The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, December 21, 1967, Image 41
The Newberry Sun, Newberry, S. C., Thursday, December 20, 1967—SEC. C — PAGE 5
HOC-
where a church was build for
him in 1087.
Bom in southern Turkey, of
wealthy Greek parents, Nicho
las joined the church and be
came bishop of Myra. It is said
that he went on a pilgrimage
to Jerusalem and was there im
prisoned by Emperor Diocle
tian for his faith. Later released
by the Christian Emperor Con
stantine, he returned to Myra,
where he died on December 6,
342.
MUSIC LOVERS ... A performance at Lincoln Center’s
Metropolitan Opera House draws throngs of New Yorkers
and visitors during the city’s glittering holiday season. Face
of the New York State Theatre is visible. Philharmonic Hall
at right.
Gatlinburg's Nativity Scene
Christmas every day of the year is the dream of many
youngsters. And there is at least one place in the nation —
Gatlinburg, Tennessee — where the spirit of Christmas, as
represented by what has been called the world’s most realistic
Nativity scene, is experienced by hundreds of thousands of
people, not just in December, but all through the year.
This famous scene is part
of Gatlinburg’s Christus Gar
dens, and it is unique in many
ways. Portraying the First
Christmas with startling real
ism, the life-sized, three-dimen
sional representation sets the
mood for an entire tour which
visitors may take through a
series of important scenes from
the life of Christ.
Ronald S. Ligon, director
of Christus Gardens, which is
non-denominational, explains
that the appeal of the Nativity
scene is demonstrated by the
fact that while visitors to the
gardens are relatively few dur
ing the month of December,
there is always a substantial
increase during Christmas
week.
The scene, he points out,
was designed to portray the
biblical story of the First
Christmas in the way most
familiar to all, and consequent
ly it has a few intentional in
consistencies. Joseph and Mary
are shown at the manger, while
four shepherds and three wise
men stand and kneel nearby
in the stable area.
Three sheep — real ones,
incidentally, mounted by a tax
idermist — stand nearby, and
a tiny lamb lies next to the
manger. Real straw covers the
floor, real wooden beams form
the roof structure and claytype
walls carry through the realism
of the setting.
The staffs in the hands of
the shepherds are actual shep
herds’ crooks. Bluish light pre-
dominates, and rays from
above shine through a window
down upon the manger, as if
from the Star in the Fast.
Hanging over the side of the
manger is a garment represent
ing the swaddling clothes in
which the baby Jesus was
wrapped. Mary is garbed in
the traditional blue.
Technically, Mr. Ligon ex
plains, the wise men from the
Fast would not have reached
Bethlehem soon enough to be
included in the Christmas
scene, but the familiar portray
al shows the three there, with
gifts of gold, myrrh and frank-
incense. Their presence, he
said, is illustrative of the sacri
fice each has made to give up
his worldly possessions and
travel a great distance to wor
ship the new King.
The shepherds, in fields
closer to Bethlehem, made
what was for them an equally
great sacrifice in leaving their
flocks to go to the stable where
Christ was born. The four fig
ures in the scene represent all
the shepherds who may have
made this journey.
Mr. Ligon points out that
an excellent indication of the
success of this representation
of the Nativity is the fact that
young children immediately
recognize it.
The figures in the scene were
crafted by the world-famous
Gems, Ltd., of London, pro
ducer of waxworks for three
quarters of a century, and the
scene was designed by Deroy
Displays of Canada. Costumes
for the figures were made by
the eminent London firm of
B. J. Simmons, from fabric
woven in the lands where the
figures wearing the costumes
were supposed‘io have lived.
Complementing the Nativity
scene is appropriate music —
the familiar carol "Silent
Night,” sung by the Christus
Gardens Choir, under the di
rection of Dr. Cyrus Daniel,
head of the Music Department
at Vanderbilt University.
Practically everyone knows
that jolly old St. Nick was a
real-life bishop in ancient Tur
key, the original Santa Claus
who liked to distribute anony
mous gifts. Yet, it is not so well
recorded that he was also the
patron saint of pickpockets,
robbers, and pirates.
This oddity came about
when St. Nicholas intervened
to persuade a robber band to
return stolen treasure. Pirates
looked to St. Nick for accurate
tips on the weather, even flew
his supposed likeness on flags
of their ships. In later years,
swindlers in France were popu
larly referred to as the "Knights
of St. Nicholas ”
St. Nicholas was apparently
very wealthy and exceedingly
generous. The best-known gift-
giving tale concerning this first
Santa Claus — bags of gold
secretly thrown into a house to
provide three luckless daugh
ters with dowries — is today
symbolized by the sign of the
pawnbroker — three gold balls.
The good bishop supposed
ly possessed miraculous pow
ers. While on a voyage to the
Holy Land, he calmed the wa
ters of the sea to save a drown
ing sailor.
Sailors and pirates adopted
him as their patron saint. Pi
rates even stole some of his
relics from a Turkish church
and took them to Bari, Italy,
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(D SCW. INC.
Friends, we thank you for
your patronage. May everything
that's bright and gay
bless your house this holy day.
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