Show Report From Washington BY LAURENCE J J. J BURTON It was just a hundred years ago that Christmas became a legalized holiday in America It took the work of the Congress and approval of Pres Andrew Johnson to do it With very few exceptions however Christmas has been celebrated In a joyous manner for centuries One of the exceptions was in America In early Puritan Massachusetts there were no yuletide festivities In fact the General Court of Massachusetts In 1659 Imposed a fine on anyone who dared make merry at Christmas It was not until the Century Century Century Cen Cen- tury after the arrival of German and Irish immigrants Immigrants- that holiday hOllday celebrations were popular in the Bay State The first Christmas ever celebrated in the New World occurred because of a reef- reef struck vessel commanded by Christopher The Santa Maria passing the Island of Haiti on Christmas Eve floundered on rocks in the bay King of Haiti sent his natives to the stricken ship unloaded all the men and valuables and brought them to his island Learning of the Christian celebration of Christmas Christmas Christmas Christ Christ- mas the King laid before Columbus and his men a feast that today would make most men envious It was Christmas 1776 that most military historians ob ob- ob serve That was when Washington Washing Washing- ton crossed the Delaware leading his troops to Trenton New Jersey for a surprise at attack attack attack at- at tack on the Hessian mercenaries mercenaries mercenaries merce merce- encamped there It was wasa a major defeat for the British with 1000 men captured It was also the Hessians who most likely trimmed the first Christmas tree in America The soldiers trimmed the trees during the holiday season to soften Christmas home home sick ness Many of our traditional now now Christmas events had their birth in the Old Country Caroling Caroling Caroling Carol Carol- ing In the middle ages included singing and dancing By the Century In Germany the custom was popular in home celebrations On Christmas Eve 1818 a village schoolmaster schoolmaster schoolmaster school school- master In Austria Franz Gruber Gruber Gruber Gru- Gru ber composed the music and another villager Josef Mohr composed lyrics for tor the song heard first the following day in that Austrian village Silent Night Holy Night Feasting was a high point of Christmas festivals vals in Tudor England Tha The feast complimented ted by musicians and Jesters would start around noon and last for eight or nine hours Even though many early Washingtonians would hunt for forthe forthe forthe the Christmas dinner in nearby forest it was the Center Market which supplied most of the food in the nations nation's capital for tor the Christmas table The market located where the National Archives Building isnow is isnow isnow now served up all kinds of food with turkey going at 10 cents a pound giving Gift-giving dates back tc tt the Roman Saturnalia when fruits pastries and even je jewelry jewelry jew jew- elry were given friends Of course rich gifts of the Magi the Wise Men were given the Christ Child in Bethlehem Pres Andrew Johnson possibly possibly possibly pos pos- sibly gave the biggest gift of all almost a century ago at Christmastime in Washington Despite bitter opposition from people in the North and West Johnson proclaimed an unconditional unconditional pardon and amnesty to all who directly or Indirectly participated in the Civil War Decorating the home began in history Evergreens symbolic symbolic sym sym- bolic of eternal life were used for decorating at Christ Christ- mas Teutonic peoples believed that certain greens would frighten ten of off evil spirits Even in atheistic Russia the season is observes The Russians Russians Rus Russians Rus- Rus call their trimmed trees New Years' Years trees and the jolly old man with the white beard is Grandfather Frost St. St Nicholas a favorite saint of the children of H Holland lland was introduced to the new world by early Dutch settlers who dressed up a man and paraded him through the streets Amer- Amer cans usually get the credit for forthe forthe forthe the name Santa Claus but even Webster says Santa Claus or Klaus US U.S. colonial corruption of Dutch Sant Nik- Nik kolaas Although no one knows for sure how Christmas cards began it is thought that an English shopkeeper Henry Cole in 1843 commissioned an artist to design some cards suitable for tor the season From Froma a thousand made Cole gave some to his friends and sold the rest in his shop Christmas sea seals s began during the Christmas rush of 1903 in Denmark Einar Elnar Holboll proposed proposed proposed pro pro- posed the idea of seals as a means of raising money for needy children Den Denmark mar k adopted the idea a year later and was raised Regardless of the day on which Christmas Christmas' falls It should be a joyous time and a time timeto timeto timeto to remember what Christmas is really all about And of course 4 i time for me to say to you The rhe very best wishes for the t season and the year r ahead |