The trimmed Christmas tree, as we know it today, is little more
than a century and a half old, yet legends trace the origin of the tree
back to earliest times.
One legend concerns an early Christmas missionary, St. Wilfred,
who once came upon a band of Druids preparing to make a human
sacrifice under a large oak.
According to the story, St. Wilfred had the tree cut down and almost
immediately, a young fir tree sprang up in its place. The missionary
seized the evidence and made the fir tree a symbol of new faith and
thereafter the Druids set this symbol of immortality in the halls of
their lodges at Christmastime, surrounding it with feasting and laugh
ter and love.
There is also the story of the Faithful Pine which sheltered the Holy
Family during the flight to Egypt. With Herod’s soldiers in pursuit,
it was still necessary that Mary rest awhile so they sought shelter in
the low trunk of a huge fir tree. As the soldiers approached, the tree
bent its branches to conceal the huddled little group. When the danger
had passed, the baby Jesus blessed the old tree. Today, if you cut a
pine cone lengthwise at Christmastime, you can still see the imprint
of His little hand.
Another legend holds that the first Christmas tree was really an
apple tree. And, although the fir tree has long since replaced its pre
decessor for Christmas use, the tinsel baubles we use on the tree are
said representative of the fruit which for the early Christians sym
bolized the fall of man in the Garden of Eden and his reclamation by
the birth of the Saviour.
Christmas Tree Care
Halts Fire Hazards
You wouldn’t build a fire on the
living room floor, but an improp
erly decorated Christmas tree
amounts to the same thing. Don't
invite Santa to come to your house
an a fire engine; follow these pre
cautions in Christmas tree lighting
and decorating:
Choose a small tree, rathej- than
a large one.
Store the tree outdoors until a
day or two before Christmas.
When the tree is brought into the
house, stand it in water and set it
in a cool part of the house, away
from radiators, heaters and fire
jrilaces. Don’t allow it to block an
exit.
Check Carefully
Be sure every lighting set and
electric cord you use is in good
condition — no worn or frayed
wires, no loose sockets.
When you buy new sets or cords,
look for the approved Underwrit
ers' Label. The ones that bear it
have passed tests for fire and
shock hazards.
Provide a switch some distance
from the tree for turning tree
lights on and off.
Ornaments should be made of
fireproof materials, metal or glass.
Never set up electric trains un
der the tree.
Don’t let gift wrappings pile up
under the tree.
Don’t leave tree lights burning
when no one is home.
From time to time, check nee
dles near the lights to see if they
have started to turn brown.
When needles start to fall, take
the tree down and discard it out
doors.
J
Beautiful Poinsettia
Needs Special Care
The poinsettia, with its bright
red flowers and green foliage, will
survive if cared for properly.
If you have recently purchased
a poinsettia, chances are it was
greenhouse grown, so try to pro
vide conditions as nearly as pos
sible like those in the greenhouse.
A uniform temperature of 60-75 de
■ grees F. is best. Place the plant
in bright light near a sunny win
dow but remove it at night to pre
vent chilling. Water it enough to
keep the soil moderately moist but
not water-logged.
Cool and Dry
If you intend to keep the poin
settia for another year, gradually
withhold water and store it in a
cool, dry place after it has stopped
blooming. In April or May, prune
it down to six inches, and repot it
in a good potting mixture with
proper drainage.
Return it to bright light to renew
its growth. You can put it out in
the garden when the temperature
remains above 60 degrees F. An
area partly shaded from the mid
day sun is most desirable.
You can keep the poinsettia
short by pinching it in summer,
but do not prune the same shoot
more than once because small
flowers will result.
As cool weather approaches,
move the plant indoors to an airy
and sunny location, preferably
near a south window. The poinset
tia is a short-day plant and must
not be exposed to artificial light
because it will delay or prevent
flowering.
May every star in the heavens,
every joyful Christmas hymn, every
greeting from the heart remind us
of the true deep meaning, the in
spiring message of Christmas.
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MOTOR-IN SERVICE
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AND GIVE MV PAP A BOOK ON FIRE PREVENTION SO
OUR HOUSE WON'T BURN DOWN AGAIN THIS YEAR.4'
Railroad Employees
Make Christmas
Biighler at Mission
Costume jewelry made Christ
mas brighter last year for the
girls at St. Mary’s Mission on the
lower Yukon River. The earrings,
beads and pins had been collect
ed by women employed at The
Alaska Railroad.
This year, the women decided
to hold a jewelry bazaar and use
the proceeds to buy Christmas
gifts for the 176 children at St.
Mary’s. This project netted $131
in sales and $32 in cash dona
tions. In addition, many toys
were donated, including dolls
which were dressed by the wo
men, and stuffed toys that had
been cleaned in . washing mach
ines.
When Anchorage business men
heard of the railroad project for
the Mission, they made further
donations which included 15
pounds of popcorn, 35 pounds of
candy, 22 pounds of raisins, 25
pounds of nuts, two cases of fruit
cake, tins of luncheon ham, tur
keys, and cultery.
The Alaska Airlines flew 17
boxes totaling approximately 500
pounds down the Yukon without
UP SHE GOES ... It takes
plenty of horsepower to hoist the
huge Christmas tree in New
York’s Rockefeller Plaza. The
three ton white spruce shown
above is estimated to be 65 years
old.
charge.
Business firms that made dona
tions included the Drug Supply,
Kohli Craft, Anchorage Potato
Chip Co.. Piggly Wiggly, “C”
Street Foodland, Carr’s Food
Center, A1 Chapman and Associa
tes, and several anonymous do
nors.
Our sincere thanks for your
loyai patronage, and may this holiday season be one
that you vviil always look back on with the greatest of pleasure.
PALMER DRUG
*7/ e're hoping that
*n our good friends whom
we have had the pleasure
to serve for so long will
have the merriest Christ
'Us?
mas ever.
PALMER FOUNTAIN AND CAFE
WISHING SPOT . . . Prac
tically every nook and corner
of the department store be
comes a wishing spot as kid
dles anticipate the coming of
Santa. In this instance the
very young ladies have focused
their attention on a pair of
dolls.
MAKING SNOW
Grandmother’s way of making
snow for evergreen branches is
still a good and economical way to
dress up holiday decorations.
Use plenty of soap chips or flakes
. in a little water. Beat lightly with
a wire mesh spoon just long enough
to get a nice, thick foam and
smear on the needles and stems
Allow to dry and you have a beau
tiful winter woodland scene.
Modern World Stiff
Needs Old Saint Nick
Every December many parent,
are faced with fee problem of what
to do or what to say about Santa
Claus. Some of our educators have
been saying for years that the San
ta theory is all wrong and som
of today's “modern'’ parents seer
BuSt is the Saint Nick idea good
or bad for children" We say it w
good and that no child, be he aver
age or brilliant, ever suffered from
the grand illusion. Children taow
there is a Santa Claus and they
accept the fact that he gradual!?
changes from the Santa of fiction
to the bill-paying Santa of reality.
Santa is good for small children,
for children have imaginative
minds. The fact they might see a
Santa on every corner matters lit
tle. In their eyes Santa is a sym
bol, a mystery, and in his won
drous magic, is apt to pop up any
where.
Time to Explain
And it is not the end of the world
when the time comes that some
older child shatters the illusion by
telling all. Such is the perfect op -
portunity for the wise parent to
explain that Santa is, after all, a
spirit of Christmas. He represents
the spirit of giving and the reason
that we give at Christmas time is
because this is the day on which
Jesus was born. Jesus taught iw
love and faith and hope and Santa
is a figurative being who helps us
understand and use that teaching
TO OUR CUSTOMERS
I
A. Ri R* G.
ALASKA RURAL REHABILITATION CORPORATION
We smcerefy
f *'V A • • • *
hope that all vpur
wishes for Christmas
, * joy come true!
■> / \
I
ALASKAN TV SALES AND SERVICE
PALMER
:ss>
‘“Peace on Earth,
Good Will to Men ”
May the blessed words
re-echo in every heart this
Christmas, bringing joy to one and all.
WITHEY PLUMBING AND HEATING