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PEACE ON EAR

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“Her 1 King”,

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GIVE. PRAISE To nm

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s VPPL IES

L. CASTAELIR TE ‘2

~Yuldle Is.
Time For

Customs

As the world grows smaller,

* Christmas observances,in dif-

ferent countries’. grow. more

Similar. Santa Claus’in red.

suit and: white beard drives
his reindeer-drawh' sleigh to

North, _ Central «and ‘South ..
‘America and to many other

countries as well. . ~

“In fact, when the first ex-
plorer. lands. on Mars, he
shouldn’t be ‘too surprised to
discover: that Santa, and even

. Rudolph, got, there first,

Sharing of Christmas cus-

-, toms, however, only serves to |
point up the fact. that this is:
a holiday: for everyone, and a-

holiday’ which draws ideas

from all lands and times, unit- -:
ing them in: both religious and!
secular observances of the.
Season. *

woe

In Mexico | .
Celebrating the posada is a.
. Mexican: custom focused on

the Nativity..

“Posada” means. “lodging” .
‘ or: “inn,” . and ‘for the nine
: “posada.” days from December
’ 16 to 25, churches, hotels, social .
* groups ‘and. families through- -

out. Mexico act out the story
of the Nativity.
A procession : of, pilgrims

--eomes to the place where. the

celebration is scheduled, They
earry clay figures of Mary and
Joseph, and they seek shelter

- ¢rom'the “innkeepers” within.

At first the innkeepers. re-
fuse, then they admit the pil-
grims to feast and rejoice. Fig-

ures -representing Mary and

Joseph are placed'in a replica

of.the manger. On Christmas —
Eve, the figure represent
. Jesus is added. :

ee,

In Holland

. Gifting. season in Holland -
traditionally. begins on De-

cember 5 and is called “Stroo -

‘ivand” or. “strewing night. Baise
Children | place: their shoes by..

the ee ‘filled’ wh car-
rots and hay for St. Nicholas’
horse — in ‘the expectation
‘that on the morrow the shoes

will contain candy, teults and

toys.

* *

‘In Scotland

“Christmas feast favorites in
Scotland’ include shortbread
a rich cake or cookie, and hag-
gis, a kind of: pudding. New

-Year’s Eve, .or Hogmanay, is

the principal day for gifts and

greetings, when children go

singing from house .to house,

in hopes of-a treat. New Year's’.
visits are paid — and it’s cus-| .

tomary for the ‘visitor to bring
along a pocketful | of: coal.

In Portugal”
‘Christmas is the occasion for
a family celebration .among -

‘the Portuguese. Families gath-. .
er on Christmas Eve for din- ;
ner at the home of the oldest:

_ living relative. After the‘chil-*-
dren have gone to’bed, a crib |
or ereche is placed before the: .

fireplace, and around it are’ —
grouped the children’s shoes, .

which serve the same function
as Christmas ‘stockings.
Pa cet

In Brazil
‘Papa Noel makes the Christ-
mas Eve rounds in Brazil,:in

‘ a reindeer-drawn: sleigh. He
‘trims. the trees. with popcorn
and bits of cotton — to make |

up for. the snow that hever
falls: Since Christmas weather

in Brazil‘is summery, picnics ©
‘and boating excursions are
f part of ‘the celebration. |

In Germany « :
“Many modern. Christmas:

customs come ‘from Germany,

“including: the lighted: ever-‘
- green tree. Appropriately, gift-:

choosing season-in West Ger-
many © today starts after
Christmas’ bonuses are distri-
buted on December 1.

WRITING CAROLS =...
Men from. many walks of

_ life have contributed to the .

Christmas chorus of carols.
Francis Scott Key was not only

- @ lawyer and the author of the

Star Spangled: Banner;, he also
wrote carols, And the com-
edian, Harpo Marx, authored

CHRISTMAS BE. AS
IGHT AND
' SHINING AS. A STAR |

Best wishes, for i
- filled: with ‘happiness.

_ tween Sant ‘Claus;

Ae #3 panging

: and: pawnbrokers’ ” ‘sens’ ‘are.

‘traditions © that come: from

hung- up by: the. i
7, andthus began tl

tom::of* hanging up,.s

tobe \filled with . gifts.

“Bankers in. Northern ‘Italy -
- took him’ as their patron and.”

used ‘the ‘sign of three gold

-"balls. Because | bankers «lent:

*-moneyy ‘the sign later became

: associated ‘with. pawnbrokers, a
and today: this zcustony: Cotes ns

Creates | Seal

ie familiar. Christmas
appearing on’ so, many
‘packages - and: letters: ‘during.
the. holiday ; Season’ owes‘ its

origin to an’ American physi-: :
; clan, a Danish ‘postal’ ‘worker.
’ a dy from atest

Or, ‘Edward Living

‘ston. Trudeau, was stricken.”
‘with TB ‘shortly : ‘after gradua- ~

“t4on from medical school, says
_ The _Enéyclopedia’ ‘Americana.
“TO help ‘other peopl W:
the disease —- both his brother:

“and his. daughter hadi it— and -

‘to. tést his:own. ideas, Dr. Tru

deau set up the first successful :

tuberculosis’ ea

time, far va
-across ‘the..sea. in: ‘Denmark,

a: Danish jpostal::work, ‘Hinar

Holboell, had the:idea of sell- ,

_ ing penny seals to put on’ pack-... an
> ages’ at Christmas, to remind <>"
people, to help sick. and needy:

fering from tuber-

ine: of Denmark ap-<

e idea dnd. | the.

roup of. doctors: had...
a small: hospital tobe...

‘of ‘funds, ‘a. cousin: of one
he. doctors. came. “to! the

ey magazine ‘article about the i
; “suecessiul Christmas seal: sides

nm? Denmark,

‘Here’ ct hoping. :
that your Holiday. is

: everse beat and: ey: