The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, December 24, 1970, Image 41
The Newberry Sun, Newberry, S. C., Thurs., Dec. 24, 1970—SEC. D, PAGE 7
Holiday Blends
Many Customs
“Anybody found feasting
or observing Christmas day
in any way shall pay a fine
of five shillings.”
And so, throughout New
England Pilgrim settlers had
to treat Christmas as just
another working day. Gover
nor Bradford noted that “no
man rested all day” on De
cember 25, 1620, say the edi
tors of Encyclopedia Ameri
cana.
Today, in the United States
and Canada, Christmas cele
brations are a colorful blend
of customs from many lands.
The main features of the
holiday festivities are much
the same everywhere—Santa
Claus, Christmas trees, gifts,
greetings, feasting, family
visits, carol singing.
Each of these customs has
its own history, and for the
student of holiday lore and
legend, the fascination lies
in the variety of traditions
brought by settlers from
other lands and assimilated
into what is now a truly
American, or truly Canadian
Christmas.
Displaying Tree
The custom of the Com
munity Christmas Tree be
gan in the early 1900’s with
the people of Pasadena,
Calif., who decorated a tall
evergreen on Mount Wilson
with lights and tinsel.
Madison Square in New
York and the Common in
Boston were the scene of
trees set up in 1912. In 1914
Independence Square in
Philadelphia had its first
holiday tree.
Around each of these trees
choirs gathered and sang
carols.
The custom of lighting the
National Community Christ
mas Tree in Washington,D.C.
began in 1923 when the Uni
versity of Vermont sent a
large tree to President Calvin
Coolidge.
Add Special Touch
In Quebec, customs from
France lend their special
touch to a Canadian Christ
mas.
France gave Canada the
“creche,” gatherings after
midnight Mass with family
and friends, savory pork pies
called “tourtieres,” collecting
gifts from door to door for
the less privileged persons of
the community.
After mass on Christmas
Eve, the people of Quebec
gather at homes of loved
ones to participate in a
night-long feast called "r6-
veillon.”
Performing Pageant
From Germany came the
Nativity pageant, and the
first play of this sort in the
U.S. was performed at the
German Catholic Church of
the Holy Trinity in Boston,
in 1851. Children dressed as
Oriental shepherds offered
gifts to the Christ Child at
the altar, singing carols at
the same time. The gifts were
later distributed to the poor
of the parish.
Play Delights
A hybrid Spanish-Indian
play, called “Los Pastores,”
introduced by Spanish
monks, may still take place
in the backyards of San An
tonio, Tex., at Christmastime.
With no props, curtains and
a cast of amateurs, it yearly
delights with its spiritual in
novations.
It runs from Christmas to
Candlemas, in homes located
in out-of-way places so only
the initiated can find it. The
object is to prevent the mere
ly curious observer from
watching this spritual mira
cle play.
Pollution and Trees
Smoke stacks in several areas
are being blamed for the stunted
and mishapen Christmas trees.
Scientists believe that sulphur di
oxide in the fumes kills the tips
of some trees and causes others
to lose their needles or grow buds
in unsightly clusters.
Custom In Austria
A charming Christmas custom
in Austria is to decorate a tree
for birds. Decorations are edible,
consist mostly of suet rings.
s we gather together with friends and loved ones
in our churches and our homes, may we remember the real meaning of
%
Christmas . . . God’s love for us . . . and may our hearts be filled with joy!
TUGGLE CHEVR0LET-0LDS, INC.
ROUTE 3, BOX 52A TEL. 276-1715 & 276-1610
NEWBERRY, SOUTH CAROLINA