ESTABLISHED

-1912

~ Serving the Municipalities of Central Saanich, North Saanich, the Town of Sidney, and the Gulf Islands ”

SED STE NEA No. 52

2 PAGES

| SIDNEY, ee eee

eee 23, 1968

in the hearty, happy spirit of a real old-fashioned Christmas.
we wish for you and your family a holiday season warm and bright with

good cheer and good fellowship.'To you and to our

countless friends throughout this area, we extend our most sincere appreciation.

i) LEASE RU ee ES
Yesteryear’s Customs Live At Yuletide

. Candles and carols, trees
and treats, gifts and greens
—- and Santa Claus, of course.
Wherterer Christmas is cele-
brated, these symbols seem
to appear.

In the modern eta of rapid
communication, there is 4
growing wtiformity in the
ways that people everyehere

choose to mark the haliday.

Yestervear'’s customs, how-
ever, stili have their plate in
modern celebrations. H's a
case of “the more things
change, the mare they slay
the same.” as countries. com-
munities and individuals

seek to cherish and preserve!

theit own special holiday tra-

PRS LENG igh TP Le

ditions. .

Some of these traditions.
as treasured in memory of
kept alive in holiday ritual,
are complied in the icllow-
ing paragraphs. according to
information from the editors
of Encyclopedia Internation-
al.

OO Sapte A ete RIGO LANG GI toe LP IAL SY

ire a Mystery

Mysterious things happen
on Christmas Eve, say coun-
try legends of Switzerland.
Yourig people may foretell
the future, if they drink
from nine diferent Iountains
while the midnight church
bells chime. Then, if they
hasten to the church steps,
their future mates will await
them there.

Somewhat less romantical-
ly, older folk seek to predict

the weather for the coming
year, using onion peels filled
with salt.

a

* 2

Hoto Many Holidays?

Traditionally. Belgians cél-
ebrate three holidays at the
Chrisimas season — begit-
ning ‘vith St. Nicholas Day,
December 6th, when the good
saint brings ‘gifts for chil-
dren.

Then comes St. Thomas

Day, December 2ist. It's 2
sort of “trick or treat” day
fer school children, who try
to play tricks on their teach-
ers.

The third holiday, of
coutsé, is Christmas.

* # @€
Wrapping Gifts
When Getman tradition
is followed, unwrapping a
Christhas gift tan be an
amusing but complicated
process.

s
vary

oie

boon Heritages
Of The Ages

By H.V. GREEN
Music: Editor

The younger. generation cannot’
do without its “Top Twenty’? of |
‘popular songs, so: why not a.
“Top Twenty’ 0 of Christmas car>.

‘shivering “ciiiiden wen - from

~ One “might ° ‘Suppose “that: the a

popularity ot carols does: not.
rom” year to year,. but E
_ there have indeed been changes _

which ° ‘are noticeable to: those

ber, a

“Most of ‘the. old favorites ¢ are ~
“We Sang them in

popular: still.
/our youth in church, around the

piano at. home and in the streets :

On. bitterly . ‘cold nights, “ ‘When ”

"Lento .

“By. the time

ct holder. chad, age
_who ” can look back. more “years ;

than: they.may care to” remem:

4 Blend stanza mp)

this electronic | “age.
We did not sing “Silke

world during ‘th pr
tury. If only ‘because’ so . many

“have. nominated -Silent Night” and. e:

» Wesley's well’ “remembered:

words adapted to. equally fam=.-

“Handel air- io: the: ‘words ot. i the

“Rev. Isaac’ Watts. produced -a =

carol — well: suited. to bold. and

lusty singing.

OF more modern general pop-
ularity: is ‘the old French carol,
Angels O'er. the Fields Were 4
Flying, inanother familiar trang+
‘fation, Shepherds in the Field
Abiding.. The contrapuntal gioria-

in Excelsis Deo ending. each of

the verses in an unparalled ex

pression of joy...

The next choice is ‘one of the Us

utmost simplicity, Lullay, Thew

Little Tiny Child, known as the '

, Coventry Carol... There is no.

# clue to the origin of either words - : .

of melody, both are English and
of great antiquity. The medieval

‘words of adoration are matched

to a plaintive tune of peculiarly _ :
satisfying quality, and yet the ©: *.°
same little melody can take on-

a tragic aif of fear and fore=
boding in the verse telling of
Herod’s iniquity. | :

The old narrative carols cer-
tainly must be represented amon ©
the most popular of to-day. Good

King Wenceslas of ancient re-  ¢

gown is unlikely t be dethroned
as thé while carols are sung. No
other carol better Hlustrates the
prevailing spirit of goodwill and

the tane is one of the richest in |

our beritage.

Good Christian Men, Rejoice!
is sung to a German Mthreatury
melody with ah irresistable lilt,
and God Rest You, Merry Gentie-~
meh is & typical example of the
ttaditiousl English caro! handed

down from generation & getert--

ation, Ft is fitting, too, to inched