The Old Town in the New World;
Bethlehem Popular As a Nameplace
SOME WERE STERN-FACED
Puritans, others Christians of a
more tolerant nature. But they
shared one thing in common—
an overpowering desire to wor
ship the Lord in their own way.
They left their native lands,
crossed a great ocean, and
spread through this young coun
try where a man's will was his
own. They prayed to God as
they wished.
And here and there, as they
sought names for the new
settlements they founded, they
remembered the birthplace of
the Christ child and they called
their town Bethlehem.
BETHLEHEM, Pa.—This little
town in Eastern Pennsylvania
calls itself the Christmas City.
It was founded in 1741 by mem
bers of the Moravian Church who
came to the New World from Eur
ope to escape 'religious persecu
tion. History records that 4 was
named on Christmas Eve.
The Yule season centers around
Moravian traditions, although the
population today included ..many
other religious faiths. Months be
fore Dec. 25, beeswax candles are
cast in the apothecary shop of
Simon Rau and Co., the oldest
drug store in the United States.
These candles burn in every home
and are carried through the
streets by carol singers on Christ
mas Eve.
Bethlehem is a bustling indus
trial city of 72,000 on the banks
of the Lehigh River.
More and more persons visit
Bethlehem each year during the
Christmas season. Last year 125,
000 visitors were counted. Some
100,000 persons send their holi
day cards here each year for re
mailing with the Bethlehem post
mark.
The focal point of Bethlehem’s
Christmas is a huge electric star—
a 30-foot mass of lights—erected
dn South Mountain on the city’s
outskirts.
Ail churoh^s have special ser
vices, But-the city takes care that
its observance .is a historical cele
bration “in ' the spirit of good
will.”
BETHLEHEM/ Ind.—This is a
quiet village off the main high
ways, with a-to^n. pump, loafers
(Continued on Page 7)
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Margaret Burrows
Ben Guhrke
Art Brooks
Kodiak Insurance & Building Corp.
Yes, Santa Visits Hawaii,
But in an Outrigger Canoe
By CHARLES H. TURNER
HONOLULU UP)—About the only
thing Hawaiian about Christmas in
Hawaii this year will be the greet
ing: Mele Kalikimaka.
Even that is a Westernized ver
sion of the English '‘Merry Christ
mas.”
Hawaii got a comparatively late
start in celebrating Christmas—
the first recorded celebration was
in 1786 when the English ship
Queen Charlotte was at anchor
in the Sandwich Islands.
Staid New England missionar
ies who arrived a short time later
frowned on Christmas festivities
and it wasn’t until 1862 that it be
came a public holiday. King Kame
hameha IV decreed it so.
Welcome Imports
Since it has a near-tropical cli
mate, Hawaii has fewer ever
greens.. It has . to import , them
from the .Pacific Northwest. The
arrival of the “Christmas. Tree
Ship” has always been a big thing
in Honolulu. Tens of thousands of
firs pour from the ship’s, holds
and then quickly placed on sale at
supermarkets, garden supply
shops and Christmas tree stands.
Merchants decorate their stores
Mfitb crepe and gay tinsel just as
SHIP’S TAVERN
BARBER SHOP
m
Christmas
GRU1vrlGS
Our holiday wish lor you is
that the joyous light of
Christmas will continue to
gladden your heart through
out the year.
KODIAK
WELDING
WORKS
hey do back in Belleville, 111.
Arches of similar decorations
hang over the streets.
Santa Claus looks just the same
as in the States, but he may tra
vel in an unusual fashion.
Tough on Santa
One Christmas he arrived aboard
an outrigger camp Another time
he came via helicopter. He ha*
po snow so a sled is out. A large
flatbed truck comes in handy for
getting about town so he can dis
pense free candy to thousands of
eager youngsters lining the strets.
Christmas carols sound over
television and radio stations and
(Continued to Page 10)
“MELE KALIKIMAKA”; That’s how they say “Merry Christ
mas” in Hawaii, where the celebration begins with the arrival
of the Christmas Tree Ship from the Pacific Northwest. Santa,
who arrived with the trees, is greeted by two Hawaiian beautiesj
-(W a happy
KODIAK TELEPHONE CO