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WY A \ ¥ a RCRA ® WORLD-WIDE, IT'S MERRY CHRISTMAS] Mistletoe, Santa Claus, letters to Santa, Christmas customs galore -- where did they all begin? The customs of Christmas come from many Junds and many eras. They evolve from pagan ceremonies nto Chris- tian rituals. And they stretch from West to East, from North to South, as each country contributes something special and traditional to the celebrations of the holiday. p When seasonal gaiety rings out in Canada, the merriment is echoed in Mexico. When North or South Americans gather for Christmas festivities, the people of Sweden are doing the same -- and so are the el of Holland and France and Italy and Spain and countless other European countries. In the far East, Christian communities spread the customs of Christmas, which mingle with the year-end ceremonies observed by those of other faiths. That the legend and lore of Christmas knows no boundaries is illustrated in the following round-up of Yuletide customs, based on information provided by the editors of the Eneyclo- pedia International. . gun in Austria, where, long ago, it was an Advent tradi- tion for children to write let- ters containing lists of what they'd like to receive on St. Nicholas' Day. In England From the north of England comes the happy custom of the kissing bough. A large hoop, twined with greens, is decorated with apples and candles. 'And in the center there's mistletoe --signal for exchanging kisses. In Italy From Italy comes a most peetic addition to Christmas lore. For three weeks during the Christmas season, chil- dren traditionally go from place to place recitiftg Christ- mas poems. They expect coins in return, to buy holiday goodies. : In Austria Custom of writing letters to Santa Claus may have be- In Sweden An ancient custom that is still observed in some Swed- ish households today is that of "dipping bread into the pot." Each person dips a piece of bread into pork and sausage drippings and eats it for good luck. | In Holland For St. Nicholas season, it's 'Ha Holidays to PPY ) you" -- that's in tune with our wishes. Children's 1 Boutique \ CT { Wishing | i "You Heres a jingle in the air as holiday cheer rings everywhere, A happy season is upon us, bringing joy to one and all. Warmest appreciation! Gordon's Market and STAFF Caesarea Levinson's DRY GOODS Yuletide Customs ~e IME! traditional in Holland to make flat cakes called Klass- jes. Once exclusively made in the form: of the bishop, St Nicholas, Klassjes now take any form of bird, beast or fish. In France At Salers in central France, old-time tradition calls for a King and queen to rule over Christmas festivities. Rulers pay for the privilege, since they are "elected" by bidding at an auction held on the church steps. In Guatemala An ancient custom in Gua- temala is to "light the road to Bethlehem" by placing lanterns in windows and doorways for nine nights be- fore Christmas . Wreaths Got During this holiday season, a wide variety of colorful wreaths deck the doorways of homes in this community. The use of wreaths at holi- day time stems from the cus- toms of Advent season -- the four Sundays before Christ- mas. Traditionally, Advent wreaths are made of ever- greens, trimmed with rib- bons, and hold four candles to be lit during the Sundays of Advent. The wreath, which has no beginning or end, represents eternity, and the evergreens symbolize growth and life, according to the editors of the New Book of Knowledge. Like many other Christian holiday customs, the Advent wreath originated in pagan ceremonies. During the dark days of the winter solstice, the sun- worshippers of northern Eu- rope sought to please their absent god, the sun, and per- suade him to return, by using a wheel trimmed with green- ery. The wreath was made of an actual wheel, taken from a cart and wrapped in greens. Lights, too, were added. Sprea In Pern Toro! In Lima, Peru, Christ - mas day is not exclusively a church holiday, because it also marks the greatest bull- fight of the year. In Costa Rica In the island country of Costa Rica, "portals" are set up in homes. These are elab- orate Nativity scenes some- times filling an entire room In Colombia People parade in masquer- ade on Christmas Eve in Colombia. Each masquerader tries to guess the identity of others. When someone guess- es correctly, he can claim a small gift from the person who was "unmasked." Pagan Start Where Tree Grew The first Christinas tree was a palm from Egypt. Or it was a huge tree in a forest. symbolic of mankind. Or it was the Paradise Tree of medieval miracle plays. Though holiday legend and lore offers many an explana- tion for the origin of the Christmas tree, nobody knows for sure exactly when and where the first decorated tree appeared. PORT PERRY STAR IN FRANCE, TRADVTTON HAS FL THAT shepherds should take their Limbs to church on Christmas day. French shepherd pictured aking pu graph is from the Enevelopedia International, CHRISTMAS EDITION 1973 -- 19 d Around Globe tin a special holiday celebration which has heen a tradition in the town of Baus for more than 10 centuries. Photo- And who cares? It's fun to hear the legends of the past, with all their mystery and magic, but the thing that matters most is that the tra- dition of the tree 1s here, adding joy to Christmas. Wrapping Gifts When German tradition is followed, unwrapping a Christmas gift can bc an amusing but complicated process. One gift may have many consecutive wrappings, each with a different name on 1t, and the final wrapping may reveal not a gift, but a card telling where the gift is hid- A MERRY CHRISTMAS We hope Santa brightens your day as you've brightened our year. Thanks. SWEETMAN'S TAXI den. Other cards in other hiding places lead to a treasure hunt, ending in the discov- ery of the gift. Kissing Under Mistletoe The word "mistletoe" derives from the Anglo-Saxon word "mistleltan." It is a parasitic plant which grows on evergreen trees, with small yellowish-green leaves, yellowish flowers and waxy white, poisonous berries. Under a sprig of mistletoe men are by custom privi- leged to kiss any women standing under it. The man is supposed to first remove one of the berries and pre- sent it to the woman. When all the berries are gone, this Kissing game is over. comes from an early pagan marriage rite. Mistletoe was considered sacred by the Druids in ancient Britain and they performed elaborate cere- monies around it at the winter solstice. Because of these pagan associations, it is seldom used in church decorations. It is thought this custom 3 Wishing a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all Staff of the Community Nursing Home AND To all my Friends.in the Port Perry, Prince Albert and Blackstock Areas. FRED C. MIDDLETON HILLCREST NURSING HOME S------ (ree[ings Good cheer to our wonderful friends and patrons. We've enjoyed being of service. (Zc porarat iar 2 -- CATE Xedos or t a ¥p3