THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD

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December 25, 1983

Newsroom 985-2131

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FASHION « FOOD
TRAVEL

Origins of Christmas traditions

By CARYL McBRIDE

THE TREE TWINKLES
softly, evergreens deck the
hall, and spicy aromas waft
from the kitchen. All is ready
to celebrate Christmas. Or
Saturnalia. Or the Feast of
Mithra.

While Christians have re-
joiced in the birth of Jesus
for some 16 centuries,
festivals in December date
back thousands of years
before that.

By 336 A.D., Dec. 25 was
generally acknowledged as
Christes maesse, or Christ's
Mass. There are no records
showing the exact date of
Jesus’ birth, and it was
originally celebrated Jan. 6,
which is the modern-day
Epiphany.

But with pagan festivals
honoring the winter solstice
on Dec. 21, the Roman
tribute to Saturn on Dec.
17-25, and eastern merry-
making at the birth of
Mithra, the sun of
righteousness, on Dec. 25,
the Christians adopted their
holy day to make religious
transition easier.

They also adopted many of
the symbols associated with
the ancient rites and over the
centuries these have taken on
new meaning, and have

KATIE AND
HEATHER Pierce
take part in
decorating the
Christmas tree as
part of the = tradi-
tional rituals of

become our Christmas
customs.

Christmas trees — while
the palm tree may seem more
appropriate to Christ's
homeland, the fir tree holds
ancient mystical significance.

Evergreen trees symbolized
eternal life in the iore of the
Egyptians and Chinese.

In Scandinavian custom,
the devil wouldn't dare enter
a home where an evergreen
stood sentinel, or boughs
hung on the windows.

St. Boniface is credited
with bringing the evergreen
to Christmas. In 8th century
Germany, he dedicated a fir
tree to the Holy Child to
counter the myths of the
sacred oak of Odin, worship-
ped by the Druids.

The Germans also used a
fir tree as the main prop ina
popular medieval play honor-
ing the religious feast day of
Adam and Eve on Dec. 24.
Originally decorated with ap-
ples, these Paradise Trees
became common in homes,
where they were decorated
with wafers and = cookies
representing the host, the
Christian symbol of
redemption.

By the 18th century, Ger-
man Lutherans had taken the
tree custom to North
America when they im-
migrated. But it wasn’t until

a century later that Queen
Victoria and German spouse
Prince Albert elevated tree
trimming to an art form as
the custom caught on in
Engiand.

Christmas plants — long
associated with male fertility,
holly carries a rather confus-
ed history of good and bad
luck.

If hung in a home before
Christmas Eve, or left after
the Twelfth Night (Jan. 6), it
is said to cause family quar-
rels. Yet a holly branch ob-
tained from a church ensures
domestic bliss, as do berries
collected after Christmas.

Ivy’s feminine attributes
derive from an ancient Greek
myth. A lovely dancing girl
died at the feet of the god
Dionysius after a_ rather
energetic’ performance. Not
one to ignore such dedica-
tion, Dionysius gave her
everlasting life as the ivy, a
pliant that would forever ent-
wine and embrace that which
she adored.

In Christian belief, ivy has
come to represent the soul of
mankind, and, since it is
evergreen, offers immortality
to those dedicated to the
Lord.

Mistletoe’s mythic past
dates to the Druids who used
it as a garnish when sacrific-

CONTINUED ON PAGE C2

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Christian celebration THE 00°
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December Hours. Mon-Wed. S8am-8pm
Thurs. & Friday nights to 9pm, Sat. Bam to 5pm

WE CAN REALLY CUT IT!

ap CHRIS Ta We
_THE UNDERCUTTERS

ON UHIS VERY SPECIAL DAY OF 1983, WHEN
WE ARE WITH OUR FAMILIES AND LOVED
ONES, LEFT US REMEMBER THE MANY
MESSAGES THAT [Hk BEACTTIRUL
CHIRISTMAS © AROLS BRING, TOUS  "gOY 10)
ThHit WORLD.” “SILENT NiGtt{t™ AND MORE
THOUGHTS OF LOVE PEACE AND) FRIEND
SHIP ARF WITH US AT THIS TIME OF YEAK
MAY THEY CONTINUE WHERE THE TROUBLES
AROUND THE WORLD) LE] US GIVE DHMANKS
THAT WE HERE IN © ANADDA CAN ENJOY A ~
PEACE UL CHRISTMAS BUTT LET OS NOT
FORGET 1020 DO) OUK PAK TL HOWEVER
SMALL. VO TRY ANT) MAKE THIS A BE TIER
WORLD TO LIVE UN IN 1984 WE ARI
ORATERUE TO ALL Ob Yoo) WHIC) WERE OOK
CUSTOMERS IN 1944 AND WE PROMISE You!
A WHOLE LOR MORE IN 44 10) THOSE ©}
YOU WHO HAVE NOL YE DP VISTiEb tis) Wt
HOPE YOUTLE TRS GINS OIN Tih NEW YEAK

WE SINC ERED Y POPE YOu HAVE A VERY
MERKY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY BEAL THY
ANT PROSPEROUS NEW oot AK

NEWS photo Stuart Davis

Many Thanks

to all our friends and
customers for your
patronage and support
during the past year.

We at the Perfect Set tims
Bridal Complex are look- é
ing forward to servimgs
and sharing with you

fim thre future.

Management and jf . I > MANICURE
Staff Members.

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