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The Citizen, 2010-12-23, Page 35THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2010. PAGE 35.Christmas traditions are different the world overMS –Perhaps no one is a morefamiliar with gifting trends acrossthe globe than the jolly man wholives at the North Pole. While you might not be able to fire up the sleigh and sail through the clouds this Christmas Eve, there are ways to mimic the gifting trends of countries far and wide. The Netherlands Sending postcards, via snail mail, for special occasions may not be common in this e-mail-centric world. But it is still common in the Netherlands. If putting it in writing is not your style, you can always offer a floral bouquet. Flowers are the typical offering when you are invited to someone’s home in the Netherlands, not surprising for a country famous for its tulips. The Dutch also exchange gifts on Sinterklaas, or Santa Claus Day, on Dec. 6, which celebrates the actual feast day of Saint Nicholas for whom Santa Claus was named. On this day, people indulge intraditional Dutch cookies andcandies, adults often make littlepresents or write poems for one another, and children receive a piece of chocolate in the shape of their first initial. South Korea During the fall harvest (which arrives in mid-August, depending on the lunar calendar), families gather to share a meal. At this celebration, adult children give money to their parents and, at day’s end, parents pack up the harvested crops for their children. Pretty presentation is another lesson to be learned from South Koreans. Everything in Korea is gift-wrapped and the packaging is important, so get out the bows and streamers, even if you decide to give Mom and Dad cash this year. China Using red wrapping paper and envelopes will delight those in China, who think the colour brings good fortune and wards off evil.Traditionally, on the Chinese NewYear, people exchange red envelopesfilled with money. Israel Every December, Jews around the world celebrate Chanukah, the festival of lights or celebration of the Macabees’ victory over the Greeks, who wanted the Jews to give up their culture and faith in favour of a Hellenistic life in 166 B.C. After the Macabees won the war, they needed to rededicate their temple but only had enough oil for one day. Miraculously, the oil lasted eight days. As a result, Jews today light candles on the menorah for each of Hanukkah’s eight nights and often they exchange gifts. Originally, Jews gave monetary presents to teach children about sharing and in Israel that sentiment remains. Parents often give their children “gelt,” which are coin- shaped chocolates wrapped in gold foil. Potato latkes and jellydoughnuts are the holiday’ssignature foods. Portugal In Portugal, and in other parts of Europe, handmade gifts are often seen as the most sincere. Although Christmas is the most popular time of year to exchange gifts, mostpeople bring homemade bakedgoods or knitted tablecloths, shawlsor blankets whenever visiting someone’s home. Even celebrities have taken up Portuguese habits like knitting, proof that even old- fashioned hobbies can be chic. 519-523-4825 Dennis Hamm Painting & More Painting, Drywall Taping, Residential & Small Business Minor Repairs No job too small. Wishing everyone in Blyth & Surrounding Area A Merry Christmas Deck The Halls! Brian R. Machan, CFP Canfin Financial Group “A qualified approach to wealth solutions” Season’s Greetings Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year! Thank you for your business in 2010 and I look forward to serving you again in 2011. Mobile to serve you better 1-877-422-6346 Ext. 532 bmachan@canfin.com www.canfin.com Wishing all our customers and friends a wonderful holiday season. Thank you for your trust this past year. We look forward to seeing you in the new year. 5 kms west of Auburn on Blyth Road 519-524-9878 Season’s Greetings NH approves stop signs in Blyth After several meetings of discussion and correspondence with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), North Huron’s Committee of the Whole suggested that North Huron Township’s Council direct the Public Works Department to replace yield signs along Morris Street and Gypsy Lane in Blyth with stop signs. Dana Stecho of the OPP stated that they prefer to see stop signs over yields. “Stop signs are always a good idea if you can get them,” Stecho stated in correspondence with council. Stecho went on to state that many traffic issues can be solved with stop signs, and it could be easier to determine right of way and fault in many accidents with the presence of a stop sign. The committee also suggested that a three way stop be installed at the intersection of Morris and Dinsley street “to control speeding”, which council approved of. Complex closes on snow days Users of the North Huron Wescast Community Complex may find themselves out of luck on snow days. On snow days the community centre experiences a drop in patronage, and the Department of Recreation and Facilities believes that funds can be saved by cancelling programs that aren’t well attended. According to the report provided by Pat Newson, Director of the department, in 2009 during snow day public swims there was an average of 3.8 swimmers per hour. North Huron’s Committee of the Whole agreed with the assessment, and suggested that North Huron council approve a policy that would see certain aspects of the centre closed on snow days when the roads are closed, and see no public swim offered, but normal classes available, on days when the roads are open but school busses are cancelled. Council approved of the suggestion and implemented a policy to reflect that. Sparling’s donates more land to ESTC for $1 North Huron Township, by bylaw, purchased land owned by Sparling’s Propane for the Emergency Services Training Centre in Blyth. “Several years ago North Huron received property for $1 in order to kickstart the centre,” Chief Administrative Officer Gary Long explained. “Sparling’s Propane has donated additional land for the new centre, and this by-law allows us to buy a part on a reference plan. It’s simply land that will adjoin to the existing ESTC. Sparling’s has generously provided this to the council at $1.” Reeve Neil Vincent stated that the land the centre has will expand to the south and to the west and allow for a better layout of the centre. The motion to purchase the land for $1 carried unanimously. Í~Ť ZÍŪąºÍĥźŪ· ÿŤąŪźĝ~Ū ąŪ ~ ŪňÍ§ą~ĕ źąĝÍŏ-źšŪ ~ĥ ĭ§§~Ūąĭĥ źĭ ŪňÍĥº źąĝÍ ȇąźÿ ä~ĝąĕȋ ~ĥº äŤąÍĥºŪŏ-ź ąŪ ~ źąĝÍ źĭ ŤÍçÍ§ź ĭĥ źÿÍ ň~Ūź ȋÍ~Ť ~ĥº ~ĥ ĭňňĭŤźƊĥąźȋ źĭ ĝ~ēÍ ňĕ~ĥŪ äĭŤ źÿÍ §ĭĝąĥò ȋÍ~ŤŏŪ ȇÍ ~ĕĕ đĭąĥ źĭòÍźÿÍŤ ĕÍź ƊŪ ź~ēÍ źąĝÍ źĭ źÿąĥē ĭä źÿĭŪÍ ĕÍŪŪ äĭŤźƊĥ~źÍ źÿ~ĥ ĭƊŤŪÍĕȅÍŪ ~ĥº źĭ ŤÍĝÍĝÍŤ ȇÿ~ź ÿŤąŪźĝ~Ū ąŪ ŤÍ~ĕĕȋ ~ĭƊźŏ ĝĭŪź ÿÍ~ŤźäÍĕź źÿ~ĥē ȋĭƊ ąŪ ÍȉźÍĥºÍº źĭ ~ĕĕ Ūź~ää· §ĭĝĝƊĥąźȋ ŪÍŤȅą§Í ĭŤò~ĥąȒ~źąĭĥŪ ~ĥº ȅĭĕƊĥźÍÍŤŪŏtĭƊŤ ȇĭŤē ÍĥŤą§ÿÍŪ ĭƊŤ §ĭĝĝƊĥąźȋŏ ?ȋ ňŤĭĝąŪÍ źĭ ȋĭƊ ąĥ źÿąŪ Ɗň§ĭĝąĥò ȋÍ~Ť ąŪ źĭ ňŤĭȅąºÍ ĕÍ~ºÍŤŪÿąň ȇÿą§ÿ ȇąĕĕ ÍĥŪƊŤÍ źÿ~ź źÿÍ ºÍ§ąŪąĭĥŪ ĝ~ºÍ źĭº~ȋ ~ŤÍ äĭŤȇ~Ťº źÿąĥēąĥò ~ĥº ~ŤÍ ąĥ źÿÍ ÍŪź ąĥźÍŤÍŪźŪ ĭä ĭƊŤ ÍĥźąŤÍ §ĭĝĝƊĥąźȋŏ?ȋ ºąŤÍ§źąĭĥ ȇąĕĕ §ĭĝÍ äŤĭĝ źÿÍ ĝ~ĥȋ ȅĭą§ÍŪ ĭä ĭƊŤ §ĭĝĝƊĥąźȋŏ-ź ąŪ ĭä ȅ~Ūź ąĝňĭŤź~ĥ§Í źÿ~ź ȇÍ §ĭĥźąĥƊÍ źĭ ä~§ąĕąź~źÍ ~ĥ Íȉ§ÿ~ĥòÍ ĭä ąºÍ~Ū ~ĥº ňÍŤŪňÍ§źąȅÍŪŏ- ~ĝ Ɗź ~ źÍȉź ĝÍŪŪ~òÍ·Íĝ~ąĕ ĭŤ ňÿĭĥÍ §~ĕĕ ~ȇ~ȋŏ-ź ąŪ ąĥºÍÍº ĝȋ ňŤąȅąĕÍòÍ ~ĥº ÿĭĥĭƊŤ źĭ ŪÍŤȅÍ ~Ū ȋĭƊŤ ZÍÍȅÍŏ?ÍŤŤȋ ÿŤąŪźĝ~Ū ~ĥº +~ňňȋ AÍȇtÍ~Ť źĭ ȋĭƊ ~ĥº ȋĭƊŤ '~ĝąĕȋŏ -i>ÃÃÀiiÌ}ÃvÀ,iiÛi-i>ÃÃÀiiÌ}ÃvÀ,iiÛi 2 0 ¾ ÷ ² ÷ è ¾ ~ !ć¸£^£ÐA¬£úƄ ¾ {¸úèA¬ ćè¾¸ Happy Holidays from Greyhaven Gardens We have Available by calling 519-523-9781 Londesboro Gift Cards