WHITE LETTERS
Before Christmas Polish chil
dren write letters telling what they
want for Christmas. These are
placed on the windowsill or by
the fireplace where tradition says
it will be picked up by the Wise
Men.
The author of the favorite chil
dren's Christmas poem “Twas the
Night Before Christmas,” an emi
nent New York divinity professor,
felt his creation was below his
dignity and would not admit he
wrote it for 20 years.
England Once Put
Ban on Christmas
Did you know that the observ
ance of Christmas was once for
bidden in England — the home
of the Yule log, the carol singer
and the wassailers?
During the Reformation many
believed the undue jollity of
Christmas day was sacriligious.
Parliament, on December 24. 1652,
ordered that “no observance shall
be held of the five and twentieth
day of December, commonly
called Christmas Day; or any sol
emnity used or exercised in
churches upon that day in respect
thereof.”
This edict proved to be very
unpopular with the masses of the
people. It was not until many
years later however, that Christ
mas was once again regarded as
a holiday.
In various central European
countries the Christmas Crib,
staged in a box, is carried through
the streets by groups of singing
children during Christmas time.
May the wonderful days of the Holiday Season reflect
the joy and happiness we wish for you and yours.
This has been a year of shining friendships and we are
truly greatful . . . May we have the pleasure of
continuing to serve your jewelry needs in the months
to come, as well as our other services.
POLAR CURIO & POLAR ENTERPRISES
KEITH ft MAE HEDREEN
Since 3 Wise Men Came Bearing Gifts...
Since the Three Wise Men
brought gifts of gold, frankincense
and myrrh to the Christ Child,
gift giving has been linked wtih
the celebration of Christmas. Tra
cing the custom back to this
source, the people of many nations
still present gifts not on December
25th but on Twelfth Night, Jan
uary 6th, the date when legend
says the Wise Men appeared to
the Holy Family.
Gift giving at this season has,
however, many origins, all of them
now closely interwoven with
Christmas. In ancient times the
Roman Saturnalia and the Teu
tonic Yule festivals in Northern
Europe were both celebrated about
the same time as the modern
Christmas.
At the Saturnalia Romans ex
changed gifts of branches from
trees and shrubs, while gifts were
tied on trees by Druid worship
pers during the Yule festivals.
From this, gift giving became one
of many pagan customs incorpor
ated in the earliest observances
of Christmas as a religious holiday.
The pagan worshippers had
usually presented gifts as a means
of paying tribute, often to their
rulers, but through the encourage
ment of early church leaders, the
exchange of gifts at Christmas
soon began to express the ideas
of generosity and doing good to
others. “Thank You” gifts to
those who serve and gifts to the
needy symbolize this meaning.
As the birthday of the Christ
Child, Christmas has always been
an important holiday for chil
dren. Today Santa Claus is their
special friend, but he is only the
most recent of a long line of gift
givers.
The first of these was St. Nicho
las, a real bishop who lived in
the fourth century A.D. Since he
was renowned for his generosity,
many legends about him soon de
veloped. The date of his death,
December 6th, became Children’s
Day.
Traditionally, on the eve of that
day St. Nicholas traveled the
world on horseback to deliver
gifts rewarding well - behaved
girs and boys. In some European
countries the day is still observed,
and children put out food for
the bishop’s horse on December
5th.
Among legendary holiday gift
givers to children through the
years are the Three Kings them
selves, in Spain and South Amer
ica; a witch or fairy named Be
fana, in Italy, and the Scandina
vian St. Lucy, whose day of benev
olence is December 13th. But
whatever the name of the giver,
the spirit expressed is always one
of joyful generosity.
LIT UP . . .
A husband had been making
the rounds New Year’s Eve. Re
turning home full of holiday spir
its, he stood in a corner, arms
outstretched, and said over and
over, “I’m a Christmas tree, I’m
a Christmas tree, but I haven’t
any ornaments.” Just then his
wife came in and hung one on
him.
ST. JOSEPH’S
CATHOLIC CHURCH
Christmas Eve, Dec. 24
Christmas Carols from 11:30
p.m. to midnight
12:00 p.m. Midnight Mass
Christmas Morning
9:00 a.m. Sung Mass —
Children's Choir
10:30 aun. Mass. Christmas
Hymns, Eskimo Choir
I
Wishing You
a Merry
Christmas
For your patronage
and friendly good will
please accept our sin^
cere thanks.
MODERN CLEANERS
JIM and RUTH McLEAN