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University Of Oregon. Library Eugene, Ore. 97^03 Nyssa Gate City Journal VOLUME LXIII The Sugar City THE NYSSA GATE CITY JOURNAL. NYSSA, OREGON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1969 Governor Tom McCall Sends 1969 Christmas Message To Oregonians “Christmas -- in all its bluff and hearty honesty -- is close at hand,” wrote Charles Dickens, “the season of hospi tality, merriment, and open- heartedness!” Perhaps for some, on this last Christmas of a stormy de cade, those words wring our of tune. But somehow and some way, this magic season always gets its message to the human heart. That is the strength and the immortality of ths mid winter festival. Charles Dickens -- a great man of literature and widely remembered for his keen ability at the written evocation of Chrsitmas -- was well aware of the delicate human blending of joy and remorse. “Numerous indeed," wrote Dickens, “are the hearts to which Christmas brings a brief season of happiness and enjoy ment. How many families whose members have been disbursed and scattered, far and wide, in the restless struggles of life, are reunited, and meet once again in that happy state of companionship and mutual good will, which is a source of such pure and unalloyed delight, and one so incompatable with the cares and sorrows of the world. How many old recollections, and how many dormant sympa thies does Christmas time awaken! “Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the de NUMBER LII Lutz Kliche, Foreign Exchange Student, Tells Of German Christinas lusions of our childhood days; that can recall to the old the pleasures of his youth; and transport the sailor and the traveller, thousands of miles away, back to his own and his quiet home.” The power of Christmas is that simpleandthat remarkable. It is a spiritual and social occasion. It reunites those who have been parted. It brings hope into every heart. It says to all mankind: live and love again. On thisChristmas, 1969, Mrs. McCall and I extend our best wishes to you and your family— for the reuniting of loved ones, for the feast of joy, and for the return of hope. But there is another quality of Christmas which should al ways be honored. General Wil liam Booth and the Salvation Army -- strong sumbols of Christmas in themselves -- provide an anecdote which cele brates this quality: One Christmas season many years ago, General Booth wanted to send greetings to every Sal vation Army unit. But they were scattered over six continents and cable rates were expensive. He was forced to limit his mes sage to one word. What would best express the spirit and the challenge of Christmas -- all in one word? After deep thought, he decided, and he sent the mes sage. It read, simply: “Others.” Days are getting shorter now and the nights are getting longer. The Christmas season has ar rived. Perhaps some of you will be interested in hearing what Christmas in Germany is like. Malheur Memorial Hospital Auxiliary members provide the Christmas party for the nursing home residents, and some of them can be seen visting with Santa Claus. They are Mrs. Richard Forbess, Mrs. Jessie Morgan, Mrs. Gerrit Stam, Mrs. Joe Maugho; Mrs. Louise Heldt and Mrs. Herman Towne. Miss Carol Sitts, nurses aide, can be seen in the background. Not pictured are Mrs. E. D. Michaelson, chairman of the committee providing the nice party; and Mrs. Ralph Law rence, Mrs. Wilbur Holcomb, Mrs. Joe Cundall, Mrs. George Patterson, and Mrs. Robert Wilson are other members of the committee. “O Christmas Tree” Means Fir to Most Traditional for trimming, the fir is the tree most people think of when they sing "O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how lovely are thy branches.”’ Although there are close to 40 species of firs found in Cen tral and Southern Europe, Asia north of the Himalayas, and North America, the holi day favorite — the Douglas fir — is not even a true fir. Originally named .'aIse hem lock with yew-like needles, the Douglas fir is neither a yew, hemlock, spruce nor fir. But it does have some of the characteristics of all four evergreens, and its identity confused botanists for years. The Douglas fir’s graceful, upturned growth and ability to hold its needles when cut have put It In the top spot for Christmas use. It also produces top-quality lumber The state of Montana is an important Thunderegg Capital source of Douglas firs. Next popular Christmas tree is the balsam fir. Also called Santa Claus visited the Nursing Home at Malheur Memorial Canada balsam or Balm of Hospital Monday afternoon, and here he can be seen wheeling Gilead, according to The En Santa distributed gifts to each resident, cyclopedia Americana, balsam in the presents. grows from Newfoundland to most of the gifts supplied by the ANK Garden Club, the Hospital Virginia, west to Iowa and Auxiliary, the Y-Teens from Parma, and the Avon Company. north and west deep into Carolers have also been active serenading the nursing home Canada residents, and they included the Boy Scouts, the young people of Balsam retains needles well the Nazarene Church, and the Junior High School Chorus. and give off a pleasing fra- Brownies from Troop 113 brought the folks fruit and nuts. grance. It is especially well- liked in the Eastern United States. Included among the many other Christmas choices are the Eastern red cedar, black spruce and Scotch pine. Canadian Christmas trees, Christmas without tradition accepted these customs and from seven provinces, are part of the holiday scene in many is like bread without yeast have been using them year after countries. The United States, flat; a shoe without polish-dull; year without really knowing alone, accounts for about 90 eating apple pie with a cold what most of them mean. per cent of Canada s annual tasteless. Most of our Yuletide The tradition of decorating production of trees. Still oth- customs are ancient beliefsand evergreen trees started in Ger ers are shipped abroad, from practices passed down to us many. Saint Boniface adorned Ethiopia to Venezuela. from past generations. We lave an evergreen tree to symbolize the new non-pagen faith which replaced the pagen worship of a sacred oak tree. Ancient Druids believed the mistletoe had medicinal powers and that it protected a house from witchcraft. Therefore, mistletoe was hung throughout the home. Because the mistle toe was also considered a plant of peace, enemies often met beneath it to settle their differences. This is where the traditional kissing beneath the mistletoe first began. Correct origin of the Christ mas wreath is not known for certain but its cirrcular shape symbolizes God’s love which has no beginning and no end. Medieval Christians believed in Him. To help guide Him to their homes, they set candles in the windows. This is how the candle became a part of Christmas. flower “Flor de la Noche Buena” which means Flower of the candle became a part of Christmas. Dr. Joel Poinsett discovered a flower in Mexico in 1828 and introduced it into the United States. People in Mexico and Pictured is the living room window of is something that everyone should make an Central America called this Jake and Nona Fischer, showing the annual effort to see. Other homes beautifully decorated are (he flower "Flor de la Noche Christmas scene prepared by Nona. Each Buena" which means Flower of year the scene is different, and each year Anna Ten sen and S. P. Bybee residences on the Holy Night, because it Nona starts from scratch preparing her Columbia, about a mile and a half west of reaches full bloom at Christ own brand of magic to delight Nyssa area the highway. Many folks have gone to extra efforts mas. In the United States It residents. to make Nyssa a very attractive town at is called the poinsettia in honor of--you guessed it—Dr. Poin The Fischer’s live west of the hospital Christmas, and a drive around town in the sett. on Alberta Avenue, and the scene at night evening is most worthwhile. Tradition’s Sheen Gives Christmas Gleam Churches Celebrate Holy Day that twinkle at Christmas today. Candlelight services reflect the radiance of the holiday, in Christian observances ev erywhere. "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:13-14. Since the angelic chorus brought "glad tidings of great joy” to shepherds watching in the fields, hymns and car ols of rejoicing have told of the wonder and glory of Christmas. That the words of the an gels composed the first of all Christmas carols is a thought repeated again and again in favorite songs of the season. With special services, churches of this community celebrate Christmas — a hol iday that Is, first of all, a holy day. Festivals of light, music and prayer are dedicated to the birth of a Holy Child in Bethlehem, nearly two thou sand years ago. For Christian believers, each of these — light, music, prayer—has a special mean ing associated with Christ mas. "And lo, the star, which “Hark! tlir Herald Angel« they saw in the east, went be Sing” make« ihi« thought it« fore them, till it came and theme, and another familiar stood over where the young carol, “It (dime upon the child was. When they saw the Midnight Clear,” i* devoted to star, they rejoiced with ex “that gloriou« «ong of old,” ceeding great joy." Matthew on the night when “the world 2-9-IO. in Rolemn «tillne«« lay to hear The Star that guided the the angel« aing.” Wise Men shines as symbol Christmas music in the of Christ, the Light of the world, and It in turn is sym churches celebrates the Joy bolized by all the bright lights of the Nativity "And when they were The star used at Christmas come into the house, they represents the Star of the East saw the young child with that guided the tree wise men Mary his mother, and fell to Bethlehem. Likewise, lights down, and worshipped him " Matthew 211. at Christmas symbolize Christ "And the shepherds re as the “Light of the World.” turned, glorifying and prais The year 1843 was historic ing God for all the things when in England Sir HenryCole that they had heard and sent the world’s first Christmas seen, as it was told unto card. To whom he sent it is them." Luke 2:20. Thus wrote two of Christ s not known. It took more than 30 years for the Christmas disciples. Matthew and Luke, card to become popular. They telling of the awe and won were first introduced in the der, the joy and reverence experienced alike by wise United States in 1875 and to men and shepherds. day most everyone sends Especially at Christmas, in greeting cards to his family, church services and private friends and business as devotions, Christians give sociates. prayerful thanks to Ood, for From the Norse and Anglo- the miracle of the manger. Saxons we get the traditional yule log. They burned a huge oak log once a year to honor Thor, the Norse god of thunder. After becomingChristians, they DATF MAX. MIN. PRET. made the yule log an important Dec. 1? 33 42 .02 part of their Christmas cere Dec. 18 34 42 monies. Dec. 19 33 40 No matter how you say it- Dec. 20 .49 34 49 Zalig Kerstfeest, GledellgJul, Dec. 21 .26 35 51 S Rozhdestvom Kristovym, Dec. 22 .07 33 43 Prettige Kerstdagen, Felices Dec. 23 .09 33 Pascuas, Boas Festes, Froeh- liche Weihnac Mei, Joyeux Noel, OWYHÏÏ RESERVOIR Kung Hei Shim Tian, Glaedelig STORAGE Jul, Boon Natale, MerryChrist- mas--Christmas is Christmas 12/22/69 461,770 Acre Feet in any language! 12/22/68 164,250 Acre Feet. Germany's Christmas season starts with the first of the four Sundays beforeChristmas, called the First Advent. The second Sunday is called the Se cond Advent and so on. These four weeks before Christmas are the time of shopping, baking cookies and decorating the house. Everyone wants to have a white Christmas, “weisse Weihnacht,” but usually we get most of our snow after Christ mas. If it does snow, the snow sometimes melts two or three days before the great day, December 24. In the morning and afternoon of the 24th, last preparations are made. The Christmas tree is decorated and gifts are wrap ped. In the evening, the whole family dresses up and attends church services. Going to church on Christmas Eve is a social event and after a walk through the village, which is always very nicely decorated, we meet with other members of our clan and some friends in an old cafe. Here we sit and talk, the men about their business and the women about the latest gossip. When we arrive home at ten, nobody is really hungry because everybody is anxious to open his gifts. We just have a cold snack and then go into the living room, where around the tree the gifts are decorated. Before presents are unwrapped, it is traditional to sing some Christmas songs. We stay up very late having a good time. December 25, the original Christmas day we usually go over to a relative’s or friend’s house for dinner. The young people soon find something to do while the parents sit toget her and talk. The second Christmas day, December 26, is usually spent the same way. In the evening I go to the armory or attend a show with my friends. Why Pick Chimney? St. Nick Has Reasons Why does Santa come down the chimney? Of all the traditions con nected with Santa, his un conventional mode of entry might seem the most puz zling. Surely the magical gift giver, who has the power to drive reindeer through the skies and who can cover the earth in a single night, could find an easier way to enter a house. Like most of the lore of Christmas, Santa’s choice of the chimney has several ex planations. For instance, leg end has it that the original Santa, St. Nicholas, present ed three maidens with gifts of gold for a dowry. Modest ly concealing his generosity, he tossed the gold down a chimney, in secret. Another theory claims that Santa copied a goddess, who was the first to deliver gifts Manger Scene Dated at 1224 A beautiful custom from Latin lands is the building of the man ger scene, a small model of the stable where Christ was born. In Italy it is called “presepio”, in Spanish it is called “naci- mento", and in French it is called “creche.” Nearly everyCatholicChurch has its manger scene. St. Francis is said to have initiated the custom when he set up a stable on Christmas Eve in 1224. Nowadays the manger scene is made of stones which are covered with moss or greens, with figures of Mary and Joseph near the cradle, animals, Shep ards and wise men in the back ground. via a chimney According to this legend, when the Vikings of Norway celebrated the Yuletide or winter solstice in their great halls, a festive feature of the occasion was the appearance of the god dess Hertha in the fireplace. As her name indicates, Hertha was goddess of hearth and home, and most appro priately arrived by way of the chimney, to deliver her Yuletide gifts of good luck and good cheer. Still another explanation takes a practical point of view. Housewives of North ern Europe, cleaning house for the New Year, used to coax children to help with the chores by saying, "Let’s clean the hearth St Nicho las will soon be coming down the chimney." The children willingly set to work, and thus, says leg end, a tradition was born Even when he takes to heli copter or jet plane, Santa de livers his gifts by way of the chimney! Yodeling Yule An old custom of the Aus trian Tyrol is the Christmas yodel Traditionally, the Yuletide yodel—a song with out words — may be impro vised, or it may be based on the tune of a familiar carol. CARDS WERE GENERAL Most of the popular Christ mas cards of the later 19th century in Europe had no particular Christmas signifi cance. There were some man ger scenes and others of re ligious nature, but these were far outnumbered by land scapes, flowers, kittens, and similar subjects. WEATHER Mr. and Mr*. S. P. Kelley presented the two lovely paintings shown above to the Malheur Memorial Hospital. Here Ernest King, hospital administrator, and Sid Kelley hold the pictures painted by Sid in recent years. I