English Started Christmas Cards!
As much a part of Christmas
as the tree, the giving of gifts
and the holly wreath, are
Christmas Cards.
In ancient times, the custom
of exchanging greeting cards
among friends (and in modern
times, businesses) was un
known. The practice is a little
more than a century old and
is supposed to have been initi
ated in this country in Albany,
New York.
It seems there was a dry
goods merchant by the name of
R. J. Pease, in the capitol of
the Empire State who thought
it might be a good idea to
“greet” his friends and custo
mers at the holiday season by
way of a Christmas Card. The
idea caught fire in his imagin
ation and soon he had designed,
printed and mailed the first ex
amples of Christmas Cards in
the United States.
Of course, his intent in send
ing his “greetings'” at Christ
mastime to his friends wasn’t
altogether altruistic. lie used
the card as an advertising de
vice as well.
It was by coincidence that an
other new symbol of Christmas
was introduced at this same
time. It was wrhen Victoria of
England took unto herself a
Germanborn consort by the
Precious Glib Of
Perfume and Gold
Based on Lore
The Bible relates that the
first gifts the Christ Child re
ceived from the Three Wise
Men were gold, frankincense
and myrrh. That is the way the
story is related in the Book
of Matthew.
To the modem world there is
no mystery about the value of
a gift of gold. Yet in ancient
times, this precious metal was
only possessed by kinds and
very rich men. Thus, the gift
was especially precious — one
fit for a King.
The other gifts were rare and
precious as well. However in
today’s world, little is known of
these substances even though
they are still in use.
Since St. Matthew says that
the Three Wise Men were from
the east, it is assumed that the
gold they brought with them
for the infant Jesus came from
the mines of Indian Mysore.
Frankincense, or olibanum,
is a resin obtained from the
bark of trees which grow on
bare rock in the mountains of
southern Asia and northeast
Africa. Once upon a time it was
used as a medicine. Today it is
principally used as incense in
Catholic churches, Indian and
Chinese temples.
Myrrh is a gum resin also ob
tained from the bark of trees
which grow in Africa and Ara
bia. Since early times it has
been used as a base for perfume
and incense—and is still so us
ed commercially today.
Thus it is the same today as
it was in Biblical times when
gifts of gold or perfume are
made to loved ones. The gold
Sea Inspires Lore
Of Ships at Yule
Ships arrive on Christmas
morning, carrying Jesus, Mary
and Joseph, says the English
carol, ‘I Saw Three Ships Come
Sailing.” This is one of many
legends developed by seafaring
peoples to connect Christmas
and ships.
Stories of the first St. Nicho
las were carried from Asia
Minor to Northern Europe by
sailors, and children in Hol
land long believed that St.
Nicholas arrived by ship from
Spain. In Greece, St. Basilio
comes on January 1 to deliver
gifts, and he too is transported
by ship.
TOTEM LAND
REALTY
AND
STAFF
perhaps isn’t as precious nor as
rare as it was when the Three
Wise Men travelled to Bethle
hem, but the idea behind the
gift of gold, as well as per
fume based with frankincense
or myrrh, is the same.
name of Pnnce Albert. In Ger
many, the tree had long been
a part of the Christmas festiv
ities, and when the Prince
changed addresses from Ger
may to Buckingham Palace, he
brought his German custom of
the decorated Christmas tree
with him. The idea “took,” be
came popular in England and
and was transplanted to the
United States.
Actually, the first commer
cial Christmas card is credited
to an Englishman named Henry
Cole in 1843.
Cole never intended that his
idea be commercialized. All he
wanted to do was create a no
vel way of saying “Merry
Christmas” to his friends. Thus
he designed a card, commis
sioned a British Royal Aca
demy artist by the name of
John Calcott Horsley to exe
cute the work. It was a simple
card depicting a typical fam
ily of that time gathered to
gether at a holiday dinner.
At the conclusion of the
work, “Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year” were added,
a thousand copies lithographed
and later hand colored.
He sent out his cards to his
friends and little dreamed that
he had created a Christmas
tradition. They were an imme
diate success—and have con
tinued to be successful.
w \
We join Santa in wishing
you a very Happy Holiday
BEN and MIDGE HUDGINS
H^h
Our sincere thanks
for your wonderful patronage
and good will this past year.
COTTLES’ CORNER
FUEL ft TRUCKING
FR 6-3120
BENNY AND JERRY
Wasilia
in italy
-anta Ciaus is gaining favor
with Italian children, but the^
traditional gift-giver, especial
ly south of Home, is Befane.
Usually represented as a gray
haired witch who rides a
broomstick, she brings toys for
good children, but a stocking
full of coal or ashes for naugh
ty ones.
Legends say, variously, that
she misdirected the Magi or
that she refused shelter to the
Holy Family. Repeating, she
I now goes around the world on ;
J Christmas Eve, seeking the;
Christ Child and doing good
to children.
For FAST Results—Use
FRONTIERSMAN Classifieds!
Saint Francis of Assisi Originator
Of Church Christmas Carol Singing
Kegardless of the derivation,
it was St, Francis of Assisi who
was credited with having giv
en popularity to carol singing
when he is said to have con
ducted a Christmas service
singing the Gospel and giving
a sermon in song.
When minstrels and folk
singing swept the land back in
Richard the Lion-Hearted’s
day carols, were kept alive
through the simple folk in com
munity after community, w'ho
passed them down from gen
eration to generation. But it
was not until the 15th Century
when the custom finally broke
away from the austerity and
sombre chants of the Church
and reached its popularity anti
magnificence.
But then came the Purians
in the 17th Century who stern
ly forbade joyous celebrations
at Christmas, and the singing
of carols went into a decline.
It wasn’t until the 19th Cen
tury before the singing of car
ols again came into open public
popularity. And this was only
made possible through the illic
it printing and singing of car
ols in the privacy of the homes
of the people who loved them
dearly.
13th, 18th Centuries
Are Carol Birthdates
It was the tolling of the
church bells one Christmas
morning back in 1730 that in
spired Charles Wesley (young
er brother of the founder of
Lhe ?.lethodist church, John) to
write the famous, “Hark The
Herald Angels Sing” and the
immortal “Oh Come All Yc
Faithful” (Adeste Fideles) is,
said to have been written as
early as 1221.
There is no more wonderful
expression of the Christmas
season than the carols—and
jurs is the heritage for this
wealth of beauty.
The season brings so many wondrous jays
we hope that you will share in all of them.
"Satisfaction
Guaranteed
or Your
Money Back"
Tour Palmer
SEARS Stare
PHONE
PI 5-2500