Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 48, Number 299, Decatur, Adams County, 21 December 1950 — Page 19

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1»M

H Christmas MB •Jn THE SHRIT OF FRIENDLINESS AND BfiS GOOD,CHEER WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR •j|3| MANY FAVORS AND SINCERELY WISH 9R YOU AN OLD-FASHIONED YULETIDE IBBBRB |M AND A NEW YEAR ABOUNDING WITH 1111 l SUCCESS GOOD LUCK AND HAPPINESS 11 ’ 1 ’ AW :M ■ hi V y / Z uMy, fc (MB 'vF'* # At d»r Ckriftmam candle ( /} •| . . kJMB | '■•■• _j\, v burnt, its flame ' ) . | f • llfvr * bet our with of > , • v y n * *° T a kappinctt ''* f° r ’ oa *l ur * n d *be ' \ ’t „ ) * Yuletide Seaton y&, Air " '**? :VmC and throughout the New Year. *Jv Ta c’tX * rTfy ■■---•-. t- t s Cash Coal Feed & Supply Jack Hott house ?<<<«<«««««<«««*«*««<«<'» wtwwKSw****** « 1 * I '- V < ... »n< miy the spirit of ■ C-■''6-W Christmas bring most wonderful jF*)/i n vt * blessings to you. Jf ju J V> — FRIGHTS PLACE

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ROMANTIC STORY BEHIND THE CHRISTMAS CANDLE

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Chief of Christmas dacorallaas I* th* sandto.

------ — - —- By Central Press . TWENTY f'ENTI'BIEM ago the meager light from a string floating on ml in a receptacle served to light man s way. Today, man ha* ( the perfect symbol for his ‘ light of the world " It is the Christmas tandle. product of sacrifice and suffering and work of various forms of life throughout the world I - on every continent. Primitive method* more than 4,000 year* old work hand in hand I with the latest scientific develop- ‘ ments. But despite present-day mass production aspects of the candle Industry, randlemaking still -Is a quality business which calls for individual craftsmanship Some candle wax comes-from west China. Two hundred miles beyond Chungking insect egg* are gathered each spring. Porters carefully carry these eggs over mountain trails to locations as far a * Wrenn ig firs’ ymrrneya way. _. ..Travel in the heat of the day > would make the egg* develop too acxm Tlieimr eggs apr placed on specially prepared tree* and 14/ day* Inter, the newly hatched Mr sect* are finding' the best branches ■ on which to feed. Within two months these insect* have covered the branches, to which they are attached, with wax a quarter of an inch thick : This wax fs scraped of! and boiled j to remove all Impurities, including ! the dead brxl|e*/Of the little work- ; ers For 40 enturie* these little | Insects have, been giving their lives j to provide light for man. j -Z- e e- a....-,. / CROSS to the other side of the ! globe, to the stormy Atlantic | Wealing had been followed for cen-1 tdries by western Europe-. In the year 1712 a sperm whale came too near to the shores of New England. This marked the beginning of the Industry in America. Sperm whales often grow to SO feet In length and wejgh up to 50 ton*. In their huge head* is located n "rise' which contains from 11 to 25 barrels of valuable sperm oil sb highly productive in its light quality that today candle power is measured by the sperm cafidlci ‘ Mineral wax from Utah and Poland. Montan wax from Germany, paraffin* and petroleum Wax refined in the United States are combined with waxes from insects end u-hrlcs and plant life In our modern candie art The bee. it* honey, and beeswax have carried a religious meaning for centuries, and nearly half the commercial output of beeswax Is used in thia country alone for religion. purposes. Religious candles usually contain more than 50 per cent beeswax because of an early Christian brief that beeswax was produced by

i virgin bees and therefore was symbolic of the purity of the Virgin Mary. I Additional religious emphasis Is applied to candle*, each Candlemas Day (Feb. 2) when candle* to be burned during the coming year are consecrated in Catholic churches throughout the world Today's Christmas candle la ; truly a light of the world. Primitive methods which go back to ! the time of Father Abraham finite : with the most in scientific kn6wi ledge and modern manufacturing processes, for the candle's loveliness. __ / ‘ i SUBSTANCES from every continent find their way into the materials which surround the wtek that' reieases-the light. Insect* and animals, mineral* and plants combine in adding a touch of greater refinement to it. Distant mountain urea*; the ocean deep, arid lands i and jungle* bring their share to- . ward glowing mellow- light. Ordinary utility candles are . massed produced by machines that turn out 400 to 500 at a time, the popular tapered candles being ! hand-dipped and built up on a wtek by layers, through repeated dipping In hot wax. They come in a pretty,wide asi sortment of shapes, sizes and cdjor*. There are miniature Santas - and snow men for Christmas, lili lies and bunnies for Easter, tall. | graceful tapers for floral centerI pieces at dinner* and banquets, and | tiny candles for a cake that will delight some youngster on his ! birthday. | THE POPULAR bayberry candle, made with wax obtained from the j bayberry bush, an evergreen shrub which grow* by the sea shore, yield* a pleasant odor when burning and traditionally is associated - with- the yuletide season. Now. - each Christmas more are appeari ling in home decorations. 11 As recently as-a century ago, -I candles were made primarily lor lighting, and candlemaking, then a i household chore, involved use of beef a’let. cheesecloth, and crude molds. Today It's big business. . Last year. Americans spent a whopping 113 million to purchase more than 250 million candles. ,;,L Tet. even with all the inroads of i technology, candlemaking remains -a specialised craft, requiring deft skills and a considerable regard : and feeling for the artistic. The candle is not merely a hold- ■ over from the past, nor is it a i means of conveying a great spirit- . ual truth. Tn its own right it is a message. It 1s a truth, a symbol. i In Its flames the whole world s gathers and says: "This is, the ■ light of God. the light of truth, the r light of the world."

FYECATI'n DAILY DEMOCRAT. DRCATT’R TVDFAXA

When Father Carved the * BOAR’S ; J WHAT ROAST TURKEY H to ..Christmas dinner today, tte boar’s head, way to the Yuletide feastinc ot Medieval England. Preparation for the feasting began during September or October j when the boar's flesh was at ' Its best. Hunters tracked the animal down with well-trained packs of boar-hounds arid it was dangerous sport, attacking the ferocious beast i with spears or surrounding him and driving him into a net. His ear was his most vulnerable rpot. but before the dogs could get a grip on it and pin him down, his skarp teeth often wounded—sometimes even killed—the hunter and ■ i his dogs. Nevertheless, the pluckier the boar, the louder his praises were sungA the merrier the feasting, when his head was borne to the Christmas Üble. ”. ' World's Christmas Legends Numerous Multitudinous legends claim innumerable origins tor the Christmas tree. One better known legend concerns an early Christian missionary, sometimes identified as St. Wilfred, who once came upon a I group of Druids preparing to make , a human sacrifice under a laige oak, M He had the oak eut down and. as It fell, a young fir tyee sprang up in its place The mwniunary-s*uzi-4~ the evidence and made the fir tree a symbol of. the new faith; henceforth, the tribesmen were to . art. this synihoJ <>f jpMramliDL-Jffi.,-the halls of their lodges at CtworttnasUme and surround it with teyating and toye andi'Uw laughter"?' ot children The legend of the Faithful Pine which sheltered the Holy Fafoily during the flight to Egypt i> le»»_ j well known perhaps, but >'o very , Charming and touched by.the mys- , ticism appropriate to the Nativity i theme. With Hood’S solders in pursuit. Mary simply had/fe rent awMle

- : ————— . ——— — ~ ~ ..* -y.. , ’■ ■ %2S’- • « ■- S ’ ■’ s * > •-. s. u.iMI ' j J ■ 1 ; I v ~ * Christmas is l-.erc again and we’re very glad B.ImK * ' F. r we know that you and yours are y - '•-•luiu: ioiwatd t-« a nierty t<me this y v of the M- JaMt J . < s MHs ? Tn . I ■ ■ V V W" C inrJmas and a Happy New Year * I- r jßk Ov#' W u L!E FURNITURE CO. I F llf Nu \ / u I / it V

tX ANTA CLAWS g— W »•* tlowb to the dinner tabte as S croM as a bear. & -:3( He didn't even glance a t his wife* to see which her * Wlmß *’ Mps * >n a • »i * hlle * haired I*/ VI head. And that ’ was a ThingSanta was always very particular to notice. Mrs. Santa Claus ha< three caps her Sleeping Cap. h«#Working Cap and her Thinking Cap The first was knit of white cotton yarn with a small aenmpy crown, fitting clone tocher head. 1 It was made with not even a pucker or gather, or frill, or a scrap of tnnrtniing on it. arid it waa tied under her double chin with strings a quarter of a yard long I When she wore this apecial cap. Santa took off his boots ami went around on tip-toe _ | Her Working Cap waa made of , stiff cloth, in the shape of a largeinverted candy horn. It had as large bright yellow bow jn front I and a targe blue one behind Th-' high-p-aked topatorel up in a tierce'and defiant way When she appeared in this ering fashion. Santa Claus always thought best to keep at a respect. I flit distance So did' Marly th. 7 dog, and eat. aydl ¥ak- T Yak the parrot But the Thinking Cap’ This was something to see. and when the good old lady placed that rm her I head, with ita full crown and | , broad frills of soft white mulL and its pretty Boa ling ribbone then Marty curled tip »at_ her feet, and Persia Jumped on her lap. and Yak-Yak perched on her shoulder. ana sougnt sngnet. wnnm me uot- # low trunk of a huge fir tree. As t the soldiers approached, the tree. bent its pranch.s to conceal the ' tfdpger had passed, the baby Jesus , /bleased the old tree And if -yw -j cut a puie cone ler 'I. 1 at Christmastime, you can still' seo thedmpnnt of His little hand Nor has legend overlooked the • bright baubles which bedeck our modern Christmas trees. The first Christmas tree was really an apple tn'e, 'aWerdmg- tw legends c<4fected by Ftorence B Robinson. And. although—the— fl«. ire* long since has su7ylantcd its p: edeces-

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'and jolly Narita leaned back in hi* great arm/hair, with hi* feet on the tirepbiee screen and chuckled 'and laughed and shook he* fat ; •sides, the jollicst happiest tdd fel- , ’ tow pi the world. Bi-rauw this Thinking Cap cot - ; eyed a great many unusual fan- ■ -/les and wise suggeatu.n*. and k»vz >ng thoughts, which sooper or later. he was sure to hear about and to reap the benefit of However, on this particular day. ‘the day before Christmas Mr* Sanla Ctau* was at the dinner table. with her Working Cap Muck on m a very ferocious and alarming manner At any other time Santa Claus.! ' seeing this, would have humbly i 7and meekly eaten hl*, dinner "Anil gone off to hi* afternoon nap. without *aying a Wold. But. this particular day. he wa* as cross as a bear And this is what had caused 1 sor for Christmas use, the popular * tinsel bauble of today- is tha repre- c tentative of fliq fruit which .for the ( fed- as mao io the Gardea .Ot Edea • and his reclamation by the birth of the Saviour . . i Mi st Ist or Has Ccme Long Way ! Slnet Days of Druid Worship The mistletoe has come a long ; way from the days when, it was worshiped by druids to its-prr-?ent status as a criminal ;EUler of forests. HoweaWL ■* B»e as a symbol of love, ocacemak'ng

PAGE THREE

it. A week before this event took place. Santa had been talked into ; putting in a telephone at his North , Pole home and workshop, much to Itbe disturbance of bis wife. And message* began to pour m over the telephone, messages Hke; Hello' What to it’" Please connect me with Santa" "Hello, who Ot it?” And then would come the answers from and Betty and Nick "and Ned. and Margie and Kathy, and Tom and Bob. and a thousand other*. And they were all just ahke. "Dear Santa Ciaua. I want you ’ to send me for Christmas, a pony, tor a pet dog. or a big talking doll, ■or a watch, or a bicycle, or a. ated. ■ or a set ot real china dtahes. or a play house.'" and five ’thousand other things. — 1 fTa Ba Caallaaadl and goodwill survives 2T ttua Christmas intact from the preChristian days of the ancient Scandinavian light god. Balder, whose ptrtare tn"tfif''MttKy'Way' The beloved Balder so the myth goes, was slam by a mistletoe arrow but was restored te life at the intercession of the other gods. Custody ot the mistletoe plant was then entrusted to the goddess “of .. love who ordained that henceforth anyr ne beneath its bough should receive a kiss m token of love, not veugsance. As long asths ttiistletoe was held high A could nevarwßuoMSd-M-a PMH* for evil.