muuc ' J.V1IU i i S t H i n f f i i i M Tiie OtA C6titiry Christmas Customs, Foods Largely Survival of Saints' Day Celebration Br Maxine Bares Statesman Womu'i Editor A mention of Christmas leads naturally to eating, and the season's foods bring us to special feast days in the lands of our remote origin. Usually religious in beginning these festivities in Europe were in observance of Saints' days which usually termi nated in feasting on delicacies prepared especially for the occa sion. While much of the original sentiment has worn off, and the cooking has changed through modernization or merging of ideas from several nationalities, much of the original significance re mains. BEGINS TODAY December 24 is actually the beginning, of the year's cycle of religious festivity, but through the centuries December. 8, the birthday of St Nicholas patron saint of schoolboys and sailors has begun the observance. Especially in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany and Swit zerland did children wait eagerly for a visit from St. Nicholas and his companion the Devil. Spicy ginger cookies were made for the occasion, and the children enjoyed the treats immensely. Precious white flour was substituted for dark flours for bread to be served during the Christmas season in some countries. Rich food and feasting were part of the celebration of Christmas eve - and Christmas day. The Scandinavians served fluffy white lute fisk, the Germans carp, goose and roast pork were the traditional meats in many countries. ' Basically, fruited spiced breads were alike in most of the Eu ropean countries. The Scandinavian favored cardemon, the Slavic woman flavored her's with poppy seed; in The Netherlands, dried fruits were added to the dough; spices and raisins or currants went into the English woman's bread and almonds were the Ger man favorite. EICH AND SWEET The bread was a sweet yeast dough made rich with butter and eggs, but the flavor made it popular and designated the coun try of origin. Feasting and celebration continued through Janu ary 8, Epiphany, which commemorated the visit of the three Magi to the Christ child. On SL Nicholas eve, December S, he apeaprs with his com panion known as Knecht Ruprecht, Krampus or Swarte Piet, who carried witches with which to chastise bad children. The fear of the evil companion was overshadowed by the sweets which the good saint distributed. In Belgium it was spicy ginger cookies, called Specalaus or Specaloos, often in the figure of St. Nicholas. In France and Hungary it was bon boas; in Germany sweets, oranges and apples and in Switzerland cookies, prunes and ap ples. Dutch children received crisp ginger cakes and sweets and ate roast goose at dinner. NEXT SAINT'S DAY cuopni? into! a jr IT 31 13 is St. Lucia's day which officially opened the Cat-shaped saffron buns called Luccia cats had December Swedish yule, raisin eyes. Foods to be served on Christmas eve and Christmas day were varied in the countries of the world. Albanians were served chick en soup with lemon and egg. Belgians ate cookies baked in' the shape of angels and called engels koek. Bulgarians had kravai, a large round cake; Danish, German, Austrian and British families dined on roast goose, red cabbage, and there were different varia tions of cakes, cookies and pies. In England, boar's head was also served. Italians ate eels in wine and panettone, a currant loaf; Poles ate beet soup, spiced fish and poppy seed cake. The Smorgasbord and lutefisk, boiled potatoes, potato sausage, lingon berries and ham were favorites of the Swedes, while their neighbors, the Norwegians ate roast pork ribs, boiled potatoes and sauerkraut along with certain cakes. Most of the Scandinavians like a rice pudding also on the menu. CAKE TIN CHMSTMA8 PICTURES Still short an idea for the Christ mas bazaar? Here a a Santa pic ture that's bound to catch every one's eye and it's easy to make. Shiny square cake tins make fine shadow box frames. Pictures of Santa are everywhere to be cut out, and of course the picture sub jects can also be his reindeer, snow scenes, a bedecked Christ- was tree, anything seasonal and bright. Some cards from last year will be large enough because the shelf ruffling that outlines the pic tures fills in the frame. Shelf ruf fling might be red or green chintz made gayer by an edging of tinsel. Sew the tinsel to the shelf edging and use strong clear cement to af fix both the picture and the ruffl ing to the tin. While you're shop ping at the pot and pan counter. look far smaller pans and molds for picture frames. Pairs of little pictures can be as big sellers as larger ones. Omit the shelf ruffling and use only the tinsel. (Copyright by John F. Dill Co.) OLDEST DRIVER SHEET HARBOR, N. S. - (JP) -Nova Scotia's oldest licensed auto mobile driver is 99-year-old Henry Hall of this eastern shore town. Active and alert despite his years, he has had only one accident in 36 years of driving he knocked the hub cap off another car while passing on a narrow road 35 years ago. Dance Committee Named Mill City The third annual GAA Christmas formal dance will be held December 22 in the Mill City High School auditorium. Committees for the formal dance will include: refreshment, Patricia Brown, Patricia Cree, Alona Daly, Haftel NeaL JoAnn Kunkles, and JoAnne Leach; down '.airs decora tion, Hazel Caudle, Marlene Walk er, Marjorie Umphress, Lynn Waite, Beryl Mason, and Dorothy Downer; music, Jerry Hamblin, Willa Loucks, Gay Peltier, and Patricia Davidson; Christmas tree, Carol Jane Blazek, Sharon Galla gher, Barbara Smith, Vera Loucks, Donna Cooke, and Arlone Kulh man; program, Betty Lou Cree, Joan Johnson, Donna Nelson, and Elnora Albright; dishes, Darlene Woodard, Maxine Scott, Nola De Vall; upstairs decoration, Patricia McGinnis, Beverly Timm, Joyce Westgaard, Ardith Jones, Dolores Poole, JoAnn Joffman, Wanda Sue Moore, Patricia Nibler, Donna Bengston, and Elaine Clark. Bar bara Barton, GAA vice president, will act as general chairman. low budget gifts, with the upper bracket look! French Imports I 3.50 Exqalsite collection of French Imported leather sieves in aHtv kids. Cker tfce4 gifts! Ia pepmlu- eelers. i Woven Nylon 1.98 Ever popular . . . ever welcome, a gift of fin glovesl Choose from Soars fabulous collection . . . from fino imported leathers with a French accent ... or smart, oasy-oaro for nylons. No matter which you choose, these are all superb values. Fine Leathers 2.98 Handsome quality gleves. with stitched fingers. Claasie favorites ... always welcome gifts. Feomlar eolors sad Beautiful assortment of fine Imported gift glares is kids, eapesklna. Contrasting tsxa baek emffs. In wanted eelers, sixes. Now Swedish Furniture Soon to Hit The U. S. Market Very Light Weight By See Gardner Light weight functional furni ture from Sweden is about to hit the market. trickiest items among the im- ports is a fold ing tea cart. The top tray is 17 by SO inches and stands 25 inches high. A second . shelf folds up with the legs under the top tray to a width of three inches for easy storing. The cart is mounted on heavy casters for easy rolling. Although the whole cart is light, it is not a knockdown con struction but completely assem bled for the homemaker. It comes in birch, beech, walnut or ma hogany finish. Molded plywood frames com bined with jute woven backs and seats appear in a group of all weather furniture. Designed for porch or terrace, many of the r3 Z5 for use as occasional seats and the chaise lounge is In two parts, an arm chair and an otto man. You can use the parts of the chaise separately fpr extra seats. In testing the ' terrace furni ture for Weather resistance, one piece was left for days in water without any damage to the na tural jute or the frames. The jute and plywood designs are. by E. H. Astron of Umea, Sweden, and -will be offered here in a moderate price range, a com fortable, yet sturdy group of modern furniture. Phone 3-9191 In the Capitol Shopping Center (Copyrtcht 1SS1 General Features O Corp.) pieces also fit into indoor groups where occasional chairs, rockers or a chaise lounge is needed. There are two sizes of rockers in the group, one for the man of the house and the other for his wife. The seats of the rockers can be adjusted to just the right height. There are also straight chairs Wiesendanger Heads Committee On Conservation Albert Wiesendanger, executive secretary of the Keep Oregon Green association, is chairman of a new committee to correlate the conservation programs of western states' Keep Green groups. His appointment came at the recent conference on western for estry in Portland. The Keep Green associations at the meeting also approved a ne set of special awards to be made next year to loggers with top re cords in improving fire protection A:G. Rempel, Retired Polk Farmer, Dies DAIJLAS Abraham G. Rem pel. 74, Dallas area resident since 1897 and prominent Tetired Polk coun ty farmer, died Wednesday at his home after an illness of three years. He was for many years active in farmers union cooperative work. He was one of the principal founders of Dallas cooperative warehouse, for several years its manager and a member of the board of directors. Rempel retired from farming in 1934 and resided at the time of his death at 209 E. Salem rd. in Dallas. He was born Feb, 28. 1S77. at Mountain Lake, Minn. He moved with his parents to California un til he was 20 years old, when he came to Dallas. He was married Oct 19, 1902, in Dallas to Katherine B. Friesen. who survives. He was a member of Graced Mennonite church at Dallas. Funeral services will be held at 2' pjn. Saturday, December 8, at Grace Mennonite church with the Rev. J. R. Warkenten and the Rev. J. M. Franz officiating. Di rection will be by Bollman funeral home, Dallas. Burial will be at Salt Creek cemetery. Survivors include the widow, Mrs. Katharine Rempel. Dallas: sons, Bernhard M. Rempel of Di- Tho & 113111 nuba, Calif.. Gay- V. Rempel. Dal las, and Earl F. Rem pel, Salem; daughters; Mrs. Katharine A. Ta res, Salem. Ruth R. Neufeld, Bick reah, and Helen S. Cald well, Idaho; It grandchildren and two great - grandchildren, five brothers and two sisters. KETTJXN ROM KOEEA SEATTLE, Dec S -SV Thirty men from Oregon are among 2, 914 army rotation troops from the Far East due at Seattle December 7 on a military sea transportation vt net. The troop list includes: PTC Notts! E. Bennett. SOS Tyon st, Albany; MSgt. Aaron A. Steele, box 33, Woodburn. CAMXET DEESS B3X lJOXDO?-IXS-The T-nf. Tailor and Cutter, considers Win ston ChurchCrs cabinet the best dressed for years. The trade mag azine said that on the .whole the cabinet produced a "good arerar fashionable figure." I i i l Save And Maga zines Phone 2 2073 IFTS OF DISTINCTION Imported DKAJCI 100 British Socks Knit in the popular Cx2 rib of soft, shrink resistant British wool with nylon reinfor ced heel and toe. Available in ninette col- and so el Or . . . pr. ors . . inexpensive, too home o, HEWITT'S SOCIETY BRAND CLOTHES MEN'S WEAR SENATOR HOTEL SANTA'S STAR PE QFOQIYIE DS ! roiun 5 fell as every one Gifts that shout "MERRY CHRISTMAS" to all of them! your loved ones! ifSgL, A Saw 17 I ft. L HninQ m ra i Yes, heart-catchers, every one of them I For on Elgin watch has the heart that never breaks the watch with the exclusive DuraPower Main spring. What finer way to say "Merry Christmas ...I Love You". ..on Christmas Day... end for years thereafter I Of all the watches the world, only Elgin is timed to the stars in Elgin's own observatory. in t H'H mJl $71. SO e. Wk r S - - ww aw - - - "?ioo ' TV f mn M f 1(1 wilk lk k Ik. $71. SO A ' - '-' V' 'f 14? 14 WW 11 IT. Mtek ai mmt $3950 IT' 5 X i 4 will m4f I - ttr in t r $ . . w EI- 'Dad 7 $1 nU A PENCIL S&TS From 5.00 $Al74tl9tm 3.00' I DIAMOND DUET 95.00 Others to 950.00 ): KIM Ki iMmITm BUY A WATCH FROM A JEWELER IT PAYS Shop Mon. & Fri. Til 9 P.M. V-"-c JlWtlllt Salem's leecCng Credit Jewelers Prke InctWee Federal Tax