Show ADVERHSBHENT health Every Christmas Tree Has Its Roots It was a special time The whole family gathered 'round the tree at Christmas time (or Thanksgiving time for some of us) and shared in the age-ol- d tradition of decorating the Christmas tree It was truly a family undertaking Everyone contributed from grandpa right down to little Amy Dad would lift up Amy so she could place the angel on the very top of the tree And when we were done we would all stand back and gaze proudly at our work — a tall proud tree with blinking lights candy canes and beautiful Hallmark ornaments None of us spoke We didn't need to The moment said it all But none of us ever really knew why we decorated the tree It was tradition so we did it So one day I decided to find out how it all started I found a book of origins at the library and sat down to leam why we did some of the things we do at Christmas UNADORNED ORIGIN Legend has it the Christmas tree had its origin in Germany early in the Eighth Century' But it was undecorated A British monk was preaching a sermon on the Nativity to Germanic Druids To help convince idolators the oak tree wasn't sacred he cut one down where he stood Every shrub in the falling tree’s path was crushed save for a small fir sapling Deeming the survival a miracle the monk declared “Let this tree be called the tree of the Christ Child" Germans celebrated subsequent Christmases by planting fir saplings By the 16th Century Germans were decorating trees both indoors and out "While the unadorned tree w’as beautiful in its simplicity" notes Cyndee Graves Hallmark Keepsake Ornament business marketing manager “adding brightly colored ornaments brought a festive look that fit the holiday as it evolved into more of a celebration" Over time the tradition of decorating trees developed into an artform Now along with lights and candy our family hangs beautiful Hallmark ornaments each one representing a fond memory' of a Christmas past MEMORIES THAT LAST A LIFETIME But what’s unique about each ornament whether it s cute or serious or just plain fun it always captures a moment in time and preserves it as a memory for the future Though each of us might remember that moment in a slightly different w'ay it will always be a fond memory And I know each Christmas our family spends together means another Hallmark with its own special oma-mer- it memory that I’ll cherish Fighting fatigue Do pooped boomers n the 805 people pooh-poohchronic fatigue as the “yuppie flu” Now it’s seen as a serious medical problem Exhaustion is one of the top 10 health complaints But if you’re suffering from persistent blahs don’t assume it’s a fullblown case of the viral chronic-fatigsyndrome Many cases can be solved without prolonged medical treatment For one thing you may be part of a growing army of sleepyheads Experts say the busy USA is experiencing a plague of sleep deprivation: kids without bedtimes working couples squeezing in “quality rime" professionals cheating on their z’s and dozing off during the day No wonder the number of sleep-stucenters has grown from 20 to 140 in the past 10 years “You go to a meeting and half the ed ue dy room’s asleep” says sleep expert Mary Carskadon of EP Bradley Hospital in East Providence RI She’s alarmed by the increasingly casual attitude toward slumber “I think there’s a cultural bias against sleep People don’t brag about how early they’ve gone to bed But you often hear ‘I stayed up really late ” working on this project’ Or you might be suffering from “technostress” says psychiatrist Paul Rosch of the American Institute of Stress “We communicate through video screens fax machines and forwarding beepers overnight couriers A lot of people want to emulate the computer They want every ng just need sleep? thing to be fast and perfect” Are you a victim of chronic-fatigsyndrome or have you simply spent too little time in bed? Test yourself: ue If your flulike symptoms that’s a bad sign afterward worse get of a recent says David Bell syndrome A study of chronic-fatigu- e brisk hike or jog should pick you up if your problem is mild depression Exercise or Log any of the following symptoms: night sweats numbness and tingling in the fingers toes joint muscle pain recurrent sore throats severe headaches alco-ho- L Judge the effects of caffeine and If they worsen your weariness switch to decaf and forgo the eggnog Check your stress level Bell suggests taking time off from your daily routine “Separate yourself from all the life stresses Allow yourself to rest” Add a half-ho- ur if you think to your nightly rest you’re sleep-depriv- ed You should see improvement If your blahs don’t beat a retreat check with a doctor Your family physician might suggest you see a specialist to make sure you’re not suffering from sleep apnea a cessation of breathing during sleep that interferes with rest For referrals to chronic-fatigu- e experts write: National Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Association 3521 Broadway Suite 222 Kansas City Mo 64111 By Mary Ellin Barrett USA WEEKEND Nwtmirr 23-2- 5 1990 17 |