The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, December 28, 1951, Image 14
TBS NEWBERRY SUN
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1981
- -
through >4|
the years
I T’S LITTLE WONDER that Saint
Nick is especially generous to the
American people. History proves
that the Americans have done a
lot for Saint Nick!
They have given him a new
name, a new face and figure, and
a new means of transportation.
The original European version
of Saint Nick pictured him as a
tall angular man who rode on a
bony gray mare. Both the horse
and Saint Nick looked as if they
hadn’t had a good meal in some
time.
The early English settlers in
this country started giving Saint
Nicholas his “New Look.” The Eng
lish children adopted the legendary
Christmas figure from the Dutch,
but the English children had trou
ble pronouncing “Saint Nickolous.”
Somehow the name changed to
“Santa Kalouf,” and finally it was
corrupted to “Santa Claus.”
However, this was only the be
ginning. In 1809 Washington Irving,
in his “Knickerbocker’s History of
New York,” wrote of the Saint as
the guardian of New York City.
Irving described Saint Nick as a
jolly fellow with a broad-brimmed
hat and huge breeches. He taught
Saint Nick to smoke a long pipe,
and, in the story, replaced his
shuffling hay-burner with a trim
wagon.
A short time later, Saint Nicholas’
transportation was aided by
Clement Moore in his famous poem,
“The Visit from Saint Nicholas,”
written in 1882. Moore, a professor
of divinity in a New York theolog
ical seminary, gave Saint Nick a
sleigh, twinkling eyes, cheeks like
roses, nose like a cherry, and a
round little belly.
Today’s Santa Claus is by no
means streamlined, but he is a
far cry from the lean, ascetic, som
berly dressed fellow who, for cen
turies, on Christmas Eve, guided
his mare through the streets of
Europe.
Cedars of jCeL anon
Weft Protect'd
d3y. I/Qetiyiony cjCaiv
On a shelf-like plateau, 600 feet
above the Mediterranean, the
world’s oldest Christmas trees stand
where they have stood for centuries.
The cedars of Lebanon, 400 of
them, are protected by religion and
law from harm at the. hands of
either the Moslems or the Maronite
Christians.
The magnificent trees “that sing
of the nativity” were venerated as
monarchs among trees long before
Judah had her first king. Some of
them have a girth of 40 feet and a
branch circumference of 800.
In the days of the conquerors
thousands of conscripted Hebrew
workers were sent into the Leba-
nons to take to Jerusalem “cedar
trees without number”; the result of
one of the first building contracts,
between Hiram of Phoenecia and
King Solomon.
Today, however, the trees sure pro
tected by law and the department
of agriculture of the government
sponsors the planting of seedlings,
so that the giant cedars will grow
forever.
St. Francis Made
First Crib in Cave
St. Francis of Assisi is believed
to have originated the custom of
displaying the Christ Child in a
crib at Christmas time.
He is reported once to have said
to one of his followers: *T wish to
celebrate holy Christmas night with
you. In the woods near the clois
ter you will find a cave where we
shall arrange a manger filled with
hay. We shall have an ox and an
ass just as at Bethlehem. I wish
to see how poor and miserable the
Infant Saviour became for us.
So at midnight, in the small Ital
ian village of Garcia, in the year
1200, St. Francis and his followers
celebrated mass at the cave and
sang hymns in honor of the Christ'
Child.
JUttfo
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Santa’s little helper came down
to us from Scandanavia.
Many years before Leif Eriksen
touched American shores, the chil
dren of the North believed that a
little elf with long white whiskers
—Jul Tom ten—saw that the earth
was abundant with good food and
that the animals and birds were
taken care of.
After the pagan Vikings were
Christianized, little Jul became the
giver of presents—just as Santa to
day. It became a custom for chil
dren to leave a bowl of porridge on
the kitchen table for the little elf,
who would leave presents in ex
change.
Travelers picked up the legend of
Jul Tomten and carried it around
the world. To us, he is the busy,
jolly, good little elf who works
happily in Santa’s workshop.
Most Beloved Carol
Of all the songs that return to
bring warmth to the Yuletide sea
son, no carol is so universally
known as “Silent Night.” Certain
ly no other is as loved and sung
as this simple German song.
For years its origin was unknown,
except that it supposedly dated back
for many centuries. Recent investi
gations, however, disclosed that it
was produced in 1818. The poem
was originally written by Joseph
Mohr, an assistant priest in Obern-
dorf in South Germany. The melody
was composed by a schoolmaster,
Franz Gruber.
Both the poet and the composer
were part of the choir that sang
the now famous carol that Christ
mas Eve in the Oberndorf church.
The beloved song was sung first
to the accompaniment of a guitar,
for the church organ was out of
order that Eve in 1818.
It has since been sung to the
tune of almost every musical in
strument in the world, in the lan
guages of many men.
Plum Pudding Came Far
Since Ancient Origin
Plum pudding—the ancient Eng
lish delicacy traditionally served
with Christmas feasts—has come a
long way since it entered the culi
nary lists hundreds of years ago as
Yule-doi’gh.
Yule-dough was composed of
chopped meat paste, spices, to sym
bolize the gifts of the Magi, and
flour, regarded as embodying the
spirit Immanent in the wheat.
<sw*e.
• •
• •
• •
All over this great nation of
ours, millions of Americans
are laying aside their cares and
problems to wish their neigh-
bors a Merry Christmas. It's
a glorious custom which we
enjoy., K: i!i "'
.
At this merry season we ex
tend our thanks to you for your
patronage and wish you a
Joyful Christmas
1508 College Street
Newberry
YUl
GREE
With the splendid
the harmonious associations we
with our many good friends in this area
during the past, we eagerly look
forward to a continuance of than in
the future.
We sincerely hope that these friendship*
have been as pleasant to you as they
have been to ns.
V-
May this be your happiest Christmas
and may the New Year bring you same
new joy each day.
AN AC 2- OLD STORY RETOLD
. .. “She brought forth her first
born Son, and wrapped him In
swaddling clothes, and laid Him
in a manger.”
NEWBERRY MILLS, Inc.
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