Hunting The Wren yin Old Ireland

Once upon I time in Ireland. the IWFOII was hunted and killed on Christmas morning: a branch of holly and bright ribbons were at- tached to his body which was tar- ried from house to house by uren boys who sang songs and expected to receive a dole from each house- 'hold.

The story goes that during the Danish-Irish war, the Danes were resting after an arduous march and the Irish were creeping up quietly. All of a sudden a wrcn. spying a few crumbs which the drowsy Dan- ish drummer had dropped on the drumhead. swooped down and be- gan to peck at the crumbs. The pecking awakened the boy. who

Yiuletide Greetings

Here's to a Merry Christmas and a New Year studded with old-fashioned sentiments: Hap- piness, tranquility and pros- perlty.

POOLE & BEER Construction Co. MONTAGUE

aroused the camp: the Irish. driven off and defeated, blamed the wren.

Modern Irish. ashamed of the once-honored tradition. say the guilty bird may have been a starling or a sparrow anyway. and now welcome the wren to their farms and homes.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I and

May we have the pleasure of A HAPPY NEW YEAR

serving you in the future as t we have in the past , -

MERRY CHRISTMAS

FRASER & ANNEAR I

to all

Preston D. MacLure

Electrical Contractor

Office next to Doug's Ser-

vice Station

F EED SERVICE

Montague .

Te

Somewhere in the next world. a tall. lean saintly old man is prob- ably sitting and chuckling gently at his legend.

Between listening to the prayers of pawn brokers. Russians. tailors, merchants and thieves. Nicholas. one-time bishop of Myra. may well take time out now and then to en- joy his reputation as Santa Claus.

What he thinks of a certain Dr. IClement Clarke Moore, the Colum- bia University professor who set him up as a portly old gent with a white board. an over - large stomach, a sleigh and a team of reindeer is another matter.

But Nicholas probably deserves the rest of the legend.

Not many facts have survived

the destructive rampagcs of man since the third century. A. D.. but .the few there are indicative. I Once an impoverished gentleman of Myra. at his wits' end because he had three daughters and no dowries with which to encourage young men for them, determined to sell them into what the official re- cord calls a ”life of shame."

Nicholas. bishop of Myra. slipped by and - so the story goes - left tthem three golden balls in secret. iln any case. he left enough cash to find husbands for all of them-

I The starving children of Myra, too. had reason to remember the bishop. Mysterious packets of food regularly appeared on their door- steps - and the1'e were always sweets among them.

I Hone's Yearbook for 1826 records lwith a straight face that Nicholas was a most pious man indeed. "when he was an infant at breast. he fasted on Wednesdays and Fri- tdays and sucked but once on each of those. and that towards evening.

Nicholas busied himself else- w h e r e. too.

Once when he was sailing on the sltlediterranean. his ship was me- Inaced by a storm which promised ,cei-Iain destruction. The bishop 'l.ook the wheel himself. and steer-

ed her to safety.

'Merry Christmas'

ono of

you've ever known.

POOLE 8:

WI our pleasure to wish you

the lollies! Yulotidos

THOMPSON

Produce Ddalers, Montague

Hence his popularity as a patron

Our wishes follow where you

To every friend near and far I ETC . . .

Merry Christmas

MIN'NIE'S GIFT SHOP

astical character. the original Santa Claus wh

0 was Bishop of Myra.

In some parts of the world Santa Claus is still predominantly an ecclesi- In the Netherlands Santa wears Bishopls robes-a link with

saint.

The three balls, which are the: sign of pawnbrokers the world over are representations of the three- .balls he gave to the girls of Myra I'- though he may harbour his pri- !vate doubts as to their appropria- teness.

Ipresentsgand the English Santa

Claus is very close to the Pronun- ciation of the Dutch for Saint Nicholas -Sinter Klaas.

The effort. of course. was prob- ably connected with the Christian- ization of old pagan ceremonies.

The old Nurse and Celtic god

I His ship-steering exploits madeiodm was the giver of Ems to man.

ihlm the Palm" 53”” "I the nus" kind and his official rites coincided

Ili3l15- HIS '9P”l-W9" I" hmleslyiwith the end of year ceremonies.

made him the patron saint of mer- chants - and. for obvious reasons. Ithieves adopted him soon after. I It happens. however, that his birthday was December 5 - near enough to Christmas in the days before the fifth century, when there was no official date for Christmas and near enough. after- wards, to the old pagan end of the year celebrations to make an in- tegral part of the festivities.

It was. however, the Dutch who

first i 4 him with Christmas

MoGOWAN

We Hope Santa Is Good To You!

We do hope you have an old- fashionod and d o It g h.t f u I Christmasl And may 1954. be I your of health and prog. parity for you in all your van-

tu res.

MOTORS LTD.

I I I I I MONTAGUE I I I I I I

At Yuletide

Doug Moclorui, Proprlotor

Good Wishes for a most enioyable Christrnasi

BROOKVIEW

Service Station

Monlaguo

Allow us to drum

"Merry Christmas"

homo o mossogo

The transition. perhaps, wasn't

poems, Odin is calledhnikar - a tongue twister whose supposed pro- nunciation comes close to Santa- Odin had a long white beard, wore a many-coloured cloak. and rode through the sky on a giant white horse.

With him came a host of elf-like helpers who have become the Christmas elves today - and in Isome of the Scandinavian countries Odin and his helpers are still a traditional part of Christmas. Odin. too. gave the British Christ- mas its mistletoe. yule-log and its wassail bowl. all of which were a part of the cult of Tutanes - an- other Celtic name for Odin.

Now and then he had an evil Icompanimi. Lok. with him but the IDutch cleaned up Lok and made him Black Pieter. Santa's negro helper.

sents down the chimney - the only feasible thing if you're riding a white horse through the sky. And, in Norway. Christmas presents are still strewn in disorder around the hearth.

In Holland. too, St. Nicholas used the chimney.

The Dutch took him to New York with them but the English Puritans put I stop to him as a pagan hangover.

too hard. For. in some of the old.

Odin. of coursc dropped his prew

remembered all that. And, one night near Christmas, 1825, when his wife had left him to entertain their nine children. he sat down in desperation to write a poem and draw them a picture.

The poem began: " Twas the night before Christmas And all through the house Not a creature was stirring e- Not even a mouse .. ."

It became a classic -- quite by accident for Dr. Moore. a modest scholar. never published it - and

classic conception of Santa Claus-

Holiclay Greetings

Among all the g e n t l e Joys

Christmas brings to everyone

we wish for you an e xtra share -

of peace and festive fun.

MocDOUGALL'S BARBER SHOP

MONTAGUE

Columbia's Dr. Moore. however.

Hero's To A Merry

old Elizabethan custom.

the picture he drew became the

YEARIS. - I

3: By Les Armour

His idea came simply. He had been out delivering Christmas pro- cents in a sleigh that afternoon. And the portly old gent with the beard looked rather like - vou guessed it. Dr. Moore.

so Santa came back across the Atlantic.

His troubles. of course. weren't over.

Indeed. they are still with him.

In 1953. he didn't appear on Spa- nish Christmas cards t of a press campaign against his "de- plorable competition with our own truly Catholic three wise men from the East."

In Russia, he has been blasted

as a bourgeois myth from one side and as a vulgarization of the pa- tron saint of the nation from the. other. I And. in France. some bishops have. outlawed him as a pagan. Mostly, however. he's still going strong. Though St. Nicholas himself - and Odin. too if he is watching .- muat be a little bewildered by some of the variations. In Switzerland, small children are still frightened of him because his black assistant there. called Schmutzll. is reported to be very terrifying. (In fact. of course. the fear assists parents in getting the children to bed on Christmas Eve. for Schmutzll cannot touch them if they are asleep.)

In Belgium. the servant is no longer black but he is the equally terrifying Nicodemus and. in Frei- burg. he is Beolzebub himself.

In Rumania. St- Nicholas still comes as the tall. lean scholarly man in the robes of the bishop of

.

Soap Flake Snow

Trimming the -Chrlstmu true with fluffy snow is easy if you use soap flakes. It won't melt glthu,

Here's how it's done: Use throo 01' four cues of soap flakes to one CUP of warm water. Boat with electric beater or hand beater un- til smooth and fluffy. Then spread lmmedletely over branches of tree 30Ff"el'll18 It on with hands.

or pa kl . . tmcm5in:te:inlIDt';lotlv.on some or

Holiday Cheer

To all our friends

and customers - may

YOU

enjoy the-

holidoy season ovorl

happiest

Montague Gorogo

Montoguo

1NiGi5 . COUNTY

3':

Story of Santa C

- Holy Nllht . . . "Ell! ol- Christmas ml" "non! men . . .

MONTAGUE FURNISI-IING co.

MW the Ewdwill

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

to one and all

from

Hyndmon 8: Co. Ltd.

Oldest Insurance Agency in P. E. I.

C. A. SllAW- Montague District Manager

Myra. .

But St. Nicholas himself would be happiest if someone revived the

Then, a Boy Bishop was elected from among the choir boys and he ruled unquestioned as Bishop until December 28. Innocents Day.

A:

"Your Family Drug Store"

Presoriptijio sundries

we take this opportunity to wish You and your family a vary Merry Christmas and a healthy New Year.

We an. . t and with the l.t.olt.vd.rrug: prytzururablo. C.

MABON DRUG COMPANY

Votnrlnuy

MONTABUI Ilppllu

For you - we spell oiit our

wish for a bright and festive

Yule season. and hope your

good health and good fortune will continue . . . .

MONTAGUE DAIRY

C. 8. STEWART Proprietor

Best Wishes

Mny your share of cliristmn gladnou

So fill the day with cheer '1'ltere'll be an over-flow to spin

With Joy the coming yearl

MONTAGUE CO-OP

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS

SEASON'S GREETINGS To All Our Customers and Friends

With tho passing of another year, vvowlsh to oxprw '9 you our nincoro appreciation of tho cordial rolatiom ex isting botwoon us as wall as to -convoy in season: I”

wlahoa for o Nlcrry Christmas and illoppy and Prosper

MONTAGU! of good cheer to Cir"-i,fm., For You! AND A IRIGHT NEW YEAR N"! Ya" ' all thoso whom I , . v I wo havo served w h . y ur will he i ioy-filled S I "I" Y.” ' ' ' hoildliypelndo wlo hope. too. that tho ' A ” New Year ahead will be a happy Bed y . HAVENMI:f':I'uItU NT on new chrmmm, Mom”. MONTAGUI room 117 V' Wishes for MoGvowon's Ltd. I '

IIIBCIIANTI KILMUII

a Merry

Grootingsl' Christmas! a

I-IOLIDAY

we uh. this onomnlty 0' Merry Christmas ond hum". .. hum” of w, A Wonderful

Now yYoorl

Toltlng this opportunity to express our Itoonost appreci- tomon whom we have served

GREETINGS

otfon.of your good will and potronogo. May tho Now . ' luring the put year. III4

also nun all I turn cumi-

From Us To You

Good wishoa without number” to you and yours as the happy feast of Christmas approaches. MI! It bless you with peace and with lasting joy.

JAMII90hl'S

What a wonderful holiday Ola- son wo hopo It wllliliofbr youl We pray that this quot day will bring you poooo and loy. We hope that the your ohood D will In flllod with happiness for you in ovary”,-woy.

I-IOOLEY'S Mews. wean

MONTAOUI AND CIIIARLOTTITOWN

Your further our plfdgo to sorvo you to tho utmost of . I

To cl ourwnony frloods may you onloy this Holiday Soo- '” W '; -m '"'m"

and Inn": New You.

s

. nounfous Iuomc

. - Illalll-GJIINTR

son and ho flllod with grout ohoor, lovo and Hoppinou.

arson nsnuiutnr