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WHITE3Y FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, DECEMI3ER 23, 1987, PAGE 7 PAGE SEVEN Valntne'Dy nd aser reao. YAneso ThPrstmsofsCarlot me Chrstmas Dyis ure syrnboi u e t lofearinof symollsm itowsreaut th ave ntea d f th Chrtristmshereamlotmrn e dee philosophical origins of the festival, we have plastic flowers, holly and trees replaclng the real thing. The -mistletoe is plastic (have you lever even seen real nlstletoe - it doesn't look nearly as real as the fake stuff). Even -the beils whlch are s0 closely associated with Christmas no longer exlst - Most churches have discovered that canneci music is cheaper andL a lot louder. Iwould be a cliche to talk of the religlous importance of Christmas because to most people today the religiaus aspects of Christmas are only a backdrop, an excuse for a celebration. When __ _ _ _~ pressed, leven the church will admit that most Christmas traditions are pagan in origin and predate the birth of Christ by milennia. Even the blrthdate of Christ is flot flxed wlth any oertalnty. The wceks leading up to Christmas have in many ways become the antithesis of the symrbolism af the season. The poor mother Mary riding a donkey to Bethlehem and laying her child in the manger of a stable bears fia relation 'ta thc jangling cash registers of the peak retail perlod of the year. Yet we convince ourselves that withaut ail those purchases we wouldn't bc able to celebrate the gifts of the Magi and the shepherds ta Uic baby Jesus. Instcad of cclcbrating the seffless4 unsolicited gifts ta aur Lord, wc encourage children ta ask for gifts fram a j olly aid ecf w~hose name, but littie cisc, originates from a saint. It is 4 . e, nat that many years ago that most gifts were handmade and carried a message of personal warmth anid affection. Stare-bought things xvere rare and very special because of the expense. One of the mast cherished features af the Christmas season is Uic music, yet even it has last Most of its spantaneity. Musak blares it at us in shopping mails and street corners ta add ta the spirit of spendlng. And the traditional carols play secornd fliddle to more upbeat rhythms. CHRISTMAS WINDOW DISPLAY AT IIERB WILSON'S MEAT MARKET, 1952 feeling cach othcr's laneliness and desperatian, ove Hghay 01laes and celcbrating their comman humanity, only ta The cost of widening Dundas to four lanes from Brock te Anderson will be $450,000 resume shoating at each other thc ncxt day. including replacement of the CPR subway. But for ail Uic paradoxes, for anc day, wecoelcbrate 100 YEARS AGO the peace, thc jaoy of giving, and Uiecocmpany of from the Friday, December 23, 1887 edition of the close frlends and relatives, nat because of its WHITBY CHRONICLE reigiaus significance but because. Uroughout 9 Five men arrested. in connection with the shooting at Myrtie Station on Dec. 14 have hlstory. man has felt a necd ta set aside anc very been released on bail of $800 each. specal ay wen ll te bstl, th riahie, te 6A Christmas party was held at the old Hamer's Corners School on Anderson Street on specal ay henail he uste, ic rvaiies Ui Iiecember 20. pettincss, the commnercialism, Uic tension, and & One of the teachers receiving his profession certificate at Whitby Model School is Thomas even Uic killing can stop. Na other day is quite lie Hamer Greenwood, the future Viscount Greenwood. Christmas. ______________________________