Page 20 — The Frontiersman
Thursday. December 20. 1962
STAR SINGING
As they go from house to
house at Christmas, modern
carol singers may be aided by
the rays of an electric lantern
or a flashlight. This reflects an
old custom known as Star sing
ing.
Early carolers in Europe used
to make their rounds carrying
a large, lighted star, represent
ing the Star of Bethlehem. Lat
er the star was replaced by lan
terns and torches.
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Yule Customs Different
There was a time when
Christmas was celebrated dif
ferently in various parts of the
world. However, in this atomic
jet age, distances have shrunk
and the symbols of the Yule
tide Season have become for
the most part, international.
Germany, for example, is
credited with establishing the
custom of decorating the ever
green tree. St. Nicholas (Niko
laus) makes his rounds with
candy and nuts for the children
on December 6 with the more
personal gifts arriving on
joyous Christmas Wishes To All
CENTER THEATRE
PALMER
TO ALL, A
tOYOUS GREETIN' Jr
OWEN AND PAT MOFFITT
PALMER SAND & GRAVEL
PALMER BAR
BOB AND RUTH PETERSON
PI 5-3041
PALMER
| cnristmas iwe, delivered by his
j majesty Kristkindl.
England hangs on to her cut
1 toms, and the small-fry pin
their stockings to the fireplace
; on Christmas Eve much as Am
erican youngsters do. Then it
| is that "Father Christmas” fills
them in time-honored tradition.
Mexico focuses its attention
on the Christmas season with
ten "posadas” commemorating
the Nativity from December 16
to December 26th. During this
period nearly everyone acts out
the Nativity scene, or at least
sets up a creche in miniature,
as well as on a grand scale. On
the tenth day, the Christ Child
is added.
“Posada” means inn or lodg
ing and carries with it Joseph's
request for lodging for himself
and Mary. In many regions, an
actual procession is enacted—
with a “Joseph” and a “Man'"
mounted on burros seeking
shelter, asking for help through
a song entitled “Letania.” Des
pite all this tradition which is
clung to, Santa Claus and the
U. S. style Christmas tree are
fast making inroads on custom.
Holland has a word for it—
“Strooivand” — literally mean
mg “strewing night. Actual
ly, it’s sort of a bribe-game the
children of the Netherlands
play on December 5th. They
simply place their shoes in
front of the fireplace filling
them with hay and carrots for
good old St. Nick’s horse. It is
expected that the old boy will
fill the children’s shoes with
goodies and toys.
Brasil makes the punishment
fit the crime, so to speak, and
Papa Noel makes his Christmas
rounds trimming the tradition
al trees with cotton and bjts of
popcorn in lieu of the snow
they never have in this tropi
cal country. No sleigh-rides
here, so the order of the day
is picnics and excursions.
Scotland has some unusual
delicacies for the holiday sea
son with New Year’s Day the
signal for the giving of gifts.
Haggis is a favorite dish and
this is what it consists of: the
heart, liver and lungs of a
sheep or a calf, minced with
suet, onions, oatmeal and sea
soning and boiled in the stom
ach of the animal. New Year’s
calling is traditional and it is
expected that the visitor bring
with him a handful of coal.
Mistletoe Said To
'Father' Romance
Mistletoe, long a symbol and
signal for kissing whoever is
caught standing under it, act
ually is a predatory plant that
entwines itself around a tree,
strangling and killing it. Hard
ly what one might term an af
fectionate plant!
The ancient Arabians show
ed their devotion to their gods
by kissing; the Romans too ac
cepted the kiss as a sign of rev
erence and respect.
The Druids too, embraced the
mistletoe, and from them per
haps, came the custom of hang
ing pieces of it over the door
ways of their homes.
The custom of hanging the
mistletoe was also wide-spread
among the Scandinavians.
In many countries from
time to time, the plant was
considered a cure-all for al
most every kind of ailment,
but that was before modern
medicine.
Today, of course, the mis
tletoe isn’t a cure for anything,
except perhaps a shy boy or girl
But the mistletoe is a part
of Christmas, and if custom
decrees that being kissed if
caught under it is par for the
course, who can argue with
tradition?
% MAY YOUR
HOLIDAY GLOW WITH
PEACE AND HAPPINESS
PALMER PHARMACY
BOB, LEAH and BRENDA SUE
It's Christmas
time again ... may it
be your merriest ever, with
lasting joy and happiness.
LEA’S DRESS SHOP
LEA and KAREN
PALMER, ALASKA
Science Seeks
Source of Star
Since St. Matthew first described the star of Bethlehem,
its mystery has fascinated mankind. Was it a miracle? Or was
it a brighter-than-usual star or other celestial object?
Astronomers, while seeking to identify the star, em
phasize that it may have been indeed a miracle that can't be
explained in terms of natural phenomena. However, research
has provided material for conjecture that the star may have
been a natural occurrence.
One Discovery
A Oanisto astrpnomer, Tycho Brahe, discovered a new
and brilliant star in the constellafion Cassiopeia in 1572, ac
cording to the Encyclopedia Americana.
Since that discovery, The Americana says, it has been
suggested that this might be an especially brilliant star visible
only at long intervals.
A reported appearance of a bright star in that part of
the heavens about the middle of the 13th century, coupled
with a vague account of a similar appearance a little more
than 300 years earlier, led to the thought that these might
possibly be former appearances of the star of 1572.
If, as this might indicate, the star appeared at intervals
of 310 to 315 years, three intervals of 300-odd years from
the time it was first reported would carry it back to about
the time of the birth of Christ.
Another Theory
Johannes Kepler, a German astronomer, made discoveries
that led to still another theory about the star of Bethlehem. In
1604, he observed a configuration, or close grouping, of the
planets Jupiter, Saturn and Mars.
He determined that such a configuration occurred each
805 years, and calculations established that the same group
ing might have appeared in 6 B.C. — which, some research
indicates, may have been the correct year of Christ's birth.
Since legends identify the wise men as astrologers, this
theory accounts for the fact that, as reported in the New Testa
ment, only the wise men saw the star.
While the three planets grouped together would shed
unusual brightness, the average observer might not notice
them, while the wise men, as astrologers, would.
Santa Sets Up Shop Far Away
Thousands of children actu
ally get to see Santa at worl
every year. And they don’
even have to travel to th<
North Pole!
The lucky youngsters ar<
visitors to two "outposts” o
Santa’s workshop, located ii
Wilmington, N. Y., and Tor
ringtoo, Conn. In either loca
tion, visitors may view Santj
and his helpers as they maki
toys and other gifts.
"Santa’s Workshop" o
"North Pole,” on the side o
Whiteface Mountain at Wil
mington, opens in June and
continues operations until No
vember. Eight reindeer are
' among the live animals present
in the vallage.
Connecticut’s “Christmas Vil
! lage” is open for two weeks be
i fore Christmas. Here, elves
help Santa, and reindeer-repli
cas include the red-nosed Ru
l dolph. \
In both villages the religious
meaning of Christmas is well
• remembered and represented,
f with beautiful Nativity scenes
- illumined by a lighted star.
MAUD’S
TO ALU
FLOWERS
HOhNG IT'S A
Purr-feet Christmas
MOORE’S GARAGE
PALMER
In The
First Year
Of Our Lord
Long ago when the world
was young, a miracle came to
pass that changed men's
thoughts—and the Spirit of
Christianity was bom on
earth. ^
And for nearly 2,000 years
this Spirit has lh*ed—-pointing
the way for morals of the
world wherever men of good
heart live and heed the teach
ings of Him who preached,
“Love they neighbor as thy
self.”
And the way the story goes,
it was in the year 3761 by the
old calendar, that Caesar de
creed that a tax would be lev
ied on everyone in the realm,
and so each to his own native
city travelled, among them Jos
eph and his wife, Mary, she
heavy with child.
Poor these two were, sore be
set by travail as they journey
ed from Galilee to the city of
David, known as Bethlehem, to
do the bidding of Caesar.
And it came to pass that
when they arrived in Bethle
hem, Mary brought forth her
first-born Son, and because
there was no room at the inn
where Joseph begged shelter,
her infant Jesus was bom in a
manger. Mary wrapped Him in
swaddling clothes and gloried
in His beauty.
And in this country too, were
shepherds who tended their
flocks by day and guarded
them by night; and it came to
pass that three of them were
visited by an Angel of the Lord
one night when the sky was
spangled with stars; an angel
who came upon them during
the vigil and made himself
known through the glory of the
Lord that shone about them.
And they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto
them, “Fear not; 'for behold, I
bring you good tidings of great
joy, which shall be to all peo
ple.
“For unto you is bom this
day in the City of David a
Saviour, which is Christ the
Lord.
“And this shall be a sign un
to you; ye shall find the Babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes
lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with
the angel, a multitude of the
Heavenly Host praising God
and saying “Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace,
good will toward men.”
And it came to pass, as the
angels were gone away from
to Heaven, the shepherds said
one to another, “Let us now
go unto Bethlehem, and see this
thing which is come to pass
which the Lord hath made
known to us.”
And lo, the Star which they
saw in the east went before
them until it came and stood
over where the Child was.
And they came with haste
and found Mary and the Babe
lying in the manger as they
were told.
And then there were the
three kings — the three wise
who gazed into the brilliance
of the Heavens, and there shin
ing in the east was one Star
; greater than all the rest.
And when they saw the Star
they rejoiced with exceeding
joy and prepared to go to Him
bom of Mary in the manger.
And when they were come
into the house, they saw the
Child with Mary His mother,
and fell down and worshipped
Him: and when they had open
ed their treasures, they pre
sented unto Him gifts: gold
and frankincense and myrrh in
the first year of our Lord.
Kisses Are Numbered
By Mistletoe Berries
Mistletoe figures in many
legends from pre-Christian
times. Druid tree-worshippers
believed it had magical pow
ers of healing. Romans thought
that enemies who met beneath
the mistletoe must kiss and de
clare a day’s truce.
Today, kissing beneath the
mistletoe remains a happy
holiday custom. Correct proce
dure is that a berry must be
removed for every kiss taken,
and when all the berries are
gone, there are no more kisses
available.