THURSDAY. DECEMBER 21. 1961
THE NYSSA GATE CITY JOURNAL NYSSA. OREGON
PAGE FOURTEEN
Tradition Assisted
Mystery of Magi
Bulldog Staff Has Mild Disagreement Santa Claus Now When
Washington
A Changed Man Crossed the Delaware Leads to Legends
Reports Differ on Holiday
Weather
Santa Claus has undergone
Familiar to all is the visit of the
During the American Revolu
’a moonlit night, with the stars quite a metamorphosis in his
Magi to Bethlehem—and yet little
By LOIS SPITZE
tion, George Washington used his
time. Before Dr. Clement Moore, knowledge
of Christmas celebra
Santa’s appearance was a problem tions to take
Well, it looks like a snowless
an important step
left
mostly
to
individual
discre
Christmas this year. We are sor
toward
peace.
tion and personal taste. He might
ry to disappoint you, but the
Puritan settlers in the New
be short or tall, plump or thin,
weatherman won’t take a bribe.
World disapproved of Christmas
merry
or
solemn.
Seriously, though, this holiday
but Washington knew
The European St. Nicholas was I I festivities,
can be just as beautiful without
the Hessian soldiers, employed by
pictured
as
a
tall,
thin
man
who
snow. Who knows if there was
III to fight the colonists,
rode a gray horse. In 1809, Wash . George
snow on the first Christmas? It
would observe Christmas as they
ington
Irving
described
Santa
as
might have been a beautiful au
a jolly fellow who wore a wide- had done at home.
tumn day or a misty, foggy eve
On Dec. 25-26, 1776, he crossed
brimmed
hat.
ning when Christ was born.
the Delaware river, attacked and
After
Dr.
Moore
wrote
“
’
Twas
Many people across the world
the Night Before Christmas” in put to route the surprised Hes
have a wonderful Christmas with
sians who had been obliviously
1823, St. Nick acquired definite sleeping
out even seeing snow. It is the
off the effects of their
external characteristics. Ever af holiday festivities.
spirit of the people at this time,
ter,
children
“
knew
in
a
moment
not the weather, that determines
Christmas can come to an end it must be St. Nick” by his well-
whether Christmas is beautiful or
in a blaze of glory — and a safe fed, merry appearance—twinkling
unsightly.
a rosy face — and his
Christmas is more than a pret one, too. Custom sets a date for eyes and
and reindeers for transpor
ty season; it is a feeling of love the disposal of the tree by burn sleigh
of God and for man which is ing. It’s Jan. 6, the Twelfth Night tation.
shared with others. The beauty of Christmas, or Epiphany—tra The image of Santa was affirm
of Christmas is more than the ditionally the night when the ed in 1869 when Thomas Nast’s
By JEANIE SEUELL
beauty of the weather; it is the Three Wise Men, or Magi, made cartoon was published, picturing (Ny.aa High Journalism Student)
beauty in the souls of the people their visit to the Christ Child in Santa in his now - familiar red Dear Editor,
garb, smoking a pipe. Like all
Bethlehem.
who celebrate it.
I am Comet, one of Santa’s
The modern world, reviving the famous men, Santa today finds it eight tiny reindeer. I am writing
difficult
to
travel
anywhere
in
to tell your readers to please have
If you’re dreaming of a white Twelfth Night custom of bonfires cognito.
for disposing of the tree and other
mercy on us this year.
Christmas, it looks like your greenery,
combines the safety fac
Every year we are bogged down
dream will come true. The wea
tor with community spirit and
with gifts for Americans. Santa
ther is all set for a snowfall.
fun.
nearly works his fingers to the
Millions of soft, fluffy, sparkling
Twelfth Night celebrations are
bone
trying to please you. He
snowflakes will fall from the sky. planned in many communities in
gets a bigger sleigh every year
They will land on everything in public parks for neighborhood
When Christ was born in Beth to hold the freezers, hi-fi’s and
sight, cling to your clothes and groups. It’s a great night for the lehem,
the giant redwood tree Corvettes. Last year he even re
give your face a quick washing. kids and their parents.
that is now the U. S. National sorted to having Rudolph help
Slowly these tiny flakes will
Children bring the trees to the Christmas tree had already been pull the sleigh, as well as guide
form a blanket covering the earth. park or the town collects them. growing for 2,000 years.
This pure white blanket can be On Twelfth Night everyone gath Located in King’s Canyon Na it, because it was getting too
heavy to pull.
used for snowballs, snowmen or ers around the bonfire of trees
tional
Park,
Calif.,
the
tree
is
a
Now, with the Russians we
a game of fox and geese.
and greenery to sing carols.
“Sequoia Gigantea” — a conifer have no problem. We never have
It is an excellent background
ous, evergreen tree—and its age to worry about t hem wanting
for a sleigh ride or hay ride on Classifieds Get Quick Resultsl
is estimated, from its annual rings washing machines or color TV’s.
of growth, at 4,000 years. Its ma We simply tell their leaders that
jestic redwood trunk rises 267 the natives don’t want any Christ
feet.
mas presents — and they don’t.
The U. S. Department of the
So once again I plead, please
Interior officially designated this go easy on us this year. Remem
redwood as the National Christ ber that your everyday heritage
mas Tree on April 28, 1926. Ear of life, liberty and the pursuit
lier, it had been named the Gen of happiness would make anyone
eral Grant Tree, for the 18th from behind the Iron curtain the
President.
best Christmas present of all.
In December, Christmas ser
vices are held annually at the 'Season's Greetings'
base of the tree, climaxing a
CAROL YOUNG
month - long Christmas Festival (Nyssa By High
Journalism Student)
celebration by the citizens of San
M
—
oney
you
have to spend on
ger and neighboring communities
other people.
of Fresno county, Calif. Members
of the National Park service place E— xpect your CARE package any
day now.
a wreath at the base of the tree.
R—ace to the Christmas tree in
the morning.
R—elax!! (?) It’s vacation!
Y—ogi. Ah, that’s Santa’s middle
name.
By JAN RINEHART
(Nyua High JuurnallHru Student)
C—areful Santa, that chimney is
awfully narrow.
One of the most beautiful things
about Christmas is the beauty of H— elp! Santa’s caught in the
chimney.
decorations. Red and green are
the basic colors of Christmas. R—eturn all size 22 gifts.
They can be accented with white. I—wanna hippopotamus for
Red is considered a warm col
Christmas.
or. It could symbolize the warmth S—end Clyde Swisher a new
that the birth of Christ has
black whip.
brought to all people. During the T—ell Santa I love him.
Christmas season small children
have a warm feeling in their M—ake your gifts—it’s cheaper.
hearts for Santa Claus.
A—Ivin wants a hulu hoop for
In many homes across the coun
Christmas.
try you see beautifully decorated S—anta’s watching, but we don’t
Christmas trees. Pine boughs are
care.
also used for decorating homes.
The greenness of Christmas sym KING ARTHUR'S YULE
bolizes life and growth. Jesus'
According to story, the first
birth on Christmas begins a new Christmas in England was cele
life and growth for all Christian brated at the famous Round Table
people.
of King Arthur.
(Nyssa High Journalism Student)
twinkling overhead.
Snow just seems to bring the
spirit of Christmas with it. After
the first snow everyone begins to
think of Christmas. They start
shopping for gifts, practicing
Christmas carols or planning par
ties and hay rides.
Perhaps the weather and your
dream can get together and plan
an extra white “white Christmas”
this year.
Christmas Season
Ends in Safe Blaze
Letter to Editor
Written by Comet
Santa's Reindeer
Giant Redwood
Is U.S. Yule Tree
Cheerful Colors
Brighten Season
is known about it. In the books
of the New Testament, only St.
Matthew reports the visit.
St. Matthew called them “wise
men from the East.” In the leg
ends that have developed, they I
are sometimes called “Magi,” be
cause this word, meaning "au
gust,” was the name given priests
of the ancient Medes and Per- :
sians.
Tradition says they had heard !
that a bright new star would an
nounce the coming of a Saviour to
the world. After years of watch- j
ing, they saw the star and set out
from Babylon to find Him.
In Bethlehem they gave the
Christ Child gold in a shrine- |
shaped casket, a sign that they
accepted Him as their King; I
frankincense, a symbol of His
deity; and myrrh in a golden horn
as a prophecy of His death.
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