threat of the company
leaving influenced the workers to accept
the latest offer, more than did any real
change in the agreement.
"I think it was the uncertainty of what
the company was going to do," said
Bate. Management
-frequently said if they
get an agreement they would
have to go to Plan B, without specifying
what this plan was. The union perceived
this as a threat to the workers jobs caus-
ed by a move, shut down, restructuring
or downsizing of the plant.
Don Goddard, local union president, did
not have comments on the situation at
this time, but said a .statement from the
union will be released to the media in the
near future.
for speeding
the fine would be $125. A conviction for 15
km over the limit would cost $45, up from
$18.75.
The current and amended schedules are
as follows:
Existing speeding fine schedule:
1 - 19 km/h over - $1.25 km/h
20 - 39 km/h over - $1.75 km/h
40 - 59 ,km/h over - $2:50 km/h
60 or more km/h over - $3.25 km/h
Proposed speeding fine ,schedule:
1 - 19 :km/h over -;$3,00 dun/h
20 - 34 km/h vet -44.50 km/h
35 - 49 km/h .over - 47.00 kmlh
50 or more km/h :over - r$935 km/h
THE HURON EXPOSITOR, amen "R 20, r989 — 1 M
molts
uteetings
owe -0W
rtappiea greeting. of Mt -season t"
r.rn„n,' We enjo.ed srr.ing .ou
tht.. ea r and hope w e rna } brat help
to fou again in the ruturr'
The Management and Staff at
cLAUGHLIN
ICO€'V-OLDS LTD,
5eaforth
527-1140
\711k. G
�fetnOb
Kevin Gillis
reetings of the cSeason,.,
warmest of
wishes to alt!
Your friendship
means a lar to us
--a
Ray, Leona, Nancy & Ken
SE AFORTH
JE Yi/ ELLERSLTDe
SEA FORTH 527-13270
May each step you take
Take you one step closer
To that which you define
As Happiness
From Everyone at
McConnell Stewart & Devereaux
Here's
•hoping
your
:hol idav
be
dressed
in.happy
times
and
loving
friends.'
We're so
.glad to
have been
of servipe'
Alis past year.
from
:Anna, MorwyAgnicaifrfatty
' l
•
We tgppreciate the .good .will .andt
trust:pf',our Jpyal patrons: lave,asllt
pPy+t±toli+q4.Y•
:?From 1klei,taff of
1 . . doesA%
41S te
Our, Best Wishes and
igprt. felt 'Than'ks to
Oil Ogiir CustoMMrs
VAViMOORERIELS tap;
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*tiTaitinirliwitast itoliAnd ypurs lor,a'happy
ittaildaYANOWSPOIAttsillew Yaw. Singere'Ithlanksior your 1
'ft,4001011 i d patronage.
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