The Clinton chronicle. (Clinton, S.C.) 1901-current, December 23, 1970, Image 18
L'
4-C—THE CHRONICLE, Clinton, S. C., Dec. 23, 1970
Greena >nd Garlands
The use of greens and garlands
to decorate for a festive season
goes back a thousand years be
fore the birth of Christ. It began
with the ancient Egyptians
Traditions of pagan festivals
were later merged with the cele-
hpmmbooopbqbooooopooooopooooooqbmmwmhb
bration of Christmas, and ever
greens, because they stay green
throughout the year. This came
to be regarded as the Christmas
symbol of eternal life.
Santa’s White Beard, Red Suit Come from Cartoonist
Who gave Santa his red
suit, broad girth, white beard
ruddy cheeks and nose, fur-
trimmed hat and coat?
Surprisingly enough, the
donor was a political car
toonist.
The artist’s name was
Thomas Nast, cartoonist for
Harper’s Illustrated Weekly,
who also created the now-
famous symbols of the Re
publican elephant and the
Democratic donkey.
The figure of Santa that
Nast drew in 1863, and per
haps earlier, has proved to be
the definitive one, and even
today the figure as drawn by
Nast appears occasionally on
Christmas greetings.
“Nast’s image of Santa was
extraordinary,” says Mrs.
Jeannette Lee, director of
design at Hallmark.
“He gave Santa many of
the qualities that have en
deared him to children ever
since, and we wouldn’t dream
of tampering very much with
them today.”
Nast first credited Santa
with keeping books on good
and bad children, having a
Christmas toy workshop and
reading letters sent to him
by children.
Perhaps it was the now-
famous poem, “A Visit from
St. Nicholas,” by Dr. Clement
May the peaceful spirit
of the Christmas Season fill our hearts with
brotherhood and good will. It gives us deep pleasure
to extend fondest wishes for Happy Holidays to all!
T. L JONES s SONS
Clarke Moore, that inspired
Nast’s illustration of Santa.
In this children’s classic of
1823, the right jolly old elf,
who looked like a peddler
with a pack on his back, was
first described in print.
Nast followed Dr. Moore’s
description of Santa in sev
eral particulars, but many of
his concepts were original.
At the time of Nast’s Santa
Claus drawings the nation
was at Civil War, and fam
ilies were separated. In a
note to cheer both soldiers
and their waiting families
Nast drew “Santa Claus in
Camp,” for Harper’s Weekly.
This earliest Santa was
different from any artist’s
creations up till then. He was
shown wearing stars and
stripes of the Union and dis
tributing gifts to soldiers.
Actually, this Santa might
have been meant as a repre
sentation of Uncle Sam also.
A later, equally moving
Nast illustration featured a
soldier's Christmas home
coming.
Born in 1840 in the tiny
hamlet of Landau, Bavaria,
Nast probably pictured Santa
as the long-imagined Saint
Nicholas of his childhood.
Albert Bigelow Paine, a
friend and admirer of Nast,
said the artist often revealed
to him his love of the Santa
illustrations. He later wrote
in his biography of the car
toonist:
“His own childhood in far-
off Bavaria has been meas
ured by the yearly visits of
... St. Nicholas . . . and the
girlhood of the woman who
was to become his wife
(Sarah Edwards of New York)
was intimately associated
with brilliant and joyous
celebrations.
“Nast’s children later re
called there was always a
multitude of paper dolls —
marvelously big and elabo
rate, a race long since be
come extinct.
“And these the artistic
father — more than half a
child himself at the Christ
mas season — arranged in
processions and cavalcades,
gay pageants that marched
in and about those larger
presents that could not be
crowded into the row of
stockings that hung by the
family fireplace.
“It was a time of splendor
and rejoicing — the festive
blossoming of the winter sea
son— and it was a beautiful
and sturdy family that made
Merry Christmas riot in the
spacious New York home.”
In Nast’s day, the idea of
some sort of Santa was not
new to this country. He was
introduced to North America
by the early Dutch settlers
and his name was St. Nicho
las. The annual visit of this
kind man, who was thought
to have been a fourth-cen
tury bishop, was his feast
day, December 6th.
By 1809, Washington Irving
was describing Santa as a
small Dutch citizen who
looked much like Father
Knickerbocker. Irving won
dered how the poor old man
could get to all the homes
in a growing America on his
horse, so he invented the fa
mous reindeer-drawn sleigh
Lively Party Ideas
The magical season of
Christmas is here.
Our best wishes to all.
Christmas gatherings just
naturally turn into parties
friends and relatives drop in
with holiday greetings, and
all of a sudden it’s a party!
Party games designed spe
cially for the season can spur
on the fun.
For groups large or small,
parties planned or impromp
tu, the following entertain
ing ideas are suggested
One way to "break the ice,"
especially when all of the
guests are not well acquaint
ed with each other, is to play
a guessing game. A Christ
mas Personality game can be
played by pinning a name
such as “Rudolph,” “Santa"
or “Christmas Angel” on the
backs of several guests Then
each tries to guess his name
by hints others give.
Another way to start a
party is to start the guests
out thinking! Have a little
contest and see who can
spell the most words with the
letters in "Chrismas."
Musical (land) (lane
A lively combination ver
sion of Musical Chairs and
Hot Potato makes use of
some unbreakable symbol of
Christmas festivities a
small package, one of the
sturdier tree ornaments, a
big candy cane.
One person who is not play
ing puts on a Christmas rec
ord. Everyone sits in a close
circle and passes the object
around. When the music sud
denly stops, the person who
has the object in his hand is
out. This continues until the
circle is reduced to one — the
winner!
Pin the Star
Children never tire of ex
citing party games, while the
adults may need a rest. One
game that is loads of fun for
kids to play and adults to
watch is a seasonal version
of “Pin the Tail on the Don
key." This one is “Pin the
Star on the Christmas Tree "
It's easy to cut a large
shape of a Christmas Tree
out of green construction
paper and tape it to a wall
or door, making sure it is low
enough for the littlest guest
to reach the top
Each child gets a paper
star with tape on the back
and takes his turn being
blindfolded and spun around
The one who can place his
star closest to the top of the
tree wins
HF.I.I.O, I I I I I f ONE” W V's HUE KOIt thi. fumed driving
of SiiiiIh, li\ I liom.i- Nii-1 from llarprr'* W eeA/y. Na»l, ;i noled
I Oil, eeiilur> polilieal eiirlooni-t, v*.i» (lie lir«l lo illii-lrale Suntii
;i- a bearded, red-no-ed joll\ old man v»lio«e rotund lictire »*u»
elollied in a fiir-lrimmed red -nil. aeeording lo re«e.irelier« for
Ha llmark.
Prepare An Inviting Holiday Tray
An inviting Christmas touch is to have a hospitality tray for
everyone to help themselves It makes .t easy for you to offer a
gift to everyone who comes to visit during the holidays, from the
paper hov to a delivery man to the children next door Set it near
the front door in a fover or in the living room
For festive trav gifts mt nvlon net. in your favorite color, or
an assortment of Christmas colors., into 4 inch squares. Put nut
and candies that keep well in the center Gather up the corners
and tie with gold or silver cord Put these packets on a large tray
They art decorative and inviting
Pes-er! trays are the good answer for buffet parties Take a
platter your largest i (enter it with a gingerbread man and sur
round him with an as-rntment of surprises and sweets - hard and
soft candies, nuts, fruit and petits fours, ('hrismas cookies, small
small pastries The secret liev in having such a lavish display of
goodies that even after people have helped themselves once, the
trav still looks full
( liri>lniu> Tmt
A Christmas Tree
that everyone can play is
guessing game. In "Christ
mas Tree" the person who is
"if leaves the room while
the other players decide
a secret word It must be
verb, or a word showing ac
tion, such as run, eat or swim
When “if comes back
tries to guess the word
asking questions using
' Christmas Tree" in place
the word. He may ask,
children Christmas Tree 0 ’
game
a
on
a
he
bv
of
Do
*
if ^
Over the fields and through the
snow-covered countryside go our warmest
Christmas wishes. In this tradition, we greet
our friends and customers, with hopes for your holiday
happiness, and with genuine appreciation for your good will.
Laurens,
LAURENS ELECTRIC
COOPERATIVE, INC
spirit of
Christmas is in the
air, ringing
out joy and good
will. We take
this time to extend
to all greetings and thanks.
DEES OIL CO.
Maim Street
883-0776