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W4 ■ 'V ■*. w.-- mz ^'4-0—THE CHRONICLE, ainton, S. C., Dec. 25, 1969 CREATIVE WRITING Tlie b«t creative writing is contained in the bits and scraps sent to Santa Claus. It will not win literary award, but it contains the ultimate in excitement, drama and the poetry of the soul. To the writer, Santa Claus is not a red-frocked myth. He is as real and as vital as love, hunger, tears and passion fulfilled. ***¥***¥¥¥¥***¥*#« * ^ * *8 aW • . i * i . Christmas season folklore is fascinating. Whether true or not, there are innumerable tales on traditions of the holiday season. Animals are prominently mentioned in many legends and customs. One Christmas legend tells of the little gray lamb with a longing in its heart to be white. It wandered to the dwelling of the Holy Family, lingering at the door. The Christ Child, seeing the lamb, beckoneS it in. He laid His hand on its head, and it became white as snow. Norwegians, Swedes, and it is believed that on Christmas the Swiss make it a special Eve all animals can speak, point to be extremely friendly In Worcestershire, it was at and hospitable on Christmas, one time the custom to give a both to domestic pets and wild bough of mistletoe to the cow birds. that first bore a calf after New A persistent Christmas Year's Day, to bring good luck legend is that bees hum a to all. carol in honor of the Christ Child. In England, holl The merriest of holidays to you and thanks for your loyal patronage. Robert's Drive-In We Will Be Closed Dec. 24-25 .... Greenwood Highway 833-3583 ***#******#**♦***********#?* In Syria, the youngest Uy is camel which accompanied the placed on the hive to wish the Three Wise Men is called the bees a Merry Christmas. camel of Jesus, and it is this Spaniards are taught to camel which brings gifts to treat cows kindly: they believe children. that cattle breathed upon the In Bohemia a horse is taken Christ Child to keep Him into a river at Christmas and warm. Tradition holds that walked against the current, cows and horses kneel in The rider tosses an apple into adoration at midnight each the stream and if it hits the Christmas Eve. Among the horse it will be stronger during residents of the German Alps the coming year. MM The French have a complicated recipe for Gateau de Riz au Carmel The following is the Americanized version. It uses packaged precook«l rice and will produce a rich, custardy dessert with a glaze of carmdtzed sugar and is a perfect dish for your Christmas entertaining. GATEAU DE RIZ AU CARMEL (rice cake) 1 cup sugar 3 tablespoons water 2 cups milk 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup of water 1/2 cup sugar 11/3 cups packaged pre-cooked rice 3 eggs well beaten 11/2 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups (about) prepared whipped topping, whipped cream or custard sauce Combine the cup of sugar and the 3 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan. Stir over very low heat until sugar dissolves and syrup turns golden brown — about 25 minutes. Brush a thin even coating over the inside of a fluted or smooth-sided 1 1/2-quart mold. Set aside. Com bine milk, 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup of sugar and the salt in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice. Cover and remove from the heat Let stand 10 minutes. (Not all liquid will be absorbed). Combine eggs and vanilla. Gradually add some of the hot rice mixture, sdrring rapidly. Then add the egg mixture remaining in the saucepan. Four into prepared mold. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, or until center of cake is firm. Unmold cake onto a serving plate immediately. Makes 4 cups or 6 servings. Serve warm with topping of your choice. VjTj&A' £ s *»l Sl| . mm § Santa Claus Has Origins In America Hear them? They’re sleigh- bells — and we all know what that means I Santa's here, and with him arrives one of the oldest, happiest, and best loved traditions of the Christmas season. Today, of course, it Just wouldn’t be Christmas with out Santa Claus, but it is interesting to ponder just where the jolly old gent got his start, and It might be sur prising to learn that it was n’t really the North Pole. The name Santa Claus, it self, is an American deriva tion of the name St. Nicho las, an early fourth century bishop in Asia Minor, accord ing to the editors of the En cyclopedia International. Santa was first brought to this country by the early Dutch settlers, who called him Sinlerklaas. These Dutch burghers portrayed him as a merry old man, sometimes even with a wife they called Molly Qrietje. Santa also looked a little different then, and he wore a wide-brimmed black hat, short Dutch breeches, and smoked a long clay pipe. Later, the British brought their own Father Christmas to America — a happy, roly- poly Falstafflan figure. Inevitably, Sinterklaas and Father Christmas became one. Add to this the Norwe gian’s Kriss Kringle, with his sleigh and reinde^f, and the picture is nearly complete. It was finally the task of American artists and writers to create an image of Santa Claus such as we know today Washington Irving, among others, contributed to the concept of Santa as a jolly holiday figure, while Clement Moore, in his famous “Visit from St. Nicholas’* Twas the Night Before Christ mas”) , added to the concept. However, the notion of Santa Claus which really captured the imagination of young and old alike was drawn by the American car toonist Thomas Nast in 1863. Yes, that’s Santa all right, with his fur-trimmed suit, shiny black boots and long white beard Just the way we’ve always known him — or so it seems. How seldom Christmas comes — only once a year; and how soon it is over — a night and a day! If that is the whole of it, it seems not murh more durable than the little toys that one buys on the street comer. They run for an hour, and then the spring breaks, and the legs come off, and nothing remains but a rontnbution to the dust heap Surely that need not and ought not be the whole of Christmas — only a single day of generosity, ransomed from the dull servitude of a selfish year — only a single night of merry making, celebrated in the slave-quarters of a selfish race! If every gift is a token of a personal thought, a friendly feeling, and unselfish interest in the Joys of others, then the thought, the feeling, the interest, may remain long after the gift is forgotten. Merrily, Bells Are Ringing For Holiday Ringing across the ages and around the world, bells are part of the tradi tions of Christmas. Zurich, Switzerland, has long been noted for its beautiful bells, say the ed itors of the New Book of Knowledge. Every Christmas Eve, the Zurich bells ring out loud and clear, calling families to church. This same tradition is repeated in thousands of other cities, where chimes and bells ring out at mid night from the steeples and spires of churches. Bells contribute to the sights as well as the sounds of the holiday sea son. They are a popular decoration and are used as ornaments on trees. Tradition has it that bells inspired Clement C. Moore to write his famous poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” The inspiration came from listening to the merry jingle of bells on his horses’ harness, as he drove along on a frosty winter night. / « (Day the celebration of His Day bring peace to the hearts of people everywhere. Our sincere wishes to you and yours for the Merriest Christmas ever. Grateful thanks for your loyalty and confidence. • *. . ,ij •'* '-V Citizens Federal Savings I | * •a* nd Loan Association Spirit of Christmas Spreads Its Joy By ANNA MANG “Merry Christmas, one and all.” With this simple and sin cere greeting, all the warmth and excitement of Christmas reaches its peak. In this community, as in cities and towns throughout the nation and around the world, days and weeks of list making, gift-shopping, home decorating, party-planning and Christmas-program-re- hearsing are reaching a hap py culmination. Families gather, Santa en ters, church bells ring. Christmas arrives! Every year, Christmas seems to generate more eager anticipation, here and every where, with earlier and more enthusiastic planning — ap propriately, for part of the spirit and the joy of Christ mas is in the planning. The spirit of Christmas starts with thoughtfulness. It begins In the hearts of each of us. It grows with a hope, a wish, a prayer It shows itself, outwardly, in such manifestations as merry songs and bountiful gifts, and in the festive dec orations and glowing lights now adorning local streets and stores, homes and churches. It expresses itself, most deeply, in private devotions and in special services such as those scheduled by local churches. It is a spirit abounding in legend and lore, in customs and traditions honored through the years. And most of all, it is the spirit of rev erence and joy that shep herds and wise men knew. To capture that spirit is to keep Christmas truly and well, for it enriches all the things this wonderful season stands for. For Children Christmas is for children. Candies and cookies and all those holiday goodies, trees gaily adorned and brightly lighted, Santa’s pack stuffed with surprises — all these things are planned and pre pared just for the children. Or at least, so the grown ups say, and who’s to doubt them? In a still more special way, Christmas is for children. The manger scene in homes and churches ever reminds us that the Child born in Bethlehem was He who later said, "Suffer little children to come unto me.” For Rejoicing Christmas is for rejoicing. Since first the herald angels sang, this rejoicing has most often found expression in music and song "Glory to God in the high est, and on earth peace, good will toward men,” the angels sang. Now as in earliest times, the spirit of joy and wonder echoes ahew in the hymns and carols of Christmas. For Giving Christmas is for giving. The eagerness of children waiting for Santa, the ex cited plotting and planning that goes into the choosing and wrapping of gifts, the packages heaped beneath the tree happily symbolize the spirit of Christmas. Even as the Wise Men gave of their most precious treas ures, to honor Him, so people give generously at Christ mas, and true generosity stems from thoughtfulness — giving with open heart as well as open hand. For Sharing Christmas is for sharing Thus giving to the less for tunate is a traditional part of the Christmas spirit. Joy grows through shar ing, says the holiday mes sage, and sharing is most blessed when it extends not only to those near and dear but to those known only through their need. For Greetings Christmas continues as it begins, with “Merry Christ mas, one and all.” And as long as the spirit of this cheerful greeting prevails, Christmas never really ends Yes, Christmas is for greet ings, to family, friends and neighbors. "Merry Christ mas, one and all,” we say, and the spirit of Christmas lives forever in the words. In just this spirit, today's edition of this newspaper is one big Christmas card, filled with greetings from the busi ness firms of the community, who take the opportunity to say, “Merry Christmas, one and all,” with special thanks to their patrons and friends ROLS LOOK IN On Christmas Eve in Melbourne, Australia, a vast crowd assembles to sing the season’s favorite carols. In recent years over 300,000 have been on hand. This "Carols By Candle light” festival is the world’s largest Christmas carol "sifiR”. / It is a delightful spectacle, for every vtogfcr Carries a lighted candle. Picture those tiny lights glowing In the darkness Vmile that vast chorus rises to the stars. It is one of Yule’s most thrilling presentations. Everybody comes, regardless of race, religion, or social position; every singer has a candle to show against the darkness. For such a large gathering, there have to be business like preparations. Candles and candleholders are ordered as early as March, to make sure the supply will not give out the last minute. Of late years this Yule event has been tied in with an appeal in behalf of sick and disabled youngsters. The response has become very generous. A staff of very many people handle all the detaUs of the "Carols By Candlelight" program. Christmas Shoppers who went over board on gifts last year and want to cut down on expenses can find some anstvers at their local 5 and 10 cent store. For less than $5 you can come across scores of little items that could be ideal pre sents The notions counter of department stores are another source of gift possibilities For Dad you can get an imitation — leather tobacco terry-cloth aprons, dish towel ana potholder or an attractive metal recipe box. These items range from 69 cents to S3. For teen age girls there are such things as bobby-pin boxes, hair teasing brushes, nail polish, lipstick, hair ribbons and bows and head bands. You’ll see manu suitable gifts, just look around How about the miniature scale cars and model trucks or one of many games for the boys on your list? There are counters full of things for babies, for little girls and even for the family pet Everyone needs a Christmas stocking. Sotakeafew minutes now to make gay ones for every member of the family, using a fascinating new gadget to attach imaginative trims instantly. A new button attacher, about the size and shape of a foun tain pen, is equipped with a needle-pointed eodjwhich inserts a plastic thread through holes in buttons to.atiach the button securely and permanently to any material, it can also attach sequins, felt cut-outs in holiday motifs, bows and ribbons, names and numbers in far less time than a needle and thread would require. To make the stockings, cut stocking shapes from red felt — bigger shapes for Mom and Dad, smaller for the children. Cut felt cuffs to fit. Using the Buttoner attach decorations to stockings. The buttons hold cut-outs in place. Use button attacher to apply gold braid, rickrack, sequins and names to felt tops. Then, with the right sides together, join stocking sections. Sew felt tops to stockings so they will form a cuff when turned. Turn right side out, hang on mantel, and wait for Santa. Christmas And Bells Many poet and musicians have been inspired to write music and verses concerning bells, and bells have been associated with religion for centuries. John Plerpont, a lawyer who was not happy practic ing law, became a clergy man and wrote verses to "Jingle BeHs" in about 1857. He called it "The One Horse Open Sleigh", and it is sung all over the world at Christmastime. Look For Safety When buying toys, look for safety and quality. These are the two biggest things, not just the price. Make sure toys are flame proof, free of sharp edges and sturdy. Don’t be one to waste money on junk toys. Wise family Santas can make Christmas a happy one for youngsters by pro viding durable, bright, and creative toys. . x _ V eer We hope lota of good cheer will be coming your way during the holiday season . and may we say "thank you" for your patronage if. \