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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2005 THE NEW TANNER 25 2, ile! A te, FE ge ES at x ee ee BI nor 4 ie joe the world! The Lor is come: et earth receive her King! Let as heat prepare Him room, en and nature sing. i -- eet The Saviour reigns: employ, Y, while fields a err ills plains repeat on in Wilo more let sins aaa) eevee rf thorns intest He cames to make Retlessngs flu pues te make Tis Nae savth with truth and ge ace? the nations prove" We rules the earl ® the glovies of His righteousness and wonders of His love ae ing, joy. See AG + Scae Was . ae OF Se ac & 42 Days of Christmas' has 12 hidden meanings If you asked most people if they knew all 12 verses of "The 12 Days of Christ- mas," chances are only a few could recite them all. Frequently played: and sung, it's likely also that few know the meaning of the song and how it was used as a code for Catholics in England. Though many assume the 12 days refers to the days prior to December 25 (when those in the Western hemi- sphere celebrate Christmas), it actually refers to the days between December 25 and the the beginning of the Epiphany on January 6. The Epiphany (also known as "Little Christmas") is rec- ognized as the day the Three Magi arrived with gifts for Baby Jesus. As for each individual day and what each gift sym- bolizes, the largely cryptic connotation of each gift dates back to the times when Catholics were not allowed to openly or even privately celebrate their religion in England. As a means to both celebrate and pass on their religious beliefs to their chil- dren, Catholics began singing "The 12 Days of Christmas," with each gift bearing some religious significance. According to Catholic On- line, a Web site devoted to providing Catholics with information pertaining to the origins, practices and issues regarding their faith. * A Partridge in a Pear Tree: Jesus Christ, the son of God * Two Turtle Doves: the Old and the New Testament. * Three French Hens: the theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity * Four Calling Birds: the four Gospels * Five Golden Rings: the Pentateuch, or the first five books of the Old Testament, all of which dealt with man's fall from grace * Six Geese A-laying: the six days of creation * Seven Swans A-swim- ming: the seven Sacraments * Eight Maids A-milking: the eight Beatitudes : * Nine Ladies Dancing: the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit *Ten Lords A-Leaping: the Ten Commandments * Eleven Pipers Piping: the 11 faithful apostles (exclud- ing Judas) * Twelve Drummers Drumming: the 12 points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed (519) 856-9356 4923 7th Line, Eramosa Season's Greetings from: Pete's Auto Paint Have a Safe Ss eC Hl Copp LY New Learl RR# 4 Rockwood ON NOB 2K0 Merry Ghristimad Happy New Year || tLe Ua Andy's Family Restaurant | ard from Christmas tree introduced to Canada in 18th century The practice of setting up a Christmas tree at Christmas is generally credited to Martin Luther, a fomenter of the Prot- estant Reformation but it's likely it had antecedents. The first Christmas tree, as we know it, appeared in that part of France known as Alsace in 1521. It was introduced to France by the Princess Helene de Meckl- embourg, who brought one to Paris, after her marriage to the Duke of Orleans. Of course, decorated trees have been part of pagan fes- tivities for centuries, but it wasn't until the 11" century they had a Christmas basis, history tells us. During Advent in the 11" century, scenes called mys- teries, including one about Paradise, were very popular. A tree decorated with red apples symbolized the tree of Paradise. During the 15" century, Christians began to put up trees in their own houses on December 24, the feast day of Adam and Eve. In the 18" century, the cus- tom of decorating a Christmas tree was well established in Germany, France and Aus- tria. In 1841, Prince Albert (originally from Germany) husband of Queen Victoria, set up a Christmas tree at Windsor Castle in England. From the royal court, the cus- tom of Christmas trees spread. Its not just what you lose, it's we you gain. quickly to the middle class and then to working people. For Victorians, a good Christmas tree had to be six branches tall and be placed on a table covered with a white damask tablecloth. It was decorated with garlands, candles and paper flowers. The Christmas tree was introduced to Canada around the end of the 18" century before it became a common practice in England. The vari- ous ornaments in which it was home before being commer- cially produced. In the middle of the 17" century Christmas trees were illuminated with little candles. These were replaced at the beginning of the 20" century by electric light bulbs, much safer than lighted candles. Other variations like out- door and artificial Christmas trees started to appear around the beginning of the 20" cen- tury and the custom is gaining acceptance in other parts of decorated were first made at -- the world. 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