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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 17, 1954)
5 1 mqmmmmny nm n .imm, i i u i dim" J i i mm nu.ii hhiiuii ip,mwiWM SANTA'S HOMELAND Shown above is a coastal village in Turkey in the province where St Nicholas was born and raised some 1,600 years ago. The. good saint, patron of sailors, thieves and maiden ladies, was the "real life" person about whom traditions and legends grew into the American "Santa Claus." His homeland, and some of the back ground of "the Christmas saint" are described in the accompanying article. ; . . Turkish Saint Said Basis for Tradition Of American 'Santa' ' Demre, Turkey A few years ago, some globe-trotting Amer icans were swimming under a hot sun here on Christmas day. Despite its great beauty, no set ting, it seemed to them, could have been less appropriate for Santa Claus than the sandy and sunny shores of the Mediter- ranian along Turkey's southern coast. ! After hearing the Americans' comments, a Turkish friend Smilingly bundled them into a car and drove a few miles in land. ! Much to their surprise, they found themselves wander ing through the countryside where "Santa Claus" was born, lived out his life and where he became a legend. St. Nicholas was what he wa3 called in those days. - v Reputation for Generosity I Perhaps the proverbial good nature of St. Nicholas is not so surprising considering the ra diant land he was born into some 1600 years ago. It was here that his reputation for generosity got its start. A tale tells of how he endowed three worthy but poor unmarried girls with the dow ries that enabled them to find husbands.' I This act seems to, have. made k strong impression on our an cestors, as he is often depicted in old pictures holding three gold balls. These symbolize the bags of gold he tossed into the window of the impoverished father, of the spinsters. He thus became the patron "saint of un married, and virtuous, ladies. This is all the more remarkable in view of his popularity with sailors. : Bespecltd by Sailors No doubt, the sailors were less attracted to him for his high moral ' purposes than for his readiness to intercede for those in trouble on the high seas. ;. Oddly enough, even the pi rates respected him as their patron saint, though they ex pressed their respect in a curi ous way. In the year 1087, the Church of St. Nicholas at Myra where the good man was once bishop, was broken into by pi rates who carried back to their home-port most of the Saint's remains, which were buried in a ' sarcophagus in the Church. Churches Given Name -; His popularity was so great in the Middle Ages that hun dreds of churches were named in his honor. More than that, his fame had penetrated secular circles, as well. Pawnbrokers took the three gold balls as a symbol,, and made Nicholas their patron saint, realizing that dig nity would accrue to their pro fession if they could associate their activities with his name. The days of St. Nicholas were not always happy ones. He lived at a time when-, the goddess Diana was the object of wor ship throughout the Mediterran ean area. The Roman Emperor Diocletian, a devotee of the god dess, seeking to extirpate Chris tianity, then only three centu ries old, imprisoned the already well-known Bishop of Myra. The persecution only served to increase Nicholas' fame, and when Constantine came to the throne, the future saint was re leased with honors by the man who made Christianity the offi cial religion of the Empire. Popularity Grew- The years that followed Nich olas' death in the middle of the fourth century saw his . popu larity grow to immense propor tions. He became the patron saint of Russia, and remained so until the downfall of Jhe Tsar. Throughout Europe, his day was observed with merry festivities . and gift-giving. In some of 'the leading Eng lish schools, notably Salisbury, a boy bishop was elected each year and,' gotten up in the like ness of St. Nicholas, presided over festivities that extended from Dec. 6 (St. Nicholas Day) to Dec. 28 (Innocents' or Child ermas Day). It was thus that festivities for the Saint became part of the Christmas season. Cam to America The festival of. St Nicholas became very popular in Hol land. When the Dutch came to America and founded New Am sterdam, which later became New York, they brought the festival with them. As a matter of fact, an image of the Saint formed the figurehead on the prow of the first Dutch immi grant ship that . touched Man hattan Island, and Nicholas was promptly accepted as the patron saint of the future metropolis. The Dutch name for Saint Nicholas saan became "Santa Claus," which was easier to say, and it is under this name that he became widely known throughout the Colonies. Country Described The St. Nicholas country Turkey's province of Antalya is one of the most beautiful places in the world Like its western Mediterranean counter- Eastwood Church Christmas Events Scheduled Sunday A series , of three pre-Christ- mas sermons will be concluded Sunday at 11 a. m. at the East wood Baptist church, the Rev. Willis J. Loar announced. The message, entitled "The Cradle and the Cross," will be supplemented with Christmas music. At the pageant service Sun day at 7:30 p. m., a Christmas pageant "The Story the Angels Told," will be presented. The cast includes Phyllis Mitchell, Georgia Mitchell, Fern Johnson, John Johnson, Jr., William Fry, William Garner, John Yungen, Ronnie Adair, Mike Miller, Mac Simmons. Lynn Campbell, Gary Johnson, Carol Anderson, Larry Tuttle, Nathan Parrish, Jeri Parrish, Willis J. Loar, Margaret Loar, Virginia Yungen, Peggy Garner, Virginia Fry, Joyce Matheus. Lola White, Dorothy Turtle., Carolyn English, David Loar; Steve Parrish, Judi Parrish, Dean Anderson, Henry Anderson, Fern Johnson, Bette Parrish, Mrs. D. A. Harris, Don Matheus and Pearl Orr. The public is invited. A treat will be given the Sunday school children' after the pageant. Friday. December 17, 1954 MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE SEVEN part, the French Riviera, it is remarkable for its variety. Mountains cut off the cold winds from the north, . creating sub tropical valley where bananas and oranges grow. Many streams teeming with fish, rise in the Taurus Mountains, and the hills themselves are alive not only with hares, geese and quail, but with bears and leopards as well. Travelers are beginning to discover the almost forgotten little town of Myra, now called Demre. In recent years, the Turkish government has made strenuous efforts to safeguard what remains of the old Church of St. Nicholas, and has built a shell around it to protect it from the onslaughts of weather. . Old Saint Nicholas has hap pily i captured - the imagination of millions of people the world over. Whether he wears a red suit or a bishop's robe, whether he lives in the icy wastes of the North Pole or along the sunny shores of southern .Turkey, this delightful saint is a colorful and remarkable propagator of cheer and good will as colorful and remarkable as the land he was born in some 1600 years ago. . DRAWING SAT. 8:30 P.M. FREE 2-H.P. Child's Sport Car, Bicycles Watches Toys Jewelry, Etc All Tickets Ar Free No Purchase Necessary to Compete NEXT AT- FORTUNE EVERY MONTH WINNER AT EACH STATION CHOOSES ONE OF 5 MAJOR APPLIANCES Television Range Refrigerator V Automatic Washer or Dryer Finest Grade Major Gasoline for Less at . ; PRIZE WINNING STATION "ON THE POINT" S. CENTRAL SO. 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