Thursday,
SWEETED HER
Chocolates
ATTRACTIVELY PACKAGED IN 1, 2 & 3. LBS.
AT
THE HONGKONG DISPENSARY
A. 5. WATSON & CO., LTD.
TEL: 20016
BE SURE
OF THE
HONGKONG TELEGRAPH
December 21, 1939.
"Prest-O-Lite" CHRISTMAS IN FINLAND
Batteries
Automotive Types
Prest-O-Lite
One of the oldest names
in Automotivo History-and the most honoured.
ona
First of all every Presl-O- Lite is a good batlery-he lowest cast per mile or month of service.
THE FINEST OF QUALITY BATTERIES
Obtainable at the
Hongkong Hotel
Garage
SHOWROOM
Stubbs Rd. Phone 27778/9.
The
TRUDA PANET, A Hongkong lady who spent several years in Finland, tells "Telegraph" readers of Christmas in
the land victimised by Russia.
D
ECEMBER 1 is called "Little Christmas" in Finland and a sort of minor Christmas spirit reigns from that date right through the month, till, when at last the 26th cores, one is tired out by the strain of keeping up, for so long, the festive atmosphere be- coming the season.
Tired out, that is, if one is n foreigner. The Finns, like Ger-
mans and Scandinavians, love
Christmas time so much that it is almost impossible for them to feel that it can be overcelebrat- ed.
SHOULD snow fall in December in Helsingfors, the charm of the scene of the market place can only be described by that hackneyed phrase..."like an
Christmas Programmes Thongkong Telegraph. old-fashioned Christmas card."
From Home
PYE Radios
G.E.C. Radios
A SMALL INEXPENSIVE RADIO
MAKES AN IDEAL X'MAS GIFT ·
Thursday, December 21, 1939, Wyndham St., Hongkong
Telephone: 26616
arfangsklent
The harbour is blotted out by a forest of fir trees that have been brought by sledge and boat to be bought by the towns- people. The stalls are decorated with coloured paper and bunting. Gay balloons hover overhead.
THE brefix "Special to the Telegraph" is used by the "Bangkong Telegraph to Indicate news which is strictly copyright under the provisions of the Telecommunt cauons Urainance, 1936. Such newA AN years the indication "U" received in The sun-though at this time of Itongkang on the date. the United Free Associations, who to
publication by year it climbs scarcely higher rities wholly and for hid repablication than the roofs, of the houses, made more palatable by powdered large parcel akids across the polished its illuminations and decorations are either wholly of in part without previous does not rise till 11 o'clock and cinnamon.
In the dish, however floor, propelled by an unseen hard. stripped off and the family join hands large, is one single almond embedded. It is all most simple and enjoyable. and sing songs of farewell walking sets promptly at 3-glitters dur- whoever is fortunate enough to flod Grown ups and children alike - round and round the hare branches, ing its short workilay, on the that in his helping will be lucky for perience the same thrill and pleasure, rather brown and withered now, Re.. snowy roofs and trees.
a whole year after. The last course Next day, Christmas Day, is spent gretfully, the servants, remove it to. Faces, whipped to red by the cold, consists of special three-cornered jam in church-going and quiet family be burnt, and tien and only then, for smille out of fur caps and collars. The aris of pull, punity.
taris of puff pastry.
gatherings, and it is not until Boxing is the end of the long Christmas sea- NOWADAYS Christmas is
So the shortest, darkest days of the most people merely a holiday, nosy cobbles are stilled by snow, No After dinner, toasts and speeches Day, na we call it, that partles are in son in sight.
sound of traffic, Jors the cars.
comes the great moment of opening full swing.
long, Finnish winter are tided over. not a holy day. The pagan fea- The Jungle of sleigh bells and the the presents. One by one the parcels
☆
After the New Year the days grow hissing rattle of tyre chalus are the from around the tree are given out tures of the festival have become only warnings of its presence in the and everyone watches the lucky re- THE Christmas tree stil retains its longer with such seeing rupidity that the coming of Spring, though. predominant; although, to be sure, streets. Car drivers are never, ex-cipient open R. Not till it has been place of honour in the house, still nearly five months ahead, seems cept in a case of emaigency, allowed admired by all is the next purcel Every night that the family sperads within our grasp, so to speak, and
The Infant
S. MOUTRIE & CO., LTD. or been transferred by the to use their horns in Helsingfors, and bonded over-ss the cojoyment; is at home it is illuminated and gazed the winter days, with their longer
YORK BUILDING
CHATER ROAD.
PHONE 20527.
A WORD
WISE
TO
MEN!
spirit of Christmas charity. The the quiet is restful and pleasant, prolonged for all Sometimes at.. Then, on Twelfth Night, is the hours of grow pleasanter
doar is opened surreptitiously and a centre of the last sad ceremony. All
the nume of
nway
every week.
SONGS THAT HAIL CHRISTMAS
the word
Interesting Facts About Carols
carol signified originally
}
Church has always shown a far- sceing sagacity in acting old pre- VERY family in the town is buy- Christian observances in new anding its Christmas trees. The finer usages. Thus the universal Pobre, people carry theirs
themselves, father carrying the thick- custom of present-giving recalls er end of the trunk, mother and one aspect of the Roman Saturnalia, children, beaming and gleeful, sup- porting the branches. The pavements n riotous week during which all jare a fangle of pedestrians and hort-
zontal-trees. Richer familles-hire-a-WHO-sang-the-first-Christmas--In the eighteenth-century-it became reference was dropped when Mgr... social conventions were relaxed and droshky or sleigh and troop proudly carol? Properly speaking, it was the custom for those men to play Ward, Bishop of Brentwood, proved dlasolved into frivolity. Every off holding an enormous tree upright, sung by the angels whose voices complete tunes on their instruments that the carof was sung in English- citizen then expected to get pre-
over their heads.
alled the inlinight air with music. at Christmas time, and to call at each speaking countries for the Arst time Arrived at home, the fir tree is set when the shepherds arrived at the house on Christmas moming to collect at the Portuguese Embassy Chopel sents from all his friends, and the in a stand in a favoured corner of the stable where lay the new-born King: money and presents from the people. In South Street, Victoria, London. plutocrat's poor clients give gifts room and then decorated. Coloured "Glory to God in the Highest and on
In 1808, when Vincent Novello be- The year 1829, however, saw the candies, silver tinsel tiny witch-balls, earth peace to men of goodwill." establishment of the police force by cane organist there, he found the they could ill afford-more often bright festoons of paper are draped
Peel; thenceforth ordinary individuals care or hynin (at the time Christmas If, however, as it is believed, the played and sang in place of the re-carols were unknown) and ascribed than not, no doubt, in the hopes of over it and sweets and tiny presents
labelled with
the it to the seventeenth century John being remembered in his will. recipient are hung on every twig dance-song, in which the participants dundant watchmen. This was
Reading, of the Chapel Royal. Bigger presents are draped round the moved in unison, while a leader sang origin of the Christmas "waits." Hongkong has supported gener-fout. Then, for the
two or
three the verses and the company Joined Of Portuguese Origin
Wo inust seck juter ously during the past year the days that remain before Christmas in chorus,
Eve, the tree Is gazed uporx. The origin.. various organisations that are
candles are lit, other lights in the Before the establishment of the
extinguished, anıd an outgrowth of the wars on two con-room
watchonen admiring crowd stare at the little police force in Englandi,
for "walts" were employed in every tinents, and there is cause for points of lights till their eyes are eity to guard property. It was their gatisfaction in noting the
tired and strained. What hurt looks duly to sound a hom or ring a bell the foreigner received, if she like me, nouncement earlier this week that turns away to rest her eyes too soon every hour to let the citizens know to say that it was the most precious
all was well. Christmas Day itself is a Sabbath You'll find a bag for her the British War Organisation Fund every need and every now exceeds three lakhs.
At the same time, it is no dis-brief visits to one another, carrying
mas Eve. All day long people pay GRIN AND taste in our great selec-
loyal or unworthy question to usk little presents and admiring their tion. There is every at this Season of Goodwill whether friends decorated trees: Then be
tween three and five o'clock the shape ini
almost every we are not forgetting that charity-Christmas dinner is served on a table material including many also begins at home; that in this decorated with red wooden triple exquisitely worked bags Colony we have several organisa- for evening's oul.
GIVE
HAND BAGS
WHY NOT? Give
Gloves
That Match !
Our clerk will help you
select the pair that best
match the bag you buy.
Such thoughtfulness will
make your gift compléte!:
An-
tions, living by hand-to-mouth even before the war in China and the war in Europe drained much of thoir revenue-n roventio upon whom Life Itself verily depende.
are
to be kept in quiet and seclusion. All; the festivities take place on Christ-
candlesticks.
US, it seems a strange meal, but like ours, it is tended on old traditions handed down from genera- tion to generation. First come? "lut- nale" a sort of lng caught in the summer, dried, and soolted in water two or three days before ecoking: Il Опе such organisation in the is alightly glutinous, and eaten with Society for the Protection of Chil- white sauce. Then a hot delicious dren: We gave publicly to its him, served with prunes, which bring out its favour Wonderfully, French anhunt report a few days ago: noted mustard and boiled potatoes. Next that the income of the familles off a dish of rice, plain, bolled rice, those whom it is supporting is
lowering than at any other period that have been encrificed
in this
in its history: noted further that Colony where one of every three
but for the generosity of an
anonymous contributor, there would infants born dies on the altar of have been a heart-breaking deficit poverty and malnutrition before t
of some Reven or eight hundred dollnra.
attains the age of twelve months- sperifeed for want of the nourish- Ing foods the S.PC is forced so This Secloty cannot distribute sparingly to distribute because of Christmas cheer to the people for lack of funds,
whom it cares, It has, indeed, in-Pirtteutorty at this season, whon
THE WING ON CO., LTD. sufficient revenue to save the lives we commemorate the birth of an
STORE OPEN UNTIL 9 P.M.
of any but the families whose in- Infant, we should remember that come averagos..less than $1.75 por 1 creature comforin are
mouth. It would be impossible to compute the number of infant. Ilves
the S.P.C. has saved with a milk
divina
gifts and should be shared with our less fortunate neighbours.
We should never be permitted to forget the sacred significance of the
and broths during the years of its telivat which comitemiornica tho existence. Even more impossible dust wonderful avont in the world's to compute are the number of vas klitory.
As the leading figure of an exten- Bive musicui circle, Novello was able to popularise the tune in London and That most beautiful carol, the to make it known all over Europe and Adeste Fidelis, which enjoys inter-the States. national and deathless popularity, is Many nire emanated from the everywhere called the "Portuguese" Portuguese Embasey, yet the Adeste hymn. By analogy with the "Sleilian along acquired the appellation "Portu- Mariners' Air" it used to be sufficient guese," Why?
The
truth is, the composer, Marcus song of the Portuguese sailor. This Antonio, hailed from Portugal. Bom In Lisbon in 1762, he completed his japprenticeship in his native city and becane a prominent official of the Opera of Madrid. Here he completed this masterpiece, Speranza, from which the Portuguese national anthem is derived.
BEAR IT
By Lichty
"You don't have to make a sceno-l only called him 'Darling' because I couldn't remember his namo.'
The Adeste, It is thought, WIR written about 1778. The author's intimate connection with various Continental Embassies facilitated the dispersion of the hymn among Latin nations east and west, and via London throughout the rest of the civilised world,
Through carols the Christmas spirit. addan now ecstasy to existence, awakes" to "lito the consciousness of every source of delight no.in: "The Holly and the Ivy":
"The rising of the sun, And the running of the deer, The playing, of the merry organ, Sweet singing in the choir." The chrol dances joyfully through the Christmas, story, Д tong of jubilation; for the tidingi are of com- fort raising hostis spontaneously to halghts where sorrows are forgolten. How Singing Saved a Town
There is a story told of how a carol saved the old town of Eldore. 'It happened on Christmas Eve in days when persecution swept over one- had time Merria England, Ward
Lanatical been received that the Puritans were coming to tear down everything that savoured of the holy sation.
Children ran weeping to the arms of their mothers, all but one little choir boy, who had been so busy with one thing and another that he, did not hear the nows, or if he'. heard, did not comprehend.
An unun, he went to his place in the choir afalls of the old thûrch for thi Christmas carolá pracítco whiche PLEASE Turn To Pago 2.