Show 4 110t 14 WESTERN mum osff Vol 75 Number 51 Gunnison Utah 84634 H4 10 MICKOOHAt'lilC 4r)5r) COMMERCE SMT IAkE OIT 01! IH S 200 E 84107-37- 0)15 & man 50 cents Tuesday December 24 1996 a (Sift to Last tub Whqlb Thb Haw at Spirit 7b a r vb From Jim Olsen Publisher A lovely family dinner with traditional holiday foods A Christmas party with 50 close friends An exciting morning of tearing open colorfully wrapped gifts with the children A romantic evening by the fire with a loved one A walk through a snowy wonderland while sipping warm apple eider Christmastime means many things to many people but one thing remains constant — the holidays are a time of goodw ill toward men After a year of hustle and bustle and dealli ing Christing with the stress of mas is when people can relax and enjoy the happiness that infuses the season Warmth and generosity seem to fill even one's heart as people spread joy to their family friends and even strangers on the street Whether remembering the delightful Christmases spent with grandma and grandpa or planning a special holiday for their ow n children and grandchildren people arc filled w ith the spirit of the season A feeling of harmony is in the air bringing people from far and wide together They share their time their thoughts and even special gifts with each other and they seem to forget about the troubles they faced just a short while ago Christmas is a time of reflection and rcju allowing people to recover from their hectic daily This feeling of calmness a part of the fabric of the holidays helps people prepare for the new year ahead of them However once Christmastime has passed many people go back to the way they were — stressed frustrated and tdb busy to take time out for the pleasures of life This year they should let the spirit of Christmas live throughout the year Not only will they be happier but their kindness will brighten another person's life and hopefully lie or she will spread this joy on to others This is just one small way to make the world a better place So to their Christmas list people can add a wish that the holiday spirit lasts the whole year through Holiday Traditions Have Ties to English History Singing carols exchanging girts enjoying a holiday feast and ishing others good cheer — this is w hat Christmas is all about to many people However some may not know that these traditions arc related to English celebrations Giving gifts on Christmas is a Victorian custom Before that lime people exchanged gifts on New Year's Day or Twelfth Night Beginning in the Victorian era British children would write letters to Father Christmas and throw them into the fireplace They believed the draft would carry the letters up the chimney and Father Christmas would be able to read the smoke The tradition of hanging stockings from the mantel also comes from this time period According to legend Father Christmas once dropped some gold coins tide coming down a chimney Instead of falling through the ash grate the coins landed in stocking that had been hung on the mantelpiece to dry From then on children have hung out their stockings in hope of finding them filled with gifts Singing carols at Christmas also has English origins In the Middle Ages groups of singers and musicians called waits would roam from house to house singing carols to spread the holiday spirit Most of the popular carols sung today were written during the Victorian era Decorating the home with holly and other greenery is an English winter tradition that began long before the Christian era Historians believe this was done to lift people's spirits and remind them that spring would soon arrive Hanging mistletoe has become especially popular today because people enjoy kissing under the mistletoe This custom descended from ancient Druid ceremonies Drinking wassail is another English custom that continues today Deriv ed from the phrase 'wacs haclf meaning good health'' wassail was meant to enhance the merriment of the holiday season It originally w as made of mulled ale cream roasted apples nuts eggs and spices Throughout the years people have developed quite a ceremony for drinking wassail First the bowl is carried into the room Then people sing a traditional carol about the drink Finally the hot beverage is served This year as people decoiatc their homes and raise their glasses in a toast of good cheer they can know that they are carrying on centuries-oltraditions ery9M MtR |