The Goderich Signal-Star, 1985-12-04, Page 54•
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our wide selection of
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After all, Christmas is for kids.
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Poinsettias, Azaleas, Cyclamen,
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plus many, many more.
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TOWN AND COUNTRY DELIVERY
We offer free delivery in and around the Town of Goderich, plus for a small charge we
offer daily delivery to such places as Bayfield, Dungannon, Port Albert and the Lucknow Area.
The spirit of Christmas is
embodied in the word hope
The spirit of Christmas is embodied in one
word: Hope. Christmas is a reaffirmation of
the fact that kindness and goodness do exist,
and in this lies the answer to why, year after
year, we persist in fighting the crowds to
find just the right gift for Aunt Sarah, or
spend hours in the kitchen preparing our
family's favorite foods.
Traditions and customs play an important
role during the holiday season. Fond
Christmas memories from childhood or
pleasant associations that we've made over
the years shape our concept of Christmas
tradition.
Just as we embrace traditions that our
grandmothers or mothers started, our coun-
try has embraced Christmas customs from
all over the world. However, most of the
traditions that we maintain today we've in-
herited from our German and English
ancestors.
The creation of the first decorated
Christmas tree is often attributed to Martin
Luther. While walking one evening, he was
struck with awe at the beauty of the starry
sky peeking through the branches of trees.
He immediately hurried home to place
candles on the branches of a tree. Today, for
safety reasons, we place lights on our tree in
an effort to recreate this German custom of
a candle -lit tree.
One of the most popular Christmas tradi-
tions is waiting for the arrival of Santa
Claus or Saint Nick on Christmas Eve.
Children all over the world await the arrival
of Santa and his gifts, but many do not know
the legend that surrounds this jolly fellow.
Unfortunately, very little is known about
the real St. Nicholas except for his role as
the benefactor of children. St. Nicholas is
known, first and foremost, as the patron
saint of children, but his other roles include
the patron saint of sailors, students,
vagabonds and, surprisingly, pawnbrokers.
His colorful past gives us a clue as to how he
acquired his present-day image as a jovial
gift -giver.
Some of our fondest Christmas memories
probably center around food. Christmas
meals are usually festive and filling and
deeply steeped in tradition.
Plum pudding is one of the most famous
Christmas dishes. Straight out of Charles
Dickens story, this dish conjures up images
of the quintessential Christmas feast.
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Traditionally, plum pudding was made
from meat, dried fruits, rum and brandy,
butter, sugar, eggs and a great deal of
spices. Preparing the pudding was a major
event, with each member bf the family pre-
sent, helping to stir the rich stew.
While traditions that have been passed
down from generation to generation are an
important and irreplaceable part of
Christmas, creating our own holiday tradi-
tions is the best way to keep this tradition
business flourishing.
Some great Christmas traditions to start
this year include
•Join an elderly neighbor or relative for
the holiday dinner that you've prepared;
•Organizing a nieghborhood arts and
crafts fair ( this is a wonderful way to extend
the Christmas celebration to friends and
neighbors);
.Encourage family members to make
gifts this year instead of buying them.
In this season of giving, creating our own
traditions is a perfect way to give of
ourselves.
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