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Show THE PAYSON Towns of Christmas Abound Here & There Five communities in the United States and one in Canada are named for the Nativity season: CHRISTMAS, GILA COUNTY, ARIZONA CHRISTMAS, ORANGE COUNTY, FLORIDA CHRISTMAS, LAWRENCE COUNTY, KENTUCKY CHRISTMAS, BOLIVAR COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI CHRISTMAS, ROANE COUNTY, TENNESSEE CHRISTMAS ISLAND, NOVA SCOTIA In addition, Minnesota, "The Land of Lakes, prides itself on having a lake in Scott County by the name of Christmas. Christmas in England The first Christmas in England is believed to have been observed in the year 521, at the time King Arthur was celebrating his victory marking the recapture of York. Guests, including the national heroes, were gathered about the famous Round Table where they feasted to the music of wandering minstrels. Austrian Carols In Western Austria it is the custom for entire villages to join in the singing of carols on Christmas Eve. In a unique torch parade, families join one another marching to the village, with carolers joining all along the way. Eventually, the whole population is part of the procession which ends at the village church. torch-bearin- Payton, Utah There is something about the season of Christmas that brings a family closer together. The extent of this "togetherness depends upon the number of activities that are undertaken as a family project. A real "family Christinas can include working together on everything, from selecting the tree to preparing Christmas treats in the kitchen. The male members of the family may grumble a bit, but, with few exceptions, they enjoy being assigned the task of preparing the tree. If such is possible, they enjoy even more an excursion to the woods where Mother Nature offers a wide selection of trees in various shapes and sizes. Helping prepare cookies and other Christmas treats is fun for distaff members of the household. Most young girls are pleased with the opportunity to show their versatility in making original decorations for the home. Give them a supply of pine cones, holly, tree branches, cardboard, tinsel and spray paint and they are ready to go. Putting the tinsel, lights and other decorations on the tree should be a family project. After this, going to church as a family and the traditional gathering around the festive board combine to put real "toin the holiday obgethernessservance. CHRONICLE 84651 - CHRISTMAS ISSUE Thursday, December 25, 1969 Time goes on and on, yet red and green continue as the most popular colors of Christmas. One can find no legendary or historical reasofi, and many assume that it has something to do with the green holly with its red berries. On the other hand, it just may be that these bright colors are so popular because they are the brightest of shades. More and more other colors, particularly dark blue, white or silver and red gold are being used for holiday decorations, its true. Yet, they have a long way to go before they threaten the popularity of red and green. "SILENT NIGHT" was near, yet Christmas there was sadness in a small village in Austria. The church organ had broken down and it appeared there would be no music for Christmas services. Father Joseph Mohr wrote a poem and asked the organist Franz Gruber, to set it to music suitable for a guitar. The poem was Silent Nighf" and the village choir sang it that Christmas in 1818 to the accompaniment of a guitar. ) Page Furniture Most Memorable Christmases are ever but this one, surely, must be the most memorable of all. Each year It seems sol and each year its true. Every Christmas is more delightful than the last, if only because it is enriched by one more memory of Christmas past. Memories and traditions mount up to make the Christmas customs of today. Most such customs began so long ago that their exact and accurate origin is hidden in the mists of time, and several theories may be put forward to explain why and how each custom developed. Happily, the wealth of legend and lore woven about Christmas is pleasing rather than confusing. Especially at this season, a touch of the magical and mystical is more to be welcomed than a deluge of precise factual detail, and one of the special charms of Christmas customs is the hint of mystery surrounding them. No two alike In Germany Bert's Western Wear & Equipment The celebration of a West German Christmas is filled with tradition, foremost of which is the Christmas tree, dating back 400 years. Until recently, trees were trimmed with candles, and although artificial lighting for tree ornaments has been introduced, the candles are still preferred by many. all the joys and blessings season . . . Christmas. we tradition treasure. the is Merry of this glorious holiday Keith Jolley Mortuary |