The Clinton chronicle. (Clinton, S.C.) 1901-current, December 25, 1969, Image 20
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^'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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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(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.
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Citizens Federal Savings
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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.
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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. \