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Christmas Pageantry And Cus toms Enhance Holiday Season 'Around The World Christmas is surely the happiest and most exalted day of the year-a time of celebration and peace and goodwill to ail. Once described as "a spontaneous drama of ;the common folk, a prayer, ai hymn7" there is! indeed, littie doubt that this glorious festival w as composed by the people. Observed in the church, in the home and in the heart, this season of great joy and renewed faith is honored and celebrated ail over the world. The very particular and cherished traditions of each country add color and pleas- ure to its international observance. The Earlv Years The Christmas holiday, with its spirit of warmth and love, started as a time beseiged by doubt and uncertainty, and often martyrdom. Early celebrants were persecuted and forced to observe this holy time in hiding. In 350 A.D., December 25th was proclaimed the date of the Nativity, by Pope Julius I, although there is no historical eviden'ce to back the date up. For aimost 2,000 years Christmas has been observed by untold numbers of people, each in his own way. As its glorous message traveled around the world it was cclebrated with much pomp and elegance. with brilliant displays and gifts, in silent prayer and worship, in 'contem- plation of the Spirit and its true meaning. 1A Treasury of Traditions An American Christmas observes a multitüde of time honored customs and traditions. Almost every town enjoys some individual celebration uniquely its own. Plays and pageants are pre- sented, carols( sung, crèches decorated, trees trimmed in special ways, following long estab- lished customs fromf other l! nds. Traditions and customs,; both reverent and nMerry, vary from country to country. In France, midnight mass is attended by almost everyone, with the exception of young children who are put to bed 'early. To make sure they receive a gift from le pere Noel or le petit Jesus, the youngsters place a shoe in front of their Christmas tree or fireplace before they are tucked in. The humblest home in Spain is adorned by a Nativity scene. Modelled of clay, these colorful figures make a stirring display on table or mani- tie. Gifts are distributed by "Three Wise Men" on the night of January 6th .* . . Santa Claus is not a familiar figure in Spain. Customs passed lovingly ýfrom generation toi generation are renewed each year. To this dayi the Christmas pantomime, a highly esteemed public entertainment, enriches Englîsh holiday pageantry. And Dickens' immortal classic "A Christmas Carol" is read and cherished ail over the world. A Legacy of Love For, African Christians, a love offering at church, is part of the spiritual experience of Christmas in the Congo. Those who attend holi- day services are expected to come forward with a gift for Jesus, on His bîrthday. In Switzerland, young people on their way to midnîght church services, on Christmas eve, visit nine fountains. At each they take three sips of water. Legend bas it that if they do this, they will find their future wife or husband waiting at the church door! A Profusion of Customs A steam bath and dressing in one's finery precedes the Finnish observance of "The Mass of Christ"'. Stockings are not hung by the chil- dren since Santa Claus visits them in person with gifts, most often accompanied by elves. In Sweden on December l3th, Lucia Queen of Light Ieads a procession of young women on visits to homes and, public places. Dressed in flowing white gowns, and Wearing crowns of lingonberry leaves glowing with lighted cgn- dles, Lucia and hermaidens serve coffee and special saffron buns to ail. In Italy's churches,' town squares and homes,, candles illuminate elaborate crèches wreathed in periwinkle and lemnon blossoms. The holiday is highlighted by The Christmas Novena, a series of Church services preceding Christmas and ending with Midnight Mass on Christmas eve. For Christian Japanese "Meri Kuri- sumasu" is a warm, wonderfül celebration! They visit hospitals and cheer patients with carols and dramatic presentations, and gifts of candles and cakes are received by everyone. Mexican children look forward to pifiata par-_ ties at Christmas. The pifiata, a dlay jar filled with gifts, is decorated to look like an animal or doîl. Each youngster is blindfolded, in turn, and given a stick Jo strike and break the pifiata. When it breaks the presents come tumbling out for everyone! In foreign lands and in America, Christmas is celebrated in many ways. Despite the differ- ences in its observance ail people share its mag- ical and spiritual joy! The pretty poinsettia' ~~îx~ -' '...3 ~ ~There are some medical and plant experts who think old Ebenezer Scrooge must have started the story some- time before that memorable SC hristmas'Dickens wrote a bout.- It's the fable that stili pops up once in awhile this, Ther's o pace ikehom fo theholday! ~ timne of year about some mys- Ther's o pace ikehô'e fr th hoidas 1 terious danger thiat lurks in May you and your family enjoy a bright the m1ost popular of ail and merry yuletide! Christmnasfoern plants, Sthe poinsettia. Manaemen andStaf ofHere is what spokesmen Manaemen andStaf 0ffor the U.S. Department of MAROWILL FUR FARM Health, Education and Wel- Sfare have written: -AI- ~ thought there are a number of ~KSeason's Di ree'ings 1 .Lv reae a menu Hofe deliiou J Chritma wihesfor you.HoetyA corne true! flrom the Management and Staff J of KING'S GARDEN 1'e Rsaurant ad Taverni 7KigS.E. Tselep hone623-4255 Bowmanville and your famîly ire serving you ~.' S It's the season to greet hriends V ,n - Wendy old and new with Christmnas greetings of joy and happiness. D ru ig s- le Management and Staff of #y e PLAIN'S SHELL OAS BAR Bowmanville 180 King St. E. . Bowmanville ~ .~ Telephone 623-4811 ianvîlie, December 20, 1978 7 THE STORY 0F THE CHRISTMAS STOCKING Legend has it that a casual blunder by St. Nicholas started the custom of hanging Christmas stockings. While making his yearly rooftop vis- its in Holland, this kindly gent dropped his purse down a chimney. Much to the good fortune of those below, the purse fell into a stocking left on the hearth to dry. As word spread. of the family's good luck, the tradition of hanging Christmas stockings became popular and widespread. Top left-Young woman dressed for the celebration of St. Lucia's Day, December l3th, in Sweden. Wearing a crown of lingonberry leaves glowing with lighted candies, she serves refreshments Jo ev- eryone. Photo courtesy of the Swedish Information Service. Top right- "Stern si ngen" (Star Singing),,an old Christ- mas custom in Lucerne, Cen- tral SwitZerland. The Three Kings from the East walk in an elaborate parade to the market square. Photo courtesy the Swiss National Tourist Office. Bottom left-Mexican chul- dren enjoying an exciting pifiata party. Gifts cone showering down when the pifiata is broken. Photo courtesy the Mexican Na- tional Tourist Couincil. reports including the inges- tion of parts of the leaves and berries of the poinsettia, we have yet to find mention that a child became iii, except for a few cases wNhere vomiting was reported.- 1 Tran slated by the people at the American Association of Nurserymen, that means that a little person might possi- bly get an upset stomach from eating poinsettias, just as he or she might from eating ail sorts of other inedibles. But poisonous? Bah, hum- bug! The staff at Adam & Eve Unisex wouid like to express their sincere gratfitude to ail their customners that have been faithful in this past year, and they wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to corne. Ail the staff hop e to see you as always and a special "Thanks" f rom M4tthew ta ail those customners that he has gIadly served the past years. Adam& &ve Specializing in Mod,7nHairstyling Techniques jor Men and Women 21 Temperance Street Bowmanville 623-41 91 NO APPOINTMENT NECESSiSRY \Ie ofpleasures. Wes measure of thani loyal frieno, fi From thee~taff at Hamp."ton G ardens an R Hampton Hardware e R.R. 1, Bowmanviiie Re-9 41 14ni.4ex