1956-12-24 — Page 10

DEXION SLOTTED ANGLE

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S

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CHINA MAIL

APPROPRIATE

OMEWHERE in the

next world, a

tall,

lean saintly old man la probably sitting and chuckling gently at his legend.

Between latening to the prayera of pawnbrokers, Russians, sailors, merchants and thieves, Nicholas, one- time bishop of Myrn, may well take time out now and then to enjoy his reputation as Santa Claus.

What be thinks of a certain Dr Clement Clarke Moore, the Columbia University professor who set him up as a portly old gent with A white beard. over-large stomach, 4 sleigh and a login of reindeer is an

other matter.

11

sle-

Bul

Nicholas probably sorves the rest of the legend.

Not many sols have survived the destructive rampages of mati since the third century, A.D.. but the fow there are Indicative. Once an impoverished gentte- man of Myra, at hus wits end because ho hnd three dughters and no dowries with which to encourage young men for them. determined to sell them inte:

MONDAY, DECEMBER

1956.

READING

THE STORY OF SANTA CLAUS

By Les Armour

Nicholas busied himself else- where, too.

Once when he was sailing on the Mediterranean, his ship was mised certain destruction menaced by a storm which pro- The bishop took the wheel himself, and steered her to safety, putron saint,

Hence his popularity

ti

The three balls, which are the sign of pawnbrokers the world uvor, are representations of the three balls he gave the girls

to

of Myru-though he may bar bour his private doubls an their appropriateness.

His

ship-steering explutte made him the patron saint of the Russians. His reputation for honesty made hum the patron saint

merchants and,

for obvious reasons, thieves adopted him soon after.

when

It happens, however, that his birthday was December 6-near enough to Christmas in the days before the Afth century, there was no ofelul date for and hear enough, Christmas afterwards, to the old pagan end of the year celebrations to make an integral part of the festivities. it was, however, the Dutch who first connected him BISHOP'S GIFT

with Christmas presents, and the Nicholas, bishops Myra, English Santa

of

Claus is

very slipped by and-so the atory close to the pronunciation of the ques-left them three

for Saint Holden Dutch

Nicholas Snter Klans,

what the official record calls a

lite of shame."

balls in secret. In any case, he left enough canh to find hus- bands fur all of thezza

DI

The starving children of Myru, to, had reason to remember he bishop. Mysterious pockets fund regularly appeared on their doorsteps-und there were ul- ways sweets among them.

Hone's Yearbook for 1820 re- cords with a straight tace that Nicholas was a most pious mon Indeed. "When he was an in- fant at breast, he fasted Wednesdays and Fridaya and sucked but once on each of

those, and that towards even-

Ing."

The effort, of course, WDS probably

connected with the Christianisation of old

pagn Ceremonies,

TONGUE TWISTER

The old Norse and Celtic god Odin was the giver of gifts to mankind, and his official rites coincided with the end of year Ceremonies.

The transition, perhaps, wasn't too hard. on

For, in some of the old poems, Odin 18 called Haikara longue twister whose supposej pronunciation COSTICS close to Santa.

Odin had a long white beard, woro a many-coloured cloak, and rode through the sky on a glant white horse,

With him came a host of elf- like helpers who have become the Christmas elves today- and in some of the Scandinavian countries Odin and his helpers are still a traditional part Christmas.

Odin, too, gave the British Christmus its mistletoe, yule- to and its wassall bowl, all of which were apart of the cult of Tutanes-another Celtic name for Odin.

Now and then he bod evil companion, Lok, with him but the Dutch cleaned up Lok and made him Black Pieter, Santa's negro helper.

used the chimney."

141

his

Odin, of course dropped presents down the chimney-the only feasible thing if you're riding a white

horse

through the sky. And, in Norway, Christ- mas presents are stil strewn in disorder around the hearth,

In Holland, too, St Nicholas

The Dutch took York with them but the English him to New

Puritans put a stop to him as a pagan hangover.

how- Dr Moore, Columbia's Dr ever, remembered all that.

And, one night near Christ- mas, 1825, when his wife hed left him to entertain their nine children, bu Bat down in desperation to write a poem and draw them a picture. The poem began: "Juda the night before

Christmas,

And all through the house Not a creature was stirring

Not even a mouse.

A CLASSIC

It became a classic quite by accident, for Dr Moore, Д modest scholar, never published and the ploture he drew be- came the classic conception Santa Claus.

He

His idea camo simply. had been out delivering Christ- mas presents in a sleigh that afternoon. And the portly old gent with the beard looked rather like-you guessed it, Dr Moore.

So Banta came back ACTOSI the Atlantic,

Ill troubles, of course, weren't over.

Indeed, they are still with

him.

In 1983, he didn't appear ou Spanish Christmas cards because of a press campaign against hia with "deplorable competition our own truly Catholic three wise men from the East,"

of

In Russia, he has been blast- ed as a bourgeois myth from one side as a vulgarisation the patron saint of the nation from the other.

And, in France, some bishops have outlawed him as a pagan,

he's still Mostly, however, going strong.

Though St. Nicholas himself --- and Odin, too if he is watching -must be a little bewildered by some of the variations.

In Switzerland, small children are still frightened of him be- cause his black assistant there, called Schmutzil, is reported to be very terrifying. (In fact, af in getting the children to bed on course, the fear assists parents

Christmas Eve, for Schmutzli cannot touch them asleep.}

if they are

BEELZEBUB

In Belgium, the servant la no but he is the longer black equally terrifying Nicodemus und, in Freiburg, he is Beelze- bub himself.

In Rumania, St. Nicholas atill comes as the tall, lean scholarly men in the robes of the bishop of Myra.

But St. Nicholas himself would be happiest if someone revived the old Elizabethan custom.

Then, P Boy Bishop was elected from among the choir boys and he ruled unquestioned of as Bishop until December 28,

Innocents Day.

才

Give Her a Gift

from

Paquerette's

THE STORE FOR

THOSE WHO

FOR

Metry Chistmas

PORTUGAL

|SPAIN

SHEAFFERS

ADMIRAL SNORKEL PEN

CHRISTMAS

FRANCE

NO!

GERMANY

AP Nawafuatworm)

EVE

Christmas Calendars

THE calendar Christmas Card has rown very popular in recent yoare. But calendars fascinated our ancestors thousands of years ago. Early calendars wern conocered mainly with particular dates, such as feast days and important funu tions. There were also lucky days and unlucky days. At one time, the lucky day, which has now come to be regarded as a red-letter day, was shown in black. The unlucky days were the red oneal these early

Exampice of onlendārs have been dug up in many parts of the work-in Egypt, And tros Cho ruma ut Pompell.

For instance, a very ancient form of calendar was the Clog Amanac, a square stick about eight incors Jong on which were shown Uw bun- days and other fixed holiday. It could either be hung up os used us walking stick! Pompelt boasted a Dice Calendar, made of a large cubo of marble, with the months of the year carved In perpendiculae coumam. Not

very

sullable for hanging-up, perhaps, but no dount vertul on the "ideboard".

The Real Chance

The written calendar does not women to go back tar boyund the yoark of the Christian era. They were produced by munka, and wore fine specunens of penmanship coloured inke. The production of the almanac did not get going until after the Norman Conquest, when there was a full realisation of what could be done in the form of pre- diction. Battering on the super- stations of those days, the compliers of the almanata found plenty of scope for their talent.

Before the invention of printing it was naturally, slow, but scribes Let to make conies from orignal, and large numbers were circulated.

But it was printing which pro- vided the real chance for develop- ins the sunate into a scientifiq coryme of all that was likely (and unlikely to happen in the year following its publication. The first came siỡng in England in 1497, R was called the Shepherd's Kalen- dar, and was translated from the French.

Towards the end of the· Arleenth century almanacs had become fairly common in Europe, while the six- feenth century saw them in general use in England.

HERE'S WHERE CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS

P

ROBABLY because it

COME FROM

By David L. Bowen

America emphasiso to give Bethlehem. In Italy tho dis-

the

bishop in Asia Minor who made a specialty of bringing joy to poor children by secretly leaving them gifts.

Tables Turned

is pretty hard to be against peace and goodwill that Christmas cus- toms are among the most exchangeable commodities the world has ever known. special meaning to their Christ- penser af Christmas toys la Although the United States Special ways of making mes. The big thing for some is good fairy named Befana, who has inherited all of its other a big thing of December 26 the church, for others it's de- legend says was too busy with Christmas customs, with Santa have been passing between coating free, or singing her housework to offer hospitality Claus it has turned the tables carols, or sitting down to tablo to the three kings. She has nations for centuries, each oaning under its load of food, been trying to make up for her

on the Old World. He arrived America with-as befitting o country picking up from its

As the

accompanying map poor judgment ever since, bishop-with the ascetic saintly neighbours what it finds shows, these customs have their The Santa Claus of the north frame ho had been given in

roots somewhere In Europe. Is particularly suited to its

probably the most travelled Europe. The early Dutch Bottlers When

New World WIS of.all

Christmas Agures, although of New York did away with his taste.

robes and settled by the Old, the Christmas he appours under many names bishop's

put some But the course some of observantes went over along from "Julenisse In Denmark to meat on his bones, turning him these customs have taken with grandma's recipe for stew Tore Noel" in France. But into a plump and folly, old elf. down through the ages is a of building a bar.

and Uncle Alfred's special way whatever the name, all theso in that form ho went back good-natured Christmas visitors pcross the Atlantic and displaced Germany can claim credit for stem from St Nicholes, an early the original St Nicholas. For instance, take the heart of

originating ono of the most the festival in all countries the widespread of all customs the celebration of the birth of Christ. lighted Christmas tree. There Since this event took place in is a legend that Martin Luther Judea, you would naturally eX set up the Arst one and decorated pect, the early Christians of the it with burning candles to Eastern Mediterranean to have capture the glittering beauty of started Christinas Itself.

WANT bit surprising.

TO GIVE THE

VERY BEST

She'll love a gift from Paquerette's

because everyone knows the

that we keep the customer in mind, first and

t

Scarcely Noticed

the

a star-filled sky, he saw (one Christmas Eve.

Mistletoe

But that's not the way it hap- Others bealdes Christians have pened, The first followers of had a hand in forming the Christ did not like the idea of modern Christmas, Tho ancient

celebrating birthdays because of pagan tribes of England are

held

the bacchanalian ·

the said to have had a Pharaohs and hangs of that das for mistleton, and the k

kept whenever, they became a

"n after bey were Christianised. older. The wine and

Among the cold Scandinavian girls gave the whole countries, there subject, a bad reputation.

similarity in

:4

Yuletime

So for the first few centuries vances. In Sweden, however, a of Christianity, the anniversary very special thing is made of of Its founder's birth was eating with the dinner table scarcely noticed.

often decorated with a stuffed

foremost. We have a a complete dancing selection of gifts for the woman who not only wants the very best, but deserves the very best! Sec us to-day and let our expert sales staff help you with your gift list!

For Last-minute Shoppers We open till 7 p.m. to-day

ALL GIFTS SPECIALLY WRAPPED READY TO GIVE

Paquerette

16A Des Voeux Road.

By the time Christians began pig's hood holding a bri

bright-red, to realise the value of a spiritual apple in its

mouth observation, of the Christ "Child's

In France heavily Roman In other birth and the first to see this countries with a were those in the West the Catholic heritage, Midnight Mon

date of the

Nativity, was la a' Christerias highlight, Vi This all but lost. It was the Western emphasis on religion in niso shown Christians who, in the fearth in the universal French dovation

after

that the date was right,"

finally decided on

on to the "croche a small minia 25, and succeeded turo of the Nativity, scene. -

in Boing a petion of intermingled sau viracing their Eastern brother and the overtapplag anal curios

Switzerland Das many Christmas This was that frat exchange of ritos. One of the older Christmas customs,

no, most beautiful--is the the Inst. The gentle of village the migration lias bem going on evoy Válats to KORD

Hod, the windows

Moun

The Unipat Stater can beaut

| of a variety of Chelsimba customa unmatched anywhere else in the

LTD. world become had the whole

Durópe to draw on dimring

SIDE GLANCES

By Galbraith