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This newspaper page contains 13 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Ottawa Herald
Location
Ottawa, Kansas, United States of America
Date
Dec 02, 1964
Page
3
A reflective overview traces Christmas legends and customs from shepherds and angels to martyred origins, noting Christmas firsts attested by church records and research. It explains December 25 as a roughly dated celebration, the biblical birth unknown, and the stocking gift story linked to St Nicholas and a bishop’s gift of gold.
Every December 25 the Holy Thorn or Glastonbury Thorn is said to bloom in Glastonbury England and a branch of the tree blooms in Washington DC at Cathedral of the Close. Legend places St Joseph of Arimathea near Glastonbury two days before Christmas with the Holy Grail, where his staff rooted into a thorn tree by Christmas Eve.
In South Pacific Fiji Islanders begin Christmas at 2 a.m. with serenades waking villagers. At dawn, the community gathers as some attend church while others prepare the Christmas feast.
The first Christmas feast in England is linked to King Arthur’s Round Table in tradition. While the exact date remains unknown, references to the legendary king in medieval lore date back to early sources and later legends.
The Douglas fir leads as the top Christmas tree despite not being a true fir, with its upturned growth and needle retention boosting its popularity and lumber value. Montana supplies many Douglas firs, while balsam fir, Eastern red cedar, black spruce, and Scotch pine are also common, with Canadian trees prominent in the market.
A compact history of White House Christmas customs highlighting presidents from Washington to Coolidge. It notes Washington’s family gatherings and holly, Jackson’s large parties, Pierce introducing the Christmas tree in 1856, Harrison’s old fashioned celebration, Roosevelt’s initial ban and Archie’s sidestep, and the 1923 first lighting under Coolidge.
The story traces Santa’s changing image from early depictions in The Children’s Friend and Knickerbocker History of New York to Clement Moore’s 1822 poem where he is a pipe smoking plump figure. It notes Nast’s 1869 illustration popularized the modern red suit and pipe.
Rudolph first appeared in 1939 in a song by Johnny Marks, adding a famous sleigh puller beyond Clement Moore's 1823 poem. The tale of his red nose turning mockery into heroism endures as a staple of Santa lore and Christmas lore.
Alabama became the first state to recognize Christmas Day as a legal holiday in 1836, marking a notable early formal acknowledgment of the holiday by a U.S. state government.
The article reflects on the first Christmas as told by Matthew and Luke, tracing how their gospel accounts of the Star, shepherds, angels, and the Nativity frame church and home observances. It notes carols, candlelight, and the gifts of the Wise Men as enduring symbols guiding reverence, wonder, and worship of the Christ child.
The piece notes local church services highlighting Christmas meaning. It contrasts Catholic Mass at midnight with varied timings worldwide, describes candlelight symbolism in Protestant churches, and mentions programs like sermons carols prayers and the Lord's Supper as examples of the season's spiritual focus.
Christmas garlands modernly linked to evergreens cones and herbs trace back to ancient Egypt, a thousand years or more before Christ. The custom of making such wreaths for gala occasions dates to that era.
In the United States the tallest tree is the Indianapolis Soldiers and Sailors Monument Christmas tree. The 246 foot structure is festively lit with electric candles and stars during the season.
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