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Roots Of Christian Gift Giving SECTION 2 - PAGE 9 - PLAINDEALER - WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 13,1978 Little do mom and dad suspect when their daughter requests a doll for her Christmas stocking that she is asking for a symbol of living sacrifice. Chances are the child doesn't realize it either, but that 's how such gifts originated in pagan Rome. Contrary to common belief, gift giving in late December and early January didn't begin with St Nicholas or with the offerings bestowed on the in­ fant Christ by the Magi and the shepherds. ^ It is rather, a custom that had its roots in the winter festival of pre-Christian Rome Three celebrations were held The first. "Saturnalia", began on Dec 17. For eight days the revelry of fairs, games, animal sacrifice and banquets, at which rich and poor alike ex­ changed gifts, took precedence over studies, business and even war And. on Dec 24. people honored the winter solstice and Mithras, god of light According to Karen S. Seibert. reference librarian at the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle (UICC), the period of most plentiful generosity was January's "Kalends." Presents were given to friends, children, and especially the improverished. In (he beginning these "§trenia" were simple boughs of greenery from the groves of "Strenia," goddness of health In time, gifts became more elaborate- pastry in the shape of animals and humans to make life sweet, candles and lamps to provide light and warmth, and gold and silver to bring wealth. Seibert notes that ancient Egyptians also celebrated the solstice, with parents remembering their dead children by placing puppets, miniature chariots and other playthings on their tombs. Since .the Nativity was not celebrated on Dec 25 until the 4th century, the Catholic church frowned on the practice of gift giving, an essential part of pagan festivities Selection of the December date was ar­ bitrary and perhaps a ploy to divert worshipers from revering •» the invincible sun deity Mithras and bring them closer to the Christian God! R also alleviated the first "Christmas rush" when Christians celebrated Christ 's birth the morning of Jan. 6. in Jerusalem and then hurried to the River Jordan in the af­ ternoon to mark His baptism. Despite the church's disapproval, the UICC librarian says the ancient habit of year-end gift giving was never abandoned In fact, by the 12th century the practice was well established throughout Europe Later on. the Reformation drove St. Nicholas un- derground-although not for long. The embodiment of the Christmas spirit. St. Nicholas was so popular that he surfaced again in the form of Christkind. Father Christmas and Santa Claus Today, only a Scrooge wouid dispense with the tradition of exchanging presents. There are, of course, complaints and resentment that what was once a folk festival has now become an annual commerical orgy enjoyed onlv by retailers and advertisers .f** Gifts are no longer given simply to demonstrate personal regard or affection They have taken on aspects of obligation (the big swap) "bribery" <in the form of workers' bonuses), insurance (to make sure the leaky faucet is fixed and the newspaper reaches the porch on rainy days) or even retaliation (for the gaudy purple and green tie received last yea r >. The bombardment starts soon after Labor day. Momentum builds at Thanksgiving when "Santas" appear at busy street corners and in local stores. By mid- December the sense of urgency causes frantic shopping sprees which promise the nightmare of January bills But. despite the commercial aspect, it is a season when one's own needs become insignificant and generosity towards others abounds So. bah humbug, Scrooge! Sharing and charitable deeds stiJl triumph over avarice- in fine fettle at that ' J o l i u s b u r ^ Mary L. Gunderson Johnsburg High Dedication Set The Johnsburg school board decided to set the dedication of the new Johnsburg high school for Sunday, Jan 7 The Parent Teacher organization will co- liost the dedicaj&n and open " house Be sure to keep this date open. and watch for more details later ANNUAL BREAKFAST Johnsburg's Parent Teacher organization's annual affair Breakfast With Santa, will be Sunday. Dec 17 from Ha m to 1 p m at the James C Bush school Pancakes and sausage will be served Children 5 and under are free Santa Claus will be present tor photographs with the children Christmas bazaar items will also be part of the program This is a great op port unity for the children to ' secure presents for their parents at very low cost. There will Ik* many handmade items which could be helpful in completing your Christmas lists Proceeds will used to 385-3052 purchase items for all schools in our district five ST JOHN'S A Christmas bazaar for the children will be held at St John's Dec 20 and 21. per­ mitting the students to pur­ chase their own family gifts. There will be an early dismissal on the' twenty-first at 2:30 p.m. and a Christmas party School will reopen. Jan JOHNSBURG HIGH The first Christmas concert by the music department of Johnsburg high school, will be held in the auditorium today, Wednesday, Dec 13. at H p m The Swing choir will open up the program with three numbers The Concert choir will present a cantata of Christmas folk songs Directing the choruses will be Ms Mary Maack , The second half will be the concert band under the' direction of Mr. Hal Thompson, with selections including "Sleigh Ride", "Winter Wishes. '" "The Happy Sound of Christmas" and "Christmas Trypitch Ending the evening will be the combined choruses giving us their rendition of "Silent Night " WINTER PLAY "Summertree" will be presented Jan 19 and 20 This is a dinner-theatre Dinner will start between 5:30 and 6 p.m. The play will start at 8 p.m. For the people who wish not to attend the dinner, there will be an admission for the play. The play and dinner are expected to run about two and one-half hours CHRISTMAS AFFAIRS The Blessed Virgin Mary sodality potiuck party was weti attended, and all enjoyed the interesting dishes that were brought The singing helped round out the program, and bring the spirit of Christmas closer The Salad Luncheon of the Home and school association brought together many ladies, who enjoyed the lunch and also the fashion show put on by two McHenry merchants The decorations were lovely, in the Christmas theme, and the color scheme of red and green, with a tree. too. made a beautiful picture SCOUT TROOP 454 A Christmas party is planned for this Cub Scout troop, for Thursday. Dec 20. at Bush Elementary school. 7 30 p.m.. according to Walter Kozlowski. Cubmaster Santa is expected, and a skit by the boys on the Christmas story will be part of the entertainment Their program for January 1979 includes model car races, a Camporee. Scout Week at Crystal Lake, etc SHUTINS During this season of holiday preparations, let us remember those who are confined to home, or a nursing home Remember them with a phone call, or a special card If you are a shut in yourself, be sure to use your telephone to keep in touch' DATES TO REM KM BE R Dec 13-First annual concert of the Johnsburg high school music department. 8 p m - auditorium Dec 17-Breakfast with Santa- 8 to 1 p m James C Bush school Dec. 20-21 Christmas Bazaar for the children, at school Early dismissal Dec 22-School closes 2:20 pm Jan 2-Schools reopen Jan 7-Dedication and Open House at Johnsburg high school Jan 19-20-Summertree: Dinner Theatre at Johnsburg high school Turn your home into an energy conservation machine. With a heat pump. Instead ot burning scarce fuels the heat pump uses electricity fo capture heat from a limitless energy source The sun It's the most practical efficient heating and cooling system you can install today And it's dramatically changing the way we use energy Turns h®at energy outside in and inside out. The same principle that makes the heat pump work is already at work in your home inside your retngerator In fact, a heat pump is a lot like a retngerator There s an Indoor unit that consists of a coil and lan There s an outdoor unit that consists of a coil tan and compressor Piping connects them Inside the system, a refrigerant circulates, carrying the heat trom inside out and outside in Even on the cloudiest, coldest day of winter there s still solar heat in the air The retngerant in the outdoor coll absorbs this heat is compressed and pumped inside The heat comes out. keeping you warm In summer the process is reversed Warm air inside the home is blown over the indoor coil The retngeranl absorbs this heal is pumped outside then condensed The heat comes out leaving you cool I The amazing heat pump is installed on the outside of the home and is about the same size as a conventional central au conditioning unit No matter how the temperature changes the heat pump automatically makes the necessary changes to keep you comfortable And the unit filters the air and dehumidifies too Produces moxe energy than it uses That s why the heat pump is a real energy conservation machine In a typical Illinois winter, a heat pump provides at least 1 5 units of heat energy for every equivalent unit ot electricity it uses Unlike systems that merely use up energy to make heat the heat pump uses electncity to produce more energy than it uses It s this extra energy bonus thai makes the heat pump a smart investment The initial cost b a little higher But the operating cost is lower So in the long run the heat pump cah help you save How to get one. You can often replace your present system with a heat pump Installing a hecrt pump it. a new home is even easier Either way it's important to get a quality product and have it properly installed and serviced Check Listing below For further information call your local Commonwealth Edison office and talk to cne of our marketing engineers about your plans * Commonwealth Edison e For names o! qualified heat pump installers in your area call Alt Ease E*c«iiJor Steel Furr.ac® Co (312) 773 6500 Scott Wood * Metai !nc Kan® Kendaii » LaSall* CountMW (312,696 6400 IWllOIQ Emory C P^rry Co (312)785 ' (312; 562 3700 Oil Heat Paris Scot! Wood ft Metal. Inc Fqi [over ar»d West (815) 913-7726 (815)965 8727 Bard CeMral Furnace Supply (312) 355 1220 Carrier Temperature Equip Corp (312) 681 6220 rrtedrich Cha*e Supply Co 785 0500 General Electric (112) 496 6200 Johnson Moore Supply Co (312 ) 235 H O C Lennox (312) 593 2820 Tappan Tappar. Dtsinb Center (312)773 2270 Wbstingbouse G W Berkheimer Co (312)374 44il G A Larson Co Fci River and West (815' 963 0471 Sogers Supply Co Grundy Kankakee ft Uvingacn Cour.r: (217) 367-6488 Williams G W Berkheuner Co (312) 374 4411 Williamson Williamson Distnb (312)625-2500 fork York C*VBion (312) 279-0050 Ahr Equipment Inc Fox River and West (815) 721-9111 Letters To "Gopher" (For C.B. Owners) For answers to specific questions write (do not call) The Gopher", in core of McHenry Ploindealer, 3812 W. Elm Street, McHenry. th Dear (.opher. Dr. R ic hard Farmer, superintendent of District 15 schools, stated in his letter he Hould notify REACT if schools were to close early. On What channel will this be given? "Queen of Spades" Dr Farmer will call me. District 2 State Police monitor, by telephone I,*in turn, will notify the local REACT members We will give the bulletins on channel 19 Please, do not call on Channel 9 to ask If schools are closing early, it is because the roads are becoming dangerous for travel and we need Channel 9 open for the distress calls If you wish to volunteer fo assist in the bulletins and you have a C.B Base within District 15 school district, please write and send to me your name, telephone number location We vuli need all help we can get due to the highNaoise level hampering the distance we can reach Dear (\opher, VN oulm JunTv^peap^hat %mi said to "Camera Man" in \our first article. Manx missed it and it is vsorth repeating. "McHenr\ ( ount> KK \< T No Hti" In short, when calling on Channel 9 an emergency, take into consideration the high noise level due to skip 1 Break for a SPECIFIC Police Department or REACT 2. Check that your squelch is all the way to noise level , 3 If you can't hear a response give all the in formation of the emergency anyway (iive it SLOWLY and LOt'DLY - Repeat tbe--in­ formation TWO times Congratulations to the lady who did all of the above with ihe emergency on Crystal Springs road and Walkup on Nov 29 We heard you. even though you couldn't hear us at first Dear (.opher. Because of the skip isn t it permissable to use a linear when calling for help' "No Name" You must NOT use or attach a power amplifier at any C.B station < Base or mobile) in any­ way and there are NO EX­ CEPTIONS to this rule" I know what you mean and I sym­ pathize with you. but it defintiely is a no-no Dear C.opher. I read vour column to "Black Rooster". How do you know how much F.( .( ' . will fine you for violations? "Cat Eves" Easy! Read C B Rule 37 in youi - Aug 1. 1978 F C C rules It 's all spelled out for you in plain English Stuffing Celery Stuff celery with a mixture of cottage cheese, blue cheese, onion and tabasco. Hot Dog! The average American eats almost 80 hot dogs each year That amounts to a total of ap­ proximately 14 billion hot dogs consumed in this country an­ nually. The first jviener-in-a-bun was probably served at the St Louis Exposition in 1904 by a Bavarian sausage peddler who sold wieners as red hots." Because his "red hots' were too hot to handle, he gave his customers white gloves But the gloves were too expensive, so the entrepreneur came up with a bun to fit the sausage yvM *'• s */./.• FRAMED MIRRORS, DOOR MIRRORS, VENETIANS Klcjiiint ( LASSH. or handsome ( ()NTKMI'( IH \R Y ISpecial* on (.1 STOM MIRRORS too! SUPER SAVINGS ON DOOR MIRRORS Genuine Plate Glass. Brill iant, flawless with beveled edges SIZE REG PRICE SALE PRICE SUPER SAVINGS ON DOOR MIRRORS Genuine Plate Glass. Brill iant, flawless with beveled edges 16 x 68 18 x 68 20 x 68 22 x 68 24 x 68 $38.28 $41.72 $45.04 $49,40 $53.04 $25.50 $27.80 $30.00 $32.95 $35.35 NOW 'TIL CHRISTMAS McHENRY PAINT, GLASS & WALLPAPER 3411 W. ELM McHENRY 385-7353 MooreA L PAINTS MON WED 7 45 5 30 THURSDAY 7 45 8 00 FRIDAY 7 45 5 30 -ATURDAY 8 00 5 30 Basting Fish Baste fish with a mixture of frozen grapefruit concentrate. Worcestershire sauce and one tablespoon of oil Super Savings on 6QLD(& SILVER with, a $100 deposit Plus Free Gifts For Qualifying Deposits The gold sni siwe' rush toFi rs t Fed ' - 'a S t . ' ; ' o r ' Chr,st"\iS B<~ w and >- i n K i d t i o r t o " > e ' 0 ' ' o ^ s First Fp<je ra' IS ' f6' 'ng ;r 'O' pu'C^-ase lad'e" ind r"ne r is S/> ss m >df Watches and _ 1 0 b^low f qc !d and s> .e r r0 ' First Fede- v Sa. \ \ / v.y You can purchase any of these Ladies or Men s Swiss Watches (8 styles to choose trom) tor the special prices shown Deposit S100 00 $500 00 S1000 $5000 or MORE 12 50 10 00 7 50 FREE You can purchase any ot these items tor the special prices shown with a $100 00 qualifying deposit Al l items listed belo w are beaut i fu l 14ct I ta l ian go Id A Serpentiye Bracelet S9 95 • B 15 Serpentine Chain S19 95 • C 18 Serpentine Chain S24 25 *0 20 Serpentine Cham S28 95 • E 24 Serpentine Cham S29 95 *F 18 Foitarl Mecmace Cham S47 95 • G 18 Rope Necklace Chain S129 95 Al l i tems l is ted belom are t rom the Taico col lect ion ot genuine ster l ing si lver M 16 Bo« Cham Necklace S7*l 7 Serpentine Ihm Cham bracelets* • J ladies Silver Double leal adtustable r ing S T • K Ladies abalone »et adiustabte ring $7 • L Butterlly pm S10* M Teardrop Pierced earrmgi $12 «N T Rope Cham bracelet S12 • 0 16 Serpentine thick chain necklace S12 • I* Ladies Tiger Eye Cocktail ring i10 • Q Ladies Almond Shape Smokey Quarti stone cocktail ring • 17 • R Men% Tiger Eye handcrafted r.r»g $1 7 • S Mens black onyi slone ring S17 • T 18 rope chain necklace S26 >U 1 stiand lace collar necklace $34 • V Hand twisted 40 heavy rope Cham can adiusl to use as necklace or lor waist $12' Super Savings plus the highest interest rate allowed by law First Federal Sa-« ng<. ' t a. "gs program 'or if.r'st. ' ' r*1' f*nt daily compounded passr • < ( 8*o 8 Yea' Cert Scales - > • • C» " ' 8' compounded da; , y.«> J • 4 - 14' - - " m.um deposit of St 000 00 We also have t AfliCh requires a rr,ni Convenient hou's ' locations with ample > S40 000 by the FSnC free gifts and g'»\it ^ wrrrm mm First in Financ ial Set urit> FIRST v, FEDERAL SAVINGS SLOAN ASSOCIATION Ol C B VSTA1 I AKh pr»er>t r<u f"dto ju^ ts p 'u c FSiJC (S» lA <LfiM LENDER Crystal Lake 1 Eac! Ovs'a L a k e A v e *815 45 Algonquin 1 "-09 Diir-dt^- ^oadO'? 656-86?? Wauconda L.t>-", *312 526 8621 McHenry 44 jC ^ou't- 12C • 815 "585 9000 I \