Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 56, Number 301, Decatur, Adams County, 23 December 1958 — Page 28

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kltstf[hriStmas®verywliere -IRELAND

TRELAND la one of the fewi 1 countries that never adopted the Christrnw tree as a national tradition. As in Italy and Spain, the celebration of Christmas in Ire* land Is essentially a commemoration of the birth of Christ, and the manger scene is the one center of interest in Irish homes. But Ireland has contributed a popular custom to our American Christmas, that of placing a light in the window on Christmas Eve. This custom originated when the English, in their attempts to suppress the religious beliefs of the Irish, forced the priests to ■ conceal their identities. In secret, and at night, priests would visit the farmhouses and homes of Ireland to conduct ifeligious services.

Bketchet reduced e/pros. one-half of original eta* 'O" , HzfT JL-~ • CT& • nj *• mouthpiece O' i CIAV P,PE f M . • BAND ggl JHsii V-nn « inner " ’■'» pipe HOLIDAY SHAMROCK I Adorn your tree with striking green end white shamrock chains. Trace HBEMasMBBMmiKMMHUiiiII large shamrock and string between green or gold beads. A truly Irish spectacle * CLAY PIPE With garlands of green Trace patterns of pipe, mouthpiece, band and bowl. Turn tabs of bow! and White shamrocks. tinder and glue to inner pipe. Glue band (B) around pipe stem. Attach mouthpiece to tip of stem. Add shamrocks or other typically Irish trimmings. From the illuetratrrf how-to-book. "A New Leak at Chrietmas Decoratlmw ,•* be Sliter M. Gratia Llitnlte. SS.C. and Norbert A. Hildebrand. Copyrighted, Bruce FubUnhing Co., Milwaukee, Win.

I Thus at Christmas time, the Irish family, hoping that mass might be said under their roof. Would place a lighted candle in the window as a guide and a sign of welcome for any priest in the neighborhood. When the English soldiers Inquired about the candles, they were told that should Mary and Joseph come that way looking for shelter, the candle was an Invitation to enter tmd be welcomed. Thus, the custom was permitted as merely "Irish superstition.” Later, when religi- ’ ous toleration again came to i Ireland, the custom remained and was brought to America by I Irish Immigrants. i Another Irish custom Is i known as "feeding the wren.” This is based on a legend about

St Stephen, whose death as Christianity's first martyr is oommemorated on December 26. The story goes that St Stephen attempted to hide from bls enemies in a bush, but was betrayed by a chattering wren. To help the wren do penance for this treason, it was customary for Irish children to take a wren in a cage from home to home, collecting money for charity. Since Ireland has no Christmas tree of its own, we thought it would be interesting to design one, based on symbols which have become associated with Ireland. Hence the shamrock, clay pipes and leprechaun faces, topped by the Irish country hats. They're all easy to i make and in green and white colors will give you a tree with . the spirit of the Emerald Isle.

mtCATtm DAILY DEMOCRAT, MBCAZDB. tmtwawb

•» <UCH of ths world’s Christmas tradition is | J VI. of Germanic origin—not necessarily from the geographical Germany of recent times, but from the vast forested areas of the central European heartland, where various tribes successively left their imprint on the land and to the! legShds c* the area. As a result of the intermingling of ethnical gad religious culture of Germanic and Roman I paganism, and finally Christianity, superstitious custom and Christian practice were likewise in- I termingled. Much of the paganism of this pro-1 Christian era survives in the Christmas tradi-| tions of today. . 1 In Germany, the feast of St Nicholas was celebrated on December 6, and he was repre- I sented as riding a white horse and accompanied I by his servant Rupprecht, a thin, dark man I carrying a sack in which to put bad children. I St Nicholas, of course, carried gifts for the good I children. I When a large part of Germany, moved by the I teachings of Martin Luther, separated from the I Roman Catholic church, St Nicholas was re- I placed by "Kris Kringle,” who was depicted as I a young girl wearing a golden crown and carry- I Inga small Christmas tree, •‘the tree of light* I Kris Kringle was considered a messenger from 1 the Christkind, or Christ Child, and personified I the idea of gift giving. From this varied background, German Christ- I mas tree ornaments take many different forms, I including the bearded face and peaked cap of I Father Thor, the representations of St Nicholas I as a bishop, and the golden-haired angel girl, | Kris Kringle. Apples and oranges come from the miracle plays of medieval days when the evergreen tree, representing the “free of paradise,” was hung with the "forbidden fruit to symbolize the temptation Os Adam and EVS in the Garden of Eden. w K A SUISUISTIAWS *a

mJw (I \ STARS ANO STRAWS r ■' [ ' I. Make stars from colored construction nrii fIIICKBC paper, using many colon, tt possible. WWIW Vll 177 j ' t. Cut drinking straws 1# in. long. 1 3 tW 3. Insert one targe star after every 12 approx one-half | straw segments. of original eUe. S? aJ. DOVE WW J. Trace: one body, two crowns, two \ dy 1 wings and two body strips. WmJ® gggßßSßjagßy y/jX (fl 3. Crease wings and body stripe M shown A \ Xv'/A, in patterns 1 and 2. JXgSfiß gaSffigwKZ \ & Glue pieces in place oc both sides of \ i i i . x wwß i BELL OUSTERS ' RKSSSffi® L Trace one pattern at Jk and two of B. / B \ Glue the fringed flaps to reverse side tri at two large flaps of pattern A (see f-jgW , arrow and Fig. 3). a Fold an flaps down on dotted Mnes. pyom Pie Ohutrated how-to-boo*. «4 New took at Ckrtetmas Veeorattene.’* A Staple smaller flaps together at low- »y Bitter M. Gratia LUtaite, g.S.t., and Norbert 4. NUdebraad. eat point. String and suspend. Brwse FsMsMeg Go.. MUwaaWd, Wla.

Hi "Tree of Paradise” lit with stars and candles. ' DOVE

(/J 1 1 ■Hb®® * JpsfeiK May the love and adoration of the three Wise Men who came to Bethlehem, shine brightly in your heart, this Christmas. N J\ FRANZ ELECTRIC 317 Winchester St. Phone 84781

KEEPING CHRIST IH CHRISTMAS How aye you planning to spend this , Christmas? If ever there was • season <n when people are tempted to put first things , last and last things first, it is the season of Christmas. # A A Unless we determine right now that for /V us this is going to be a Christian Christ- * Dvp • « mas, we b® una ' to withstand the <o^—paganizing pressure of the world about u*. Aw.jJU We shall succumb’ to the triple X of n pagan X-mas—the modern excesses of exAmjjj citement, extravagance, and exhaustion I But how can we keep Christmas Chrtetian? First of all, by acknowledging the C-4E. Christ of Christmas as the eternal Son of God and the Savior of the world. Our highest joy during the present days must find Z9--3*-- its roots in the conviction of the Prophet! "Unto us a Child is born; unto us a Son is given . . . and His name shall be called ... the MIGHTY GOD, the Prince of Peace.” Isaib >:«. No gift, be it ever so great or ever so grand, dare overshadow the Gift of God in Bethlehem’s manger. No gladness, be ft ever so high or ever so deep, dare match the gladness of our heart over the thrilling angel message: "Unto you is born this day In the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord,” Luke 3:11. • ~ Christmas is the birthday of our King, to keep it that. Let us bring our gifts the teachings <rf the of sacrifice, of worship, and of praise. Let Christian relglon. or us crowd our Christian churches with fesJfiiwi™ tivaj throngs. Let us make the welkin ring and are to need of with the jubilant strains of splrHual counsel, please write us. “Joy so th e WO rld, the Lord is come! O Let earth receive her King!” In that way, and In no other, win we be able to rescue Christmas from the influences which would make it a pagan holiday. ~ In that way, and in no other, will we be able to keep CHRIST in our Christmas I ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH Monroe & Eleventh INVITES YOU TO WORSHIP CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS VESPERS Tuesday and Wednesday Night at T:#o P. M. CHRISTMAS DAY FESTIVAL WORSHIP Thursday Morning at 1:00 A. AL ,

Xtfe W*i^Rwp^^diionXj|y i*»*>y ?” ■' | % ‘v* X** ■•' "■^■/ , ’' •** iW • \fp We extend to oil ow sincere i Yoleiida. Mov vour hahdnvs « /y lfflb < bo bright ns tho tights on Ao ! troe...rkh In ponce, contentment end the presence of w> z friends and loved ones.*.and , X a ./ radiont intuit tliA utarv w *«w y - ' that shines over all 3k /. / during this {oyous season.. ,/ . . \ ■ \ j - PriceJMen’s Wear 101 N. 2n<JSQ\ . . ? j 1 Decatur, Ind.

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