Few experiences surpass in beauty that hush of
wonderf ul expectancy that falls
over the home on Christmas eve. This season
of t949 holds that in store for you.
NOME DR EG STORE
BOYD C. HARWOOD
tsw vm am
, 1050
And all
the cheer
of the
New Year is rightfully yours
for the takina.
POLARIS HOTEL
BAR and COFFEE SHOP
Grandpa Of
The Reindeer
(By Ida M. Pardue)
The grandpa of Santa’s rein
deer was—a horse!
It is doubtful if gramps would
recognize his grandchildren. For
surely a reindeer looks very little
like a horse with eight feet!
When Dr. Clement Clark Moore
wrote his world-famous “ ’Twas
the Night Before Christmas.” in
1932, somehow it was eight rein
deer, and not the ancient Christ
mas animal, which pranced from
his imagination to paper. And so
grandpa, born in Scandinavia and
named Sleipner, was presented
with six typically Yankee descen
I dants!
The idea of a Christmas animal
is older than Christianity. It dates
back to pagan times, when an im
portant deity called Odin or Wo- I
den was the supreme god. One of
Woden’s most precious treasures
: was Sleipner, a white horse with j
eight feet. I
According to tradition, Woden, j
accompanied by his wife, Frigg,!
rode the sky lanes down to earth
once each year to bestow good |
things on land and people. Joy
and success followed in his wake.
This descent as supposed to occur
between December 25 and Janu- i
ary 6.
When Christmas replaced all
the pagan rites, Woden and his
steed refused to cease their yearly
trips to earth. They continued to
arrive during the Christmas seas-!
on, and it is easy to see how this
conception fused with the charac
j ter of St. Nicholas, who was the
1 original Santa Claus. j ■
_ _ '
ALASKA AIRLINES
Thanks for Your Business
In the
Christmas
mood,
we
wish you
all
happiness.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
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