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jggcauasn 21. -1953 ,.s

strange Butlrua

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The mm, indicates that it is ,, solemn mass in, honor of the mm of Christ. However, it was H, importlllt celebration of pagan peoples long before Jesus was how, It was a time of feasting in honor of the winter solstice: the time when the nights were longest and days were shortest, and when 0IdpMan Winter reign-

reme. a edIVsl:JeIl'i the church began the insk of Christianizlng these pa- gan,-. its leaders learned that it Ms wise to take -pagan feast anti I-el9brBi.l0l'l' days. give them some kind of a Christian meaning, and anew thenew converts to keep on Db5mvmg,them. This was more or less what was done in the case Dr Christmas. ncss of the day we are uncertain. for no one knows on what day of the year Jesus was born. There are those who have figured that about the last of December is the approximate time. On the other hand, there is some reason to doubl that it is. Bible accounts tell us about the shepherds be- jng out in the field with their Hulk.-, This might indicate that it was in the spring of the year .n lhc Holy Land, when the grass Mg green and the weather mild ..,.uu;;h to permit the shepherds to rrlllaln out, of doors all night without discomfort. Perhaps it does not make so much difference witrtlier the time is correct or mt; maybe the spirit In which we ob5Di'VC the birth of the,Snvior is more important than a volume of qulhhiing about the exact date.

0 O C

And in that respect, peoples of the world react differently. Our limit-an neighbors to -the South lmn some beautiful practices. Th.-lr posatlas (lodging) include uinr days of Christmas celebra- tions. in honor of the visit of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem. Beginning on December 16, pro- -vs'-inns are formed which include ainin-I everybody who wants to north. Especially prominent are iwo children carrying a small lit- :t-r. Someone personating Mary sides a burro. with Joseph walk- nr; behind.

tlihcr marchers follow behind. who with little figures to repre- mli angels. some of them carry- in: candles, and all of them sing- ing. They stop at houses with timr songs and continue them iiilili the owner bids them enter. Thru follows a social hour. feat- ltrcd by the breaking of the pin- ata an imitation bird or animal stllitcri with candy, peanuts. or other goodies dear to the hearts of children. Blindfolded children strllm at the pinata, swung from iiir roiling, until they burst it nurl scatter its contents over the floor. Then they scramble for illc goodies, while the old folks ii7li('ii and enjoy the fun.

During eight nights this pro- ulam is repeated, but on the ninth llir manner scene is publicly en- micll. Nor does this end Christ- mas. January 6 is the day of the three wise men, when the children put their shoes on balconies or at other places nearby, and the wise men fill them with toys. Needless in sn.i'. the .,McxIcans borrowed iwax-lly from Mother Spain for .llrn- celebration practices.

I O 0

Perhaps a glimpse at our own Alaska at Christmas time would lw interesting. Sonic Alaskans Vlifllllliy claim that Santa Claus lucs there, but many homes are so far from neighbors that Christ-

MAIVII. SKIN cams will help lid and othowblomlolios that

, .-session ,of this sacred spot; As to the exactness or correct-

mas preparations often involve hard work and trouble. lliea have been known .to haul pine

-trees fifty to one hundred miles,

on dog sleds. and to string pop- corn on red string yarn: for dec. oratlons. The green tree. on a white box, completes the tradi- tional Christmaa color scheme.

In more settled areas. Alaskans have a Christmas Eve morning service at the church, where the tree has been set up and loaded with presents. Everyone attend- ing is luppoled to wear some- thing new. There wiil be a re- ligious program, after which the presents will be distributed. On Christmas morning the presents will be taken from the home tree, and this will be followed by a feast at the church and by dog sled ,trips.

I

In Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. is found the Church of the Nativity, and it is supposed to be on the spot where the Savior was born. We are sorry to relate that Christians have quarrelcd for pos- in- deed, such a quarrel between two leading churches, or their church- men, was one cause of the Cri- mean War. a out the middle of

,the last cent ry.

The dispute has been settled by dividing up the church. The choir belongs to the Greek, or Ortho- dox. church; while the grotto of the Nativity is open to Roman, Greek, and Armenian services in turn.

As midnight nears, in -Bethle- hem on Christmas Eve, the visitor would see a procession of priests, led by the acting Patriarch, mov- ing slowly towards the transepi, swinging censers as they march. At the stroke of midnight a cur- lain is drawn back, revealing the figure representihg the Christ child, lying on rich cloths. To the singing of "Hallelujah," the Patriarch carries the figure to the manger in the grotto and lays it here. Worshippers then move toward the manger, kiss some part of ii. and silently leave to the ringing of bells.

While this is going on, the YMCA at Jerusalem is conduct- ing a service In fields outside the city, in imitation of the shepherd scene described in the Bible. Hymns and Chorals are sung, and bread and meat are eaten, pre- pared as the shepherds must have prepared their food when they were watching their flocks by night.

a O I 0

In England, Christmas used to begin on December 16 and end on January 6. During that time, English gentlemen held open house. At daybreak on Christmas morning, tenants and neighbors came to the hall of the "big house," where they were served ale, blackjaks, Cheshirec cheese. and toast with sugar and nut- megs. A great sausage was boil- ed at daybreak for eating also, and if there was none, or not enough, the cock was chased around the market place for lazi- ness. In some places the maid servant had the right to ask the man of the house for ivy to dec- orate and if he did not supply it she stoic a pair of his pants and nailed them to the yard gate.

0 O C

Across the channel in that part of France called Brittany, Christ- mas began on December 4. which was St. Barbara's Day, with the planting of three small vessels of grain. if it sprouted the coming crop would be good; if not, it would be bad.

On the next clear morning the, villagers went to the woods. wherelthe men marked yule log trees and the women gathered laurel, holly, 'and mistletoe for trimming thenl. A sprig of mis- tietoe placed over each door was

supposed to bring good luck for

WM ywyotlncmomploxloa

Second Of New Minesweepers Launched I N. B.

H. M. C. S. Fundy, second arm mlneaweopera now under construction in Canadian smoothly dowputhe ways at Saint John. N. 3., after Mrs. Milton F. Gregg, wife of the minister of trans- port, deciared: I christen you Her Majesty! Canadian Ship Fundy. May God bios this ship and all who sail in her." H. M. C. S. Fundy follows by a. few weeks the launching of a. sister ship. H. M. C. S. Gaspe, in Que- bec. The second of her name in the Royal Canadian navy, the Fundy is a new class of minesweetper. One hundred and fifty-two feet in length and with a beampof 38 feet. she is largely of aluminum construction. Her hull is of wooden planking fabricated over a frame of aluminum alloy, while in her superstructure great use has been made of this light metal to reduce top weight, allowing for an increase in living spaces. Dis-

rnr. cuannfax.

placing 390 tons, she is twin-shafted, driven by diesel engines.

the next year.

Tile yule log, oak felled at mid- night, played a prominent part in Brittany celebrations. Even its ashes were regarded as valuable, for they were thought to protect the home from lightning; and when sprinkled undcr- cradles and beds, to, bring good health.

0 o o

Holland gave us Saint Nicholas. There he was regarded as a real saint, and often he appeared In full costume, with embroidered robes, mitre, crosier. and jewciied gloves. He appeared on Decem- ber 5 to distribute toys and treas- ures dear to children. Sometimes, it was whispered, he left birch rods for had children.

He also visited Belgium. Little Dutch children stuffed their shoes with hay for his mule, and" left them on the hearth. The'next morning the shoes were full of toys and candy.

In Serbia and Bulgaria, Christ- mas morning witnessed a quaint celebration by the head of the house. Before breakfast he took some grain from a stocking, sprinkled it on the doorstep, and said, "Christ is born." The oth- or members of the house replied, "He is born indeed."

He lhen entered, advanced to the fire place, and struck sparks from the yule log with a poker. making a wish with each blow: health to the cattle, to the horses. to the goats, and so on, his last wish for a good harvest. He then collected the ashes and preserved them. The yule log was not al- lowed to burn entirely. but pieces of it were placed in trees around the place to secure a good crop.

There are many other quaint practices that peoples of the world have observed, and in most cases still observe. Some of them are superstitlous. but most of them are reverential. To the world In general, Christmas is a time of happiness. To some of tho world -but not enough it is fn:irod-- it is a limo of rt-ligious feeling. It ought to be both.

HUGE rowr

The port of Montreal has nine miles of deep tlraft wharf, capable of accommodating 100 ocean ves-

of PIMPLES. FIECKIES. nomol delightful skin.

If "MARVEL" SKIN CREME 1 doesn't imp

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your complexion

'Gives Accident Iiepori OLCF-100s

OTTAWA, (GP)-Associate De- fence Minister Campney said Wed- nesday RCAF CF-1005 have been involved in 37 accidents since the all-weather Jet fighter went into service about two years ago.

Six RCAF personnel and seven civilians were killed in 11 major accidents and 26 minor ones, The civilians were killed In a single accident. at Ville St. Laurent, Que., mien a. CF-I00 plunged into a row of houses.

of the 37 accidents, .10 were due to defects in the aircraft, seven to human error, two to faulty maintenance, four to other causes and there was as yet no final find- ing for the other 14.

Mr. Campney informed Clarie Glllls (OGF-Cape Breton south) in the Common that the CF-I00 had undergone minor modifications as a result of the accidents but there had been no major struc- tural changes.

The RCAF had "complete confi- denee" in the OF-100. It had been designed for a special role-North American defence-and was living up to It. . There had been no changes in RICA? plans concerning its uac.

Mr. Campney said the CF-100 compares favorably with other air- craft in Canada and other coun- tries.

The accident rate had been '81'94n-flllngly low" and every pro- caution was being taken in oper- ation of the or-loo.

Iilma Anti Vicinity

-Mr. and Mrs. Charles Rix of Lo;-kc Road, aooompanied by Mr. and Mrs. R. L. England of Spring- field West, were guests of Mrs, Mary Ellis and 'Mr. and Mrs. James Dunbar, Aims, on Dec. 15.

Miss Norma Looke, school teach- er at Montrose, spent tihe week- end in Alma, guest of Miss Mar- ion Barbour.

Mr. and Mrs. E. Mt:Novln. Bree, were guests recently of 'Mr. and Mrs. Jack Dunbar.

Mum. Donnie O'Brien, Alber- ion, was the guest of his grand-

IIATO Council Votes

parents in Alma. on Doc. 12.

Mrs..W. B. MIOIJOHIH was a vis- itor to Waterford at the home of her daughter Mrs. Chester shes for s fcw,dIya recently.

Mn. Donnie Barbour was host- outomembersof bheA.ima Wo- men's Institute on Dec. 10. Mrs. Isaac Dunbar conducted the meet- ing. The members decided to start a sewing clam for the girls. A conteatwbs put on und very much enjoyed. Mrs. A-lion Clerk irwlted the members to her home for the Jmuary meeting. .

I

Mir. and Mn Howard 0'Ha.iioran of Burton. were guests of Mr. and Mn. Harry Dunn 'of lilmodsie on Dec. 18.

Mm. Footer amnllman and son, Avsrd, also Mrs. Lawrence Harris, Knutaford. visited relatives in Alma on Uundoy. D

DABLINGTON W. I.

The Decanter meeting of Dar- iington W. Ifwu held at the home of Mrs. Starling Macfaan on Dec. 1. Roll call was remanded to by eight members exchanging amat-

Cl-IARLO'I'TE'1'OWN

yards. slides

Veteran Indian Scoms House. Dies In Teal

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOUSE. Alta., (OP)-When 81-yea.r-old Philip I-louse became ill s few weeks ago for the first time in his life, miuion workers urged the old Indian to go into I. house built for him by the government. where he could receive better care. I

For anyone who knew House, whose Indian name was Running Deer, his repy was typical of his way of living. He said he was born in a tent. and would die in one. as his father had. He never saw a. doctor and the only medicine he touched was I. herb brew his wife made in the old Indian fashion. When the Indian patrlsrch died Saturday, he was in his tent and his wife-to whom he had been married 62 years-was at his aide.

The, weather was freezing and there was snow on the ground.

House was one of the last Ind- iana with a vivid memory of the historic peace treaty signed in 1887 at Gleichen, A1ta., which saw rop- resentatives of the Great White Mother, Queen Victoria, give the Indians reservation rights. As a young member of thestoney tribe, House attended that meeting with his father, who signed the treaty for the Stoneys.

Refused To 60

Support of Big Three In Talks

By PRESTON GROVER. PARIS. (AP)-The 14 nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Council Wednesday voted support of the Big Three in their coming effort in Bcrlirt to talk Russia. into I. better frame of mind.

But-as if they didn't; believe it cculd be done-they voted contin- ued long-range rearmament, with special emphasis on nuclear and other new.weapons the Americans WV? Promised to try to share with them.

In the three days the ministers of foreign affairs, finance and de- fence got through a lot of work: . 1. They quickly agreed to step up their active and reserve di- visions from 98 to 103 divisions, and boost their air force 25 per- cent to about 5,700 planes, heavily on the Jet side.

2. They recognized that meeting the Russian menace was going to be 5. long pull and not a two-year 01' three-year job-and sloped off the speed of their buildup ac- cordingly. s 3.The-y welcomed promises of the American delegation to try to. remove legislative barriers against making nuclear weapons and in. formation on their use available to all NATO forces.

Defence Minister Claxton and External Affairs Minister Pearson headed the Canadian delegation to the conference.

AUSTERITY HOSPITAL

SOU"I'HAMP'ION. England. (CP) Officials of Southampton Hospital, trying to make up a. il0,000 budget- ary deficit. have decreed austerity meals for patients. They would cut breakfast from three to two courses, with no "overloading" of plates.

The Stoneya were given I re- serve at Morley near Calgary. But a little band from the Kootenay plains valley near this weat-cen- tral Alberta. Foothills town. refused to go there. Although they sent their ohildren to Morley to be ecl- ucated, the elders continued to live on the plains as their fore- fathers had "since the world be- gm"

House was born on the plains and lived there all his life. The Alberta Government built him the frame house on his land, where he grew some grain for his horses, hunted and trapped. In the cou- est weather he acomed winter clo- thing for ordinary summer garb.

House was proud of his govern- ment-bullt home, and loved to show it off to visitors.

I-ils sons like the home house and ilhink they will move into it But his widow says she will end her days in the tent, which she says is more comfortable than any wood-and-stone structure. 1

House was buried in the Valley's little Indian cemetery, where his people have been buried for more than 200 years.

.m..:.::....:.

CENTRAL ROYALTY W. I.

The Central Royalty Women's Institute met in bhe school on Dec. 3 with president, Mime Ward in the chair. Roll call was on- swered by 20 members and one visitor. -

The toy requested in a lett from Miss Robin to be, forwarded to the Orphanage. also parcels re- ceived from various members.

Mrs. Reg Maocarville was the lucky winner of the wool car mg. Program committee for January meeting are: MacLeod. and Hilda Stewart. Lunch committee are Elsie Camp- bell, hostess, Madelyn Carr, Lil- lien Knox, Marlene Latter, Mar- jorie Livingstone.

Helen Love, Rate.

(By Bill Boob. Cuasdian Preu Stuff Writor)

MOSCOW. (CP)-Christmas in Russia is just a date on the cal- endar.

New Year's II the day of gifts and greetings.

Fir trees are set up in homes and public square: to mark the winter holiday. Under them, on New Year's morning, the children find their gifts.

And yet, those trees are decor- ated, and the time at which the lights go on is the evening of Dec. 24 And the state lends Eloh- osky Cathedral the Bolshoi Opera chorus for its ceremonies on Christmas Eve.

This information about Christ- mas arose from a search for greeting cards. I took the card problem to my tourist guide.

Christmas For Aged

Christmas, she said, is observed mainly by the old:

”There is nothing in the calen- dar to indicate anything special about the day. and many young people who have grown up since the revolution have never heard about it.

"There is a fir tree in most homes and it is decorated by the parents in time for the holiday season. The first time it is illum- inated is the evening of Dec. 24.

"The state places decorated fir trees in front of the main build- ings and larger apartment houses. and usually there is one also in Red Square. They also are illum- inated for the first time Dec. 24.

"The presents are placed under the tree New Year's Eve and the children find them there the next morning.

Religion Free

"The practice of religion is free here, and those who believe in a God may go to church. Many peo- ple go to church Dec. 24. If you go, you will find it very difficult to find a place."

My search for Christmas cards

llepori Missing I Girl Had Iniiiais On Her Forearm

Christmas Just Another Day In The Soviet Union:

is unavailing.

But at the opera. at the counter where libretti, program and sou- venirs of the Bolshoi are sold. I flash of color caught my eye.

It was a stamped postcard, is- sued by the postal service of tho. U.S.S.R., with the Russian in- scription: "For the New Year!"

In the background of I snowy night is one of the great sky- scraper apartment houses of Mos- cow. In the foreground is shown the clock-tower of the Kremlinla Spaski gate, the hands at mid- night, the great star on its spire burning bright. Spaski is the Rul- slan word for Christ.

Color TV Years Away In Canada

OTTAWA, (OP)-Color televis- ion is years away for Canada where black and white broadcast- ing is barely started.

Howbver, sources in the industry said Friday the government and broadcasters are watching closely developments in the United States where a. new color broadcasting system has been adopbcd by the Federal Communications Commis- sion.

Under the new system. casts in color also may in black and white on television receivers. This replaces one developed by bia Broadcasting System U. S.

The CBS color system is the one adopted by the Transport Depart- ment as the standard for Cana- dian broadcasters planning to en- ter the color broadcasting flcid.

Broadcasts with this system can- not be picked up by present re- ceivers in black and while. How- ever, the receivers could be con- verted with an adapting apparatus to pick up a broadcast in color.

Dopartment. officials said it is too early to say whether Canada will adopt the new system imme- diately as the Canadian standard.

lord Moniagu Cleared By lury

wnvca-mswna, Eng, (AP)-Lord

broad- be seen present system Colum- in the

TORONTO, (CP) - Toronto pol- ice Thursday invcstlgated a. report from a co-worker of missing Mar- ion McDowell that the 17-year-old girl had initials of a boy friend carved on her forearm a few days before her Dec. 6 disappearance.