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