The Rural Voice, 1990-12, Page 34/1, Amy
tihtiff.
Christmas may seem lost in commercialism but the magic
of thousands of years will need more than a bit of tinsel to
blind our eyes to it. The customs that we enjoy so much go
back to symbols and myths created long before the birth of the
Christ child. Could it be He was born during our darkest time
to give us hope and to reinforce our belief that there will
always be a future? Every year I uncover more thoughts and
meanings behind the simple customs that we have come to
know and love. Some go back thousands ofyears and others
only decades. But the one pervasive thread that seems to
draw them together is the thrill of good will and charity to all.
This is an optimism that many pray will last longer than the
short festival of Christmas itself.
IN ANCIENT TIMES
Long before the birth of the Christ
child, people feared the coming of the cold
season. The gods who had warmed the
soil, watched over the crops, and
encouraged the harvest must have left.
How else could anyone explain the shorter
days, freezing ground, dying grass, and
leaves falling from the trees; cold winds,
and in the more northern areas, deep snow.
To cheer themselves and encourage the
gods to retum, festivals were held near the
by Rhea Hamilton -Seeger
30 THE RURAL VOICE