HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1932.
ZODAKC
The Ideal Xmas Gift
FOR ANYONE
A large selection in stock- Give US a call, before purchasing elsewhere.
A. TACK & CO.,
26, Des Voeux Road C.
Hundreds of Gifts
that are sure of a welcome!
GILTS for Everyone
MAY FAIR
CHINA BUILDING
Central:
Ladies and Children's Wear
SEE OUR DISPLAY OF IDEAL X'MAS GIFTS
Silk stockings-Children's dresses and hats Fountain Pens Pencils-Art Pictures. -Sports goods-Silver Cups and Shields, Wooden Toys
MAX FACTOR'S:BEAUTY PREPARATIONS
etc.:
The Compliments of the Season
to our many customers and friends
The MAY MAY Company
74, Queen's Road Central,
Christmas Presents In Olden Days
JEWELS AND ELEPHANTS |
The custom of giving Christmas among other presents, a pair of presents dates from very early alceyes richly embroidered with t-times, indeed, we may say spm Flemish silver, a table richly paint
that first of all Christmas daya ed,, collars and cuffs of fair white when the Wise Men brought gifts damask, ornaments of silver and of gold and frankincense and gold, siz barrels of figs, two fat myrrh as offering to their infant oxen, two dishes of jelly, and cakes King..
"of spice bread."..
In Norman times the kings re- These offerings rapidly, decreased ceived from their subjecta Christmas, as the illatarred queen's popularity presents of money, and food, bej waned; but when Queen Elizabeth ing harmless provocations to Christ--began to reign, Christmas presenta mss love,' as an old writer express attained an almost historic im- ed it. The citizens of Gloucester portance. Every year she received sent avery year to the reigning sovereign a most elaborata lamprey ple, and this custom continued right up to the beginning of last century. It was revived again in 1893, when an exquisitely moulded pie and two silver skewers were "given to Queen Victoria. ¿
In the reign of Edward I. pre- nent-giving had become an art, and we hear of him graciously accept ing on Christmas morning a large ower set with pearls, all over, and comb and looking-glass of silver gilt, a bodkin. of silver in a les thern case, and a pair of large knives of ebony and ivory studded with silver enamelled from his nobles. He also received from the King of France an elephant, most strange beast, and wonderful to English peoplo, since never had anything of that kind bean seen before. The sheriffs of London had orders to build at once & house forty feet by twenty feet for this curious Christmas gift.
large sums of money, costly gar- monts for her person and apart- ments, casketa studded with- prož cious stones, valuable necklaced and bracelets, embroidered BOWDE smocks, petticoats, mantles, silk stockings, purses of gold pieces, and a variety of other ornaments:'
In 16574 her favourite, the Earl of Leicester, gave her a wonderful fan of white feathers set in a hand- le of gold, one side garnished with emeralds and the other with dia. monds and rubies. Sir Francis Drake. also gave her a fan of white and red feathers, the handle of gold having Her Majesty's picture with in it. framed with diamonds and seed pearls. Lady Howard, her jewel of gold, reprosenting a cat waiting lady, presented her with with mice playing round her; and from other court ladies sho received a flower of gold, garnished with sparks of diamonds, rubies, and opals, and a pearl pendant with devices painted upon it.
Odd Gifts.
His son, Edward II, revelled in costly food and clothes, so it in scarcely surprising to hear that on When the Stuarts came to Eng the first Christmas Day of his reign | land, the, practice of present-giving he received fourteen heads of pen-I was still continued. In 1804 Prince cocks for pics, twelve white tunics, Henry presented to his father a and eighteen coloured tunics em- Latin poem in hexameter verse, to broidered with gold and silver. his mother a pearl necklace, and Heory VI was only a child to his sister, little Princess Eliza- when he ascended the throne, and beth, a cabinet, of ivory wrought in doubtless, like other children, de- silver. This seerns a strange pre- lighted in preparing little Christ- sent for a tiny girl in the nursery, mas gifts for his mother, We hear and yet not so strange as the two of him as a boy of ten presenting fat oxen which she received that her with a ruby ring and a crueldx | same year from the Mayor of of gold weighing fourteen ounces Coventry. Doubtless her Christmas ood garnished with sapphnes and | gifts. in. iste years would be more pearls. In return sbo gave him to her taste, when the Prince some-tablets of gold ornamented | Paisans presented her with a rich with precious stones, and a small fain of diamonds and two pendant quarto book which can still be sear pearls Prasqualled in, iké B in the Britial Museum
Under the rule of the Common- Edward IV celebrated the fos-wealth, present giving, like all tival of Christmas with wonderful other old Christmas customs, wÀI pomp and display, but he did not abolished for the time, but when forget his children, and we are Charles I returned to the throne given a pretty picture of his little it was revised in full force, and son in the park one Christmas Day the people also began to exchange
riding his own horse, which was presents among themselves. right fair hobby (horse), which the King had given him that morning,
The Princess Presents,
Pepys in his diary, mentions his purchase of a silver tankard as a. Christmas gift to the Earl of Sand It is evident that, the children of wich, and laments the number of those days had their full share in drums, trumpets, and boxes cost- the Christmas festivities, for a cen- ing much money which he was ob tury later we read of ting Princess liged to give during the Christmas Mary, daughter of Henry VIIL, season. I seg nothing at. Christ receiving a cup of gold from the mas but giving away my half Itahan, cardinal, jewelled <rowns like farthings to porters pomander from the French Queen, and butlers,' he complains ‘again and two smocks, from Lady later.
Mountjoy, Her, brother Edward | We hear little of royal presents was. Also the recipient of after George I came to England. ismocks, including one from his sis- The monarchy was now not a púb, ter Elizabeth embroidered by her lie but a private institution. The own hands; and we hear of him foreign kings, surrounded by a one Christmas playing with a foreign court, secluded themselves miniature silver table service, as from the public gaze, and little of our children play to-day,
their intimate family life was When Queen Mary ascended the known to the nation. But the time- English throne, the novelty of a bogoured custom of giving Christ- woman as monarch suggested great mas presents and "Christmas boxes ideas in the way of presents. Dur- and Christmas tips is as popular ing her first Christmas she received, I to-day as ever in our count
Christmas In The Bush
I suppose it is because I have bundles of green bushes and Insh been used to the bush that I feel them to the verandah posts. Per- the Christmas atmosphere more in
a country home than anywhere else, haps nobody sees them but the fami That home may be miles away from ly, and the whole surroundings &T shopa and pantomimes there may
with trees and shrubs; but be no excursions or picnics in view that doesn't matter. The boys dress
Broon there may be nothing around but the posts with enthusiasm. the undulating forest and the fami
liar bird-calls along the creek, but And everybody watches the roads still one can sense that it is Christ from time to time for the home- coming of the elder sons, who have, Mum and the girls are busy fon boen away perhaps all the year, days making cakes and puddingsome of them hundreds of miles off, and hop beer. Dad goes out with on the droving track, on some far away diggings, or in the shearing dog and gun for ducks and geese, sheds, The bush mather always or wild turkeys and pigeons, The looks for their return what time. held is wide, and well stocked, and the customary back log reverts to it doesn't put up the price of game old memories as the Yule log; and just because it is Christmas at night she listens for the sound There is plenty of poultry run of wheels or the tramp of hoofs ning about the premises, all korts
of poultry; and there are suck Perhaps they will latter home ing pigs in the sty; but somehow but everybody tumbles ont of bed in the middle of the night, or later; the swamps and scrubs are leviedl
on for the festive season. It is at the barking of the dogs, and
a custom that goes back to the rushes out excited and half-dressed, fat bush days when the settler had to meet the travellers. All except few, fowls, or none at all, and there Babs, who wakes in the morning, were, wild ducks and geese and nd starek, wide-eyed, at a halt turkeys innumerable to be got with strange, bearded, face that is emil the gun!
ing at her,
Dadscist: keenak
wild bocs
gor them,
And what tales Bill and Jim bare
wand
zout.
articular West and
TyJust before Christmas, and when back
and what
he gets one there are buckets of fof Homa news is prattled into their honey and a, keg-of/honeymand fears between times and simultane
The Asyounger
thoma fomly for goonering
UNZEN Co.
Japanese High Class
Curlos
The Arcade, Gloucester Building
CHRISTMAS SALE
20% DISCOUNT Porcelain Tea-sets, Satsuma, Kaga Wares, Tortoisshell Cigarette Cases, etc:
We have an experienced Japanese Packer.
KOBZA'S
ART
EXHIBITION
Opening To-day
HONG KONG HOTEL
1st Floor, Jacobean Room
Sil Paintings
“And..
Art Photographs
ADMISSION FREE EVERYONE INVITED
Merry
hristmas # ALL
to
Fun and follity for all, means plenty of gay Christmas crackers..
the children adore them grown-ups find them fun too We have the best display in town of and lovely crackers at all
gay
prices.
Perfumes, Compacts
etc. etc.
The gifts
that
ladies
love
310
KINGS DISPENSARY
King's Theatre Building.