e

, ....., .......... Pre-historic GhostsWalk at'Chr1stmasi Legends Behind ' Color Light Your Home

I ' ' ' ve scene is: retern. cms instead of play it in the win- ,' . . "Now what shall we do that will d"'- P!” W 1'1'-.0 I 00mN'- T330 Your 3, g. L F033;” be really origin: thi;.'Chs'istm:L:' lamp and place this It the base of I t mm , How" mini, 9- V0 70" the tree, so that it is hidden min ushdiit-n.:hiclgr.:s!i' :i:dp.:xpensi?e that when faced with the problem V1", by . chm.o, m,o1E0,-p,,h,” I y for adults has legend as its at mm"-mu mg Drape” 01 "I u” M” b"ck”' Fk ' 5'”m”l”"' "mamon yef ,3 th. ynnld, COMB! "19 500'” 01 0W""79” bulb and switch on. Fix a red-col- ioun knohedng now. am well-wishei-sf When you open the our bulb w your Durham ugh; vancde new bwun" more firmly front door will your friends Gib Wltjon um my guy, 5",”! toun send in our mind. I counter the familiar scene--the 1,, m, own mung, I 1,", . mm, ellF3fV?1 r chrl'nn.' ' em me Christmas ltree in the window With her of electrical pom", so -that, . lgoel of the French the rod Mum mum! 1" the mp". "rum. when ”q"l"d' I mm mm” ugh" Perltauu (nuuhw I. hhbomil . only ers MICE the cci.ling...and the about and cream the right ltmu- Wle u ed) wemmcmsm of me 5137183 01 h0"Y Hid mmWt09 Wing phcre for the particular type of char s d m S m I 1 in the same places as they were he Duty. M on, may che gnu” ,1; GermD:1'Cl'il.!I:)QIIlI. Isms fncyo1;alB:t year before. or will they find I 9. c . - s isct he remains -- to.t.he delight

yes," Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus

Is these I Santa Claus? ml- lions of children have asked that question. since visits from st. Nich- elss began to be associated wth the observance of Christmas. In INT, -... one girl wrote to the editor of the . New. York sun. asking him about Santa. and the next day an editor- ial appeared. an editorial that-has hue-en reprinted thousands of times

ce.

Here it that famous editorial:

The Itditorlnl

We take pleasure in answering at once and thus prominently the communication below, expressing It the same time our great gratific-

took tin mi d Ind, d I home that Meme '0 bmihe . the this Ip;ned,'tl(i:: celllnrgnoi inaenxoogi V9737 JR”-lY0"5 59”” M ch1'l5"n”- ” into vivid blue-and the walls were

of dc;L.l1::l:tS.I millions of children n that "g Iuthml sum” 1. hotizigewwltxl; an 01:4.-w”"yo!e;1l:uredi!;ltookv'vl'.l 1", Wm, . dew red giaw, The -n - 1 h f The benevolent old fellow had gm gig? '"m"3 ”" ”””d' ” shouldxabandon the usual comm. nignizlvifizl new I

his besinnlnu before the Christian mas trimmings. on the lcontrary,

Dear Editor-I am. 8 years old.

m. stemming from Odin. the so I the Christmas tree is an absolute CANDLES cslv nnu

Norsemelfs sod. Odin dl'0VB 111! S,::,'z,1:,:: mend. Hy more :5 no essential in any house: the holly

reindeer sledge with thunderous Pa . and mistletoe (particularly the 51”” W W” bacnmund 0' 99”

fury his whip er-cklns llshtnlns "."".'. '1' V” ”” ” in 1'” mistletoe) are also vital items. And 0'11 llshtlnm Y0" Ihould make full ' 5"n- 1” ”' use of candles. Candles are on the

from the clouds. By some freak of association. this has-n belief be- came linked with Nicholas. Bishop

keep the paper streamers, balloons. bells and what-have-you. Only let's consider how we can arrange them. how we can light them. in I differ-

Plesse tell me the truth: is there I Santa Claus? i

VIRGINIA OTIAANION.

way back. In London you can see them on the tables in many of the smart restaurants. Make candles

oi Myrl, during the heyday of the Roman Emperor Diocletian (A.D. 284 - 306). The gracious bishop.

115 West Ninety-Fifth street. Virginia your little friends are

cnt way. COLOUR-LlGu'rlNG

work for you to create that es- sential spirit of Christmas! Make I test. Listen to a favourite piece

saint Nicholas, became immortal for his charity. Children loved him because. while they slept. he fined their shoes and stockings with gifts. So. Santa ClIus had I-worthy ancestry.

Scholars still when he reached E

We know; however, that he was well established in Medisevnl Mummery, the forerunner of the drama in Britain. So. already 000

wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe unless they see. They think that nothing can be which is not compre- hensible by their little minds. All minds. Virginia, whether they be men's or children's are little. In this great universe of ours man is ii. mere insect, an ant, in his in- tellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as years back. he were I snow-white measured by the intelligence cop- beard and acted the role of Lord able or grasping the whole truth Bountiful. although in truth he did and knowledge.

not enter his nursery kingdom in Yes, Virginia, there is a. Santa the English-speaking world until Claus. He exists as certainly as love the Victorian era. 'I'hen, through and generosity and devotion exist die sprawling genius of .Dickens and you know that they abound and the serenity of that Ige which and give to your life its highest gave men time to occupy them- beauty and joy. Alas, how dreary selves with kindly distractions, his would be the world if there were appearance It Yuletide quickly won no Santa Claus! It would be Is him - - ncendgngy avg: mg dreary nl if there were no vir- ehi'ldren's hearts. "',1r'Ih'a'x9 W011” 130 I10 011115-

, is an, no ,

M1S'I'IsITOl ORIGIN poetry no IV

isagce towmake tolerable this ex-

Mlstletee's place at Christmas W I would M” M m" stemmed from origins even farther

back in prehistoric times. The

of music with ordinary lighting on. Then try colour-lighting the room in the way suggested-and see if you don't enjoy that same piece of music much more!

Now what about curtains? Have you ever tried lighting your cur- tains with colour? The effect can be very striking, and often it can transform quite an ordinary-lcolb ing room into a sheer Aladdin's Cave! If you have a pelmet, it is comparatively simple to rig up two light-sockets inside each end, lead- ing the flex down the slde.to the nearest power point. If you have no pelmei. a coloured lamp near the base of the curtain (but not too near!) will achieve the same In- chanting effect.

FLOWERS PLUS LIGHTING

Flowers, when lit with coloured light, are really beautiful. Now I know that flowers are somewhat expensive at Christmas, but you can get I few chrysanthemums and arrange them in an artistic manner with sprigs of holly. When lit with the appropriate co!our...you'll say

That is the secretn-llght...col- oured light. 0

Light your home in colour this Christmas-and just wait for the "coils" and "nabs" when your Yuletide guests arrive! First thing to do is to take a good look round your various rooms-the rooms you usually decorate for Christmas. Consider the lounge, the room where you hold most of your part- ies. It's more than likely that you have an electric point in the room. probably connecting up a stand or table lamp. Good! If you haven't a lamp handy, buy a short length of flex (3-core) and a plug and I lamp socket.

Next, obtain three or four col- oured bulbs (same size and wattage as the normal "white" lights). At Christmas time these are usually on sale in green, red and blue var- ieiles. If you cannot obtain any coloured bulbs, effective results can be obtained by simply painting a plain "white" bulb with water col- our-lald on fairly thickly and al- lowed to dry normally.

f decide lust ' Ind unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise in- side, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, not even the unit- ed strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernatural beauty and glory be- hind it. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God, he lives, and he lives forever. A thous- and years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

joynient except in sense and sight. This eternal light with which child- hood fills the world would be ex- tinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fair- ies! Youmight get your ville. to hire men to watch in all the chim- neys on Christmas eye to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus. but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children or man can see. Did you ever see fair- ics dancing on the lawn? of course not. But that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive all the wonders there are unseen

token of joy, this conscience salve

mas fare. for poor letter writers. has today

Christmas, of course, s rves Beloved Consort

was.

mistletoe klss (so pleasing I wel- come today) once signified the kiss of death. For, as the distinguished

untold millions of devotees. In 3l'ltl1n. the sale of Christmas cIrds, now well over 500 millions

many of us as an excuse for over- eating. It is I season of good foods,

-On Christmas Day 1838. the toast was "The Queen and Her Consort." On that Day. Queen Victoria an-

BLUE CEILING, RED WALL Fix, say, the red bulb

to YOU!

"Ooh!" and "Ash!" yourself! The thing to remember when colour-lighting your home is that.

vintage wines, sunllt liqueurs and aromatic cigars. Hail all! And, of the wholesome foods, the turkey is king of the board.

This proud bird ousted peacock and boar's head, favourite Christ- mas dishes of earlier ages. And more - he has driven them into

snthropclogist, Sir James Fraser, notes in his "Golden B o u g h". mistletoe served our ancient fore- besrs during priestly rites. It was in evidence when, on stone altars, under the open skies, finely-built young men and women were sacri- ficed to tribal gods.

as I general rule, red lighting will make red inbric more intense, blue lighting will bring out blue fabrics and so on. so that, if you

nounced her engagement to her cousin. Prince Albert of Sexe- Coburg. who was to become such a faithful husband and loyal sub- Ject. He died a few days before Christmas 1861, and the Queen never ceased to wear mourning for

I lealon. has mounted by an esti- mated 70 mllions in the last three years. And cards are of every variety and price. Same, the choi- Cell ilieiciments, are exquisitely handpainted; others, roughly and tbriftily home-made. A few may

lamp or socket, and place behind it as heavy object in one corner of the room, perhaps behind the. arm- chair, so that the light is reflected from the wall. Next, if you have I central light, take out the bulb, It- tach I two-way switch. Into one

MacDonald - Rowe .

mm to emphasise mm Damn,” WOODWORKING COMPANY LIMITED

palrt of a room light it in the same Lg'w.r wag..- co our. 4 M H j r

Shakespeare dismissed 'mistletoe

ss "bsleful". And, at different periods. all kinds of properties were attached to the "golden bough", Men believed it chuld ward off sorcery and black magic. cercise spirits, cure warts and epilepw, extinguish fires, and even deflect lightning In thunderbolts. Many communities I lted it Is an object of fetish worship, I touch- stone at hrtility, capable of cut- ing barren mothers or precious stock seemingly able to bear progeny.

The ' ' f clusters. most as- tcemed by the Druids, were cut. with their sscred knives from oak trees: For the oak to be mistle- Ioe's host added to specimen's rsrity and, no doubt, to its magic properties. For mistletoe. as I bird-borne parasite. seldom It- tsches itself to cake. It grows more easily on soft - barked trees like birches. apples and willows.

Yet, how strange I transforma- tion: io turn the kiss of death into I Yuletide bliss kiss. I token of joy, however momentary! To ex- tract full worth. however. remem- ber to pluck one of the fruits each time you kiss under the bough. And don't forget that when all the fruits are gone, the mistletoe bears magic no more.

The Yule log. crackling before the hearth. possibly owes its in- ception to camp flresvwith sitin- cliid cave-dwellers gathered round I roaring blaze after winter's snow enclosed the lend.

And did the isntaetic enticing figures, wrought by the names, create the desire for I decorative centrepiece for the Christmas fes- tivitles? Was this the forerunner of the Christmas tree?

even attest to the artistry of no less I personality than the Prime Minister, Slr.Winston Giurchill.

Yet, curiously, even the card keeps trust with its beginnings. For the legend born by the first Christ- mas card. still remains supreme. A 5330011 - you - old engrsver's sp- prentice, William Maw Egley, tum. ed over his memories of Christ- mas pleasures in 1842. And, as he zeflgcted. he drew and designed I

It .

He depicted I family banquet, I Christmas pantomime, p u p p a t show snd winter skaters. Then. he added I ten word greeting. con- Mlllini the immortal Christmas message "A Merry Christmas and I Happy New Year to You." ,

He printed and sent off 100 of these cards. So, by the chance inl- tiative of I boy living in I London garret; I mightily world-wide avalanche was set in motion - an avalanche which bears h e s v ily even on the thousands of extra postmen employed in all Christian countries to help deliver the Yule- tldq mails.

CHRISTMAS TOYS

Trlclnl back toys and their Christmas links not so easy. A(IlIIr"I prehistoric father's un- couth effort in wood, carved with a flint kislfe. no doubt brought into being some crude shape for the amusement df his cave-children.

Then long before Western civili- sation began, Chinese families de- lighted in their kites and spinning tops. Jointed dolls appeared in Egypt It least 1,000 years before the birth of Christ.

Later, in the 14 century, French cosiumiers used dolls as feshion models. In 1391, I roysl courier

CIIRICIIMAI TBII

We shall never know. Personally. I believe that the Christmas tree, lhouch attributed in Britain to Queen VictorlI's husbsnd, the Ger- msn-born Prince Albert. is rooted in more ancient times.

But few will dispute the German claim as the tree's first modern Datrons in lhirope. sentimental, home and family-loving; they de- Ulhted in the evergreen s p i r i t bmulht by I little ii: tree into their licmes. Decorated. too, -it Idded to their sense of well-being. W”-h presents piled around its stem, the children found its shin- "'l- aim-kllng megic irresistible. ,

50. in little more than I century. from I few fir twigs. stuck in pots, the Chrlsiiries tree has grown into I universal decoration. Its pre- lence blesses the .poo.rest homsu Or it enchants fear it thouesuds. when gieni specimens eglittsr with rsinbow-coloured lights. bring 10! to ciixsqusres.

from France delivered an exciting parcel to the English queen. Open- ing it, she discovered I selection of dolls weiiring the latest modes of the gay capital.

Some nursery late-comers, al- though firm favourites for years, must be' noted. The golliwag, as far as is kmwn, did not appear until 1895. Then he was brought to life as the hero of a book on "Dutch dolls". Teddy Bears. even more popular. are younger still.

Queen Victoria. as a tiny lot in the 1820's. was the lucky owner' of I priceless doll set, 132 specimens in Ill. The ill-starred Baroness Lehsen dressed them for her. So, as the royal little prince s com- mended; she wes attends by I dazzling Irrsy 'of ladies-in-waiting, sisters, bsllerinss and greet

dsmes. all of whgm she could

. m If-Wins Anyone. troubling to explore the

esvelcsde of Christmas toys down the ages, must be struck by their

sense of topicaliiy and reality.

Now, an ha up . taraeg: wen While the fury of the French re-

iusi I branch upon which csndles

cker -seems Illen to the Christ- "lll Inlrit itself. I know old age pensioners. with children and srendchildren long veiilebed over- '"I- who year by year decorate their little true. .

The! Ibreed their silver tinsel Dvcr it. and Grandpa. with I word ”' W0 of sreee end a blurred look ":7 wrinkled eyes carries a taper

I smell ha

of candles. Then the

saloon om

volution still thundered. toy guil- lotines invaded ies. especially those . in France. Then little girls, Is befitting good republicens, lied greet fuluwe be- lievs), in striking off the needs of their doll aristocrats.

European nurser-

'l'odey's nursery wonders range

from cats which purr to the latest science marvels, real and imagin- ary. l'ro;n.Flkyin& ghulggs. mm s . ships In 'I in s grs s" m um "M to me if" ' down lg such wlorksdsy devices In hydrels e petro M-I lifltondxgei-ages with wesli-dowdb.

FWHPI IMP!

t ne ! cry the wonderimipm

ewfiits. xley know thlt todsy's sur-

. ng'oeqtgsAsli;e as coriande-

oblivion. I can never see him, lying well-stuffed and basted, without re- calling those Elizabethan sea cap- tlans, fellow traffickers with Drake and I-Iawkirss. who sailed to South America andbrougbt back with them. Is offerings to the Old World, psufulls of wild turkeys as lwellg es gold and silver in their o I.

run runner

It is now believed tiiatlthe Spa- nish navigator, Pedro Nino, was the first European to discover the turkey. He achieved this distinction when. in 1499, he landed on the coast of Cumiino north of Vene- zuels. Here he bought I number of strslzly - legged wild fowls from local Indians at the price of four glass beads I bird. Next year his expedition sailed back to Spain Records of the voyage. preserved in the Royal Palace at Madrid, do not specify whether he brought back specimens with him.

, But the turkey appeared soon afterwards in the Old World. The bird's conquests in Europe proved rays! and rapid. Archbishop Cram- ner in 1541 recognised turkey as

him.

Sad End

Christmas Eve 124'! saw the end of one Q1, the most- colourful and romantic characters in legendary

.... .. (Copyright: N. P. L.

socket put I. blue bulb, into the

you switch-on, you will find you have a blue ceiling and one well lit up in brilliant red.

If you require normal ceiling lighting, all you need do is reach up and click the two-way switch...

other a normal "white" bulb. When gr

-hiswry. On that day. according to ancient documents. Robin Hood was assassinated by an abbess not far from Sherwood Forest, where he lived the life of an outlaw. If legend is to be believed. Robin Hood. with his band of faithful followers, all well known and well loved by children, displayed the true spirit of Christmas by helping the poor and oppressed.

plc-and very effective!

ful ceiling patterns. These

of the paper decorations.

on rnngcnnisrnsss mils Take the Christmas tree,

bringing in the normal light! Sim-

. By using two colours at once (red and blue) you can create wonder- are caused by the two-colour shadows

and,

Pleasing Than A - - -

OI'

If

one of "the greater iowls." Res- pectful of its succulence. he sternly foi-bad eccleslastics to have mori than "one in a Bishe."

King James I of England, de testing por - the mere sight 0. ,boar's head sickened him - ac corded the bird full honours. And within a few.generations, farmers in the Eastern counties could not breed and fatten turkeys fasl enough to meet the Christmas de- msnds of the London in I rke t. Great droves, 300 to 1,000 strong, were driven Londonwards each au- tumn, feeding on the stubbles as they went. Christmas coaches, too, jolted six at I time out of Norwich, all primed with well-fleshed gob- blers.

Those were great days. But after all, over-eating was fashionable then. Maybe, I little of it doesn't do us any harm today.

Notable Date

December 21th. 190i. is I notablt date in the Christmas records all the thestre. It was the first night' of the initial production of Sir; James l3Irrle's immortal play "Peter Fan." The title part was played by Nina 'ouclcutt. Wendy by Hilda Trevelysn, Ind Gerald, Du Maurier doubled the characters of Captain Hook and Mr. Darling Today, fifty years labs, Peter Pan; is still I universal Ohriltlnls favourite with yvung and old alike

Boxing Day

Boxing Day 1900 was aptly named. for on that day one of the most historic boxing isistohes was staged at ltuehcuttere Bey, lydney. Australia. in an open air ring. it was for the world heavyweight championship. Jack Johnson, the giant! msnericen negro, took the title from the I-foot. '1-inch 'ncni- iny lnrns. who was giving any I - v