The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, December 24, 1948, Image 11
FRIDAY. DECEMBER 24, 1948
America’s first Christmas was
celebrated by Christopher Colum
bus. It happened on Christmas eve
of the memorable year 1492.
Columbus was planning to observe
the Feast of the Nativity with the
Indian chieftain, Guacanagari, who
ruled over the island of Haiti. Al-
' ready he had received fine presents
from the chief who he believed to
be great Khan of Cipagno, that
fabulous realm of the Orient Colum
bus mistakenly thought he had
found.
But Columbus’ plans, went wrong.
He was so tired from long watches
while the Santa Maria cruised the
island channels that he retired to
his cabin for a nap. While he was
sleeping, the next in command also
decided to take a rest and went be
low. The helmsman, as tired as the
others, decided that he deserved a
rest as much as they and turned the
tiller over to a cabin boy.
Abandon Ship.
The worst happened. Within a
few minutes the Santa Maria was
fast on a reef. The rolling surf
drove the ship higher and higher
upon the reef and opened her seams.
Soon she fell over on her side and
the water poured into her hull. Co
lumbus and the crew were forced to
seek refuge on his other ship, the
Nina.
Early next morning Columbus
sent word of the wreck to Chief
Guacanagari. Promptly the chief
sent a message to Columbus assur
ing him that he would give him all
the assistance possible.
The noble chieftain was better
than his word. He assembled a
great flotilla of canoes and des
patched them to the Santa Maria to
bring all its valuables ashore. Amid
the cargo the natives saw many
things that made their eyes open
wide with envy. Yet so strong was
their friendship for the white men
and so careful Guacanagari's su
pervision that not a single article
was stolen.
Christmas Banquet.
After the last article had been
brought ashore, Guacanagari had
another plan. His guests had missed
Christmas, but there was no reason
why Columbus and the men should
not enjoy the finest banquet he and
his followers could provide.
There was game from the woods,
lobster and fish from the sea; and
all sorts of tropical fruits and vege
tables. A thousand natives danced
in Columbus' honor after the feast
ing and the climax of the cere
monies came when the chief brought
out a coronet of gold and placed it
upon Columbus’ head. There were
also presents of gold for the crew.
In the Journal which he was keep
ing for Ferdinand and Isabella, Co
lumbus wrote: “These people love
their neighbors as themselves; their
discourse is ever sweet and gentle,
and accompanied by a smile. I
swear to your majesties, there is
not in the world a better nation or
land.’’
THE NEWBERRY SUN
Christmas Music
By Bach, Handel
For a great many people the mu
sic of Bach and Handel make diffi
cult listening — until Christmas
comes around. Then, suddenly, ev
erybody starts singing and humming
tunes by the two old masters.
The reason for this is that both
Bach and Handel were church mu
sicians. One of their tasks was to
compose songs for church congrega
tions to sing. They proved them
selves masters of beautiful, easily
followed melodies in their Christmas
music. Our most famous Christmas
oratories and carols came from
Bach and Handel.
“How Brightly Beams the Morn
ing Star” was composed by Bach
and his “Christmas Oratorio” con
tains the themes of several other
popular chorales.
In almost every town and village
in America this Christmas a church
choir will render at least a portion
of George Frederick Handel's the
“Messiah.” When carolers sing
“Joy to the World” they’ll be sing
ing part of the "Messiah” too, for
that carol comes from themes found
in the great oratorio. Handel also
composed the musical theme of
“While Shepherds Watched Their
Flocks.”
It is a strange fact, but both Bach
and Handel were bom in 1685. lived
for many years within thirty miles
of each other, and never met. Yet
today, the Christmas music they
wrote is sung by men, women and
children in countless churches of
many faiths all over the world.
Secret Gifts Left
By St. Nicholas
The story of how St. Nicholas be
came associated with secret gift
giving, and even today comes co
vertly at night to leave his pres
ents, is one of the most important
in the history of his life.
Once upon a time there was a
man with three daughters, all of
them wishing to marry, but with no
dowry forthcoming. Sorry, indeed,
was their plight. Their father had
about decided to sell them as slaves,
but the good St. Nicholas heard of
it, and filling a purse with gold,
went quietly by night to their home.
Seeing a window open, he threw in
the bag of gold and then stole away
in the night. This money enabled
the eldest daughter to marry. A
second and a third time St. Nich
olas made the trip and finally all
three daughters were married.
After the saint’s third trip, the
girls’ father, who had been watch
ing to see who brought the gifts,
ran after St. Nicholas and thanked
him for his kindness. St. Nicholas
made him promise not to divulge
his gift-giving and after that he al
ways deposited his presents so se
cretly that no one ever saw him.
Yet people knew, somehow, that it
was he who brought gifts during the
night, and so whenever they found
j a package mysteriously delivered
I they instantly exclaimed, “St. Nich-
| olas has brought UI”
Pagan Rites Basis
Of Many Customs
Strange as it may seem, most
American Christmas customs stem
largely from Pagan rites practiced
long before the birth of Christ.
The custom of exchanging gifts
is one of the few that springs from
the Christian era. Christmas can
dles, bonfires and Yule logs arise
from the heathen festivals observ
ing the winter solstice, Decemi it
21, when the days begin to lengthen.
That was a time of great rejoicing
for ancient sun worshippers who
built bonfires to give strength to the
‘winter sun-god.”
Pre-Christian Romans ornamented
their homes with green boughs •'nd
flowers for the Feast of Saturnalia
which began December 19. Druids
gathered mistletoe for that season,
while ancient Saxons used holly,
ivy and bay. Modem mistletoe and
holly wreaths come from those peo
ples.
Christmas trees, too, spring from
the ancient German days when Ger
manic tribes made sacrifices to the
sacred oak tree of Odin. When the
missionary St. Boniface traveled to
Germany in the Eighth Century and
saw these celebrations he persuaded
the natives to substitute a fir tree
for the oak and to adorn it in a
tribute to the Christ Child.
During the Middle Ages the entire
Christmas season was celebrated in
equal fervor with that now shown on
Christmas day. In some lands the
celebration lasted from December
24 to January 6—Twelfth Night—
and in others from December 21 to
February 2. By the year 1644,
Christmas in England had become
such a wild orgy that the Puritans
forbade its celebration by law.
I
Much Family Fun
In Group Games
“Make it a real family Christmas
this year by having Santa pack a
few hobby supplies or games into
his pack that the whole family can
enjoy together.” This suggestion
comes from E. H. Regnier, a recre
ation specialist at the University of
Illinois.
There are many hobbies that can
help build companionship between
parents and children. Mothers and
daughters like jewelry construction
and tapestry weaving. Dad and
Junior go in for model-making—air
planes, boats, trains and other
items of special interest to the male
population.
Everyone enjoys operating a
printing press. Small presses turn
out newspapers that have a real
professional look. Shellcraft and
woodburning are hobbies that pro
duce genuinely useful articles. For
family fun, rubber-tipped darts, in
door plastic horseshoes and marble
games are excellent.
“Christmas is a time of "togeth
erness,” says Regnier. “Let’s cap
italize on the situation by starting
a game or hobby that will encour
age the same type companion
ship the year around.”
Santa Pictured
By Thomas Nast
Thomas Nast, the famous car
toonist who created our conception
of Uncle Sam, the Republican ele
phant and the Democratic donkey,
is also credited with giving Amer
ica its first modern pictorialization
of Santa Claus.
Nast first sketched his notion of
Santa Claus in 1873. This Santa was
a rollicking, chubby old man smok
ing a pipe and dressed in what
looked like a night shirt with fur
collar a.:d cults. Since that day he
has grown taller and rounder, has
developed a full white beard and
mustache and has acquired the tra
ditional red suit bordered in ermine.