Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 55, Number 301, Decatur, Adams County, 23 December 1957 — Page 20

PAGE TWENTY

- |- W Mid U(M> V/uWt «y s^r' 3SWJfca / /7 / ||Un At Christmas I mßbUi j time ' we wish f ° r y ° u ai> 1(18 spir * 111 fl/ Ixlf/ itua> t>lßssines of 0,6 seasoß - I «1 iZiV May your beart and home bc 'u K 1 ilrarwyi ' fi,led witi> h, P piness su P rem| - ■)■,• :• ><B» Mr. and Mrs. Fred Busche y° u trim y° ur tree /or YuUtide ’ H please tbinh uWWO of us as being with «• WilWoijwk. * 9 y° u * n s P ir * t > 1° U Jw Tf/Jkj*" VA.J jjy ■> zZ tcr> best of every thing! jS££jC JJ ' J GENE’S Mobil Service Bth & Monroe Streets I .» II .HI Z—--9KI Ik J||a fc. BEST WISHES Tlo all our loyal friends and patrons we send 77 this Holiday greeting (fVB with the wish that you 'jig ' W wTO en J°y all thc dclights JM Sraii l^!gi^" , ‘ of this festivc scason - EwiwßaK / j 9 w x '/ jk JOE MULLIGAN NORM POLLOCK BILL BEAL NED BAUMGARTNER GEORGE MULLIGAN -SnEEIaW

ABOUT /VI 0 </S7 There's more to mistletoe than the excuse to invite ■ kiss from a pretty girl The white-berried plant actually is a parasite, often killing off trees that play it host In recent years Australian foresters resorted to flame throwers to kill off the plant in some wooded areas. The popular promoter of Yuletide romance has a bad habit of sapping the water and mineral salts from the trees, starving them to death. The mistletoe does serve one useful function tn the outdoors, however, as it provides a winter food supply for mockingbirds, robins and waxwings. These small birds are responsible for the spread of the tree-damaging parasite. After eating the berries, the birds elean their beaks on the trees, firmly planting the mistletoe seeds they do not eat The tap root of the seedling pierces the tenderest portions of the treeyoung branches or buds—and the tree sap is drawn into the thick leaves of the guest plant Thus the mistletoe plays dual characters and at least according to one superstition, can change from one character to another in the twinkling of an eye. For instance. if the Yuletide mistletoe bough isn't removed from a house by Candlemass Eve (February 1), each leaf will produce a goblin to plague the careless occupants during the year. Modern World Still Needs Old Saint Nick Every December many parents are faced with the problem of what to do or what to say about Santa Claus Some of our educators have been saying for years that the Santa theory is all wrong and some of today's “modern" parents seem to agree. But is the Saint Nick idea good or bad for children? We say it is good and that no child, be be aver- I age or brilliant? ever suffered from | the grand illusion. Children know there is a Santa Claus and they accept the fact that he gradually changes from the Santa of fiction to the bill-paying Santa of reality. Santa is good for small children, for children have imaginative minds. The fact they might seeM Santa on every comer matters lit- ' tie. In their eyes Santa is a sym- ■ boL a mystery, and in his wondrous magic, is apt to pop up anywhere. Time to Explain And it is not the end of the world when the time comes that some older child shatters the illusion by telling all Such is the perfect opportunity for the wise parent to explain that Santa is. after all, a spirit of Christmas. He represents the spirit of giving and the reason that we give at Christmas time is because this is the day on which Jesus was born. Jesus taught us love and faith and hope and Santa is a figurative being whb helps us «i understand and use that teaching. HOLID? /Wo«TI® w I b Attractive holiday adornments for the front door, mantels and dining room can do much to bring The warm, friendly spirit of the Christmas season into the home. A triangle or crescent formed of two or three types of greens will brighten the front door. Pine, hemlock, spruce, fir, laurel, holly and scotch broom all work well here. Tie the stems together with string or wire to form the triangle or crescent. Use branches of varying length, with the larger foliage near the base of stem end. Add a bow of waterproof Christmas ribbon and some pine cones, berries, balls or bells for color at the stem end of the spray. Front Door Piece Turn a few greens upside down and insert them at the basal ends to cover the bare stems. The entire spray should then be turned upside down and hung on the outside of the front door. A simple, but attractive dinner table arrangement involves using a glass salad bowl with a needle or pin holder in the center. The holder can be made fast with modeling clay. Place a few evergreens around the edge of the bowl, inserting the stems in the holder. A dozen red and white roses or carnations facing in different directions completes a beautiful but simple centerpiece for the table. An excellent mantle piece can be made from a piece es plain white Styrofoam. Insert candles in a row down the center, then decoI rate foreground and background sparingly with small pieces of , evergreen.

MB BUBCATUR BUULY DEMOCRAT, DECATUR, INDIANA

New Year's Was Once Spring Affair The celebration of the New Year was once a Spring affair in Egypt and Rome. Ancient Egypt used the overflowing of the Nile as a calendar and celebrated the New Year accordingly. The Babylonians began their New Year in March, and the early Romans followed the Babylonian pattern. Bearing this in mind, the custom of invoking the gods of fertility at New Year’s time—the origin of which is lost in antiquity—seems logical and appropriate. Boman Masks The Romans were accustomed to hanging tiny masks of Bacchus upon trees and vines, the idea being to impart fertility to every side of the tree to which the masks were turned by the wind. In the old days, Roman youths went from house to house singing and wishing everyone a prosperous New Year.

irz ' I I RADITIONALLY we associate with Christmas, all our hopes and wishes for a world of peace and friendship among people at home and abroad. May we, S therefore, express our sincere appreciation for having both your friendship and your good wilt You have been most considerate of our firm and we trust we |»: may continue to merit your consideration in the future. • *' I*; Til - Jg ■I ■ I JU .. idi 111 , • Hi 11 '""'" 1 , ' 1 ' 1,11,1 IBP > '? *''£***’ _ wHKiHiHBr I MN II -««• II Jr •'m wi: 7 ? ■■ if i jo- r ’ gr ■ ■ ~ f "z 1 11 'raSzx ■ 7 i % TH <•>* ■ SK MW' • ■Swam - * it Mis MM - v ' W : WOwL•*'«BHwl c 4 ft, / t r ?suß^P^U^ < f' / r M~ ' ’ ' I iMMV - - >£ *s« «- - '•’ s ■'' '3 ’ v * '“‘S V;- > '■ • -1 * -■ " aw c < S > > . . — - * ■ > ' WAX X- ' 7 - " Z i ...... . Yost Construction Company , Yost Gravel and Ready Mix ■ ' - .. . y . i

Makt Holiday Candlo From Scrap Piocos Odds and ends of partly burned candles can be used to make a big, long-burning Christmaa candle. Melt the candles and remold them in an ice cream carton or oatmeal container, whichever Is handy. Use plain cord for the wick. When the wax is beginning to harden. tie the wick to a pencil and suspend it in the wax Let set hard, remove the carton, and there is a nice candle for your table. Be sure, however, that you burn the candle aafely While it is pretty and attractive and adds to your holiday decorations, it is also a potential fire hazard. First Cable The first message was cabled across the Pacific on January 1, 1903. The cable ship “Silverton” arrived in Honolulu on that date after successfully laying down 2,600 miles of cable from San Francisco to Honolulu.

Beautiful Poinsettia Needs Special Care The poinsettia, with its bright red flowers and green foliage, will survive if cared for properly. It you have recently purchased a poinsettia; chances are it was greenhouse grown, so try to provide conditions as nqprly as possible like those in the greenhouse. A uniform temperature of 60-75 degrees F. is best Place the plant in bright light near a sunny window but remove it at night to prevent chilling. Water it enough to keep the soil moderately moist but not water-logged. Cool and Dry If you Intend to keep the poinsettia for another year, gradually withhold water and store it in a cool, dry place after it has stopped blooming. In April or May, prune it down to six inches, and repot it in a good potting mixture with proper drainage.

p,,.....—. ' ii i ii —yw 1 || As-i the The New Year cometh and the old year must depart, and so has it been for centuries. Once every 365 days, the world pauses for a moment of reflection, for a brief but meaningful examination of self and surroundings. Then, with a shrug, a new, unlettered page is prepared to record the fulfill* ment of a new set of ambitions, intentions and purposes. Through the centuries customs and traditions have contributed to the New Year observance to make it more than a time to mark the passing of another era. It is a season of awakening to the realization that we have not accomplished all of the things once planned. It la a time to be grateful for the blessings received. It is a time to plan and hope; to lay the mental foundation for new ambitions and aspirations. ——————————————————————————

MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1357