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Christkindli of Switzerland Each Holy Season
Pago 16 .
OTHELLO, WASHINGTON
THE OTHELLO OUTLOOK
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1974
Christmas has a unique
significance in the German
and French speaking regions
of Switzerland because the
"Christkindli," or Christ
Child, is believed to walk on
earth during this season.
Instead of Santa Claus, the
"Christkindli," represented as
a beautiful, radiant, angel-like
being with wings carrying a
magic wand and wearing a
shining crown, distributes
Christmas gifts and Christ-
mas trees glittering with
fanciful decorations.
Although the "Christkindli"
is commonly believed to
personify the Christ-Child, he
m sometimes represented as
an angel bearing a light or a
star just as an angel heralded
the birth of Christ at
Bethlehem. On the other
hand, the "Christkindli" has
some of the characteristics of
a sprite, as suggested by the
wand and the wings, which
can be linked to pre-Christian
beliefs. Some suggest he may
stem from the pagan custom
of representing the New Year
as a radiant and beautiful
child.
f
Like Santa, the "Christ-
kindli" also arrives in a sleigh
drawn by reindeer, so there
would appear to be some
intermingling of Christmas
legends here.
St. Nicholas is represented
in several ways in different
parts of Switzerland. In some,
he is called Father Christmas
and comes with his wife, Lucy
(representing St. Lucy whose
feast day is December 13) to
distribute gifts. He wears the
traditional Santa Claus cos- dance, they are an impressive
tume, while Lucy wears a sight indeed.
round cap over her long
braids, a laced bodice and a In the village of Urnaesch in
fancy apron, the Canton of Appenzell, the
In the central part of men and boys go "Santa
Switzerland, St. Nicholas is Clausing." Some wear red
represented morerealistically Santa Claus costumes with
in his bishop's regalia com-
plete with mitre and crosier.
On St. Nicholas' Day, which
falls on December 6th, there
is a magnificent parade in
which white bearded mas-
queraders, clothed in long
white shirts, carry huge
three-foot mitre-shaped lan-
terns over their heads. These
lanterns are perforated in
intricate religious designs,
similar to church windows,
and when the candlelight
shines through them, as their
bearers execute a stately
jungling bells while others,
dressed and masked as
"ladies," wear enormous,
elaborate picture hats dec-
orated with panoramas of
Alpine scenes. Starting early
in the day on New Year's Eve,
the group proceeds through
the village with an unusual
hopscotch gait, stopping at
each farm to share their
merriment and partake of
refreshments. When darkness
falls, they all head for the
Valley to pursue their new
year revelry.
,ay your holidays go
as you want them to... with every
detail perfect, everything
serene/Thanks for your supportY
BOB AND GINNY STRICKER reminisce a bit as they place
brown paper sacks among turquoise-wrapped packages
beneath their white and turquoise Christmas tree. In the sacks
are candies, nuts, Cracker Jack, oranges and apples, just like
those they used to receive at Christmas Eve church services
back in Bayard, Nebr. Says Ginny, "It was a tradition that
during the service you'd get up and 'say your speak'. Then you
would get a huge paper sack of goodies like these. All children
o! the church took part, from infants to 15 years. Sometimes
grownups, too. H there were sacks left over, maybe Mm got
one. AKer the services aU the uncles, aunts and cous/ns went to
MODERN BETHLEHEM, viewed from one of the)figher
bell towers in the city, retains many of its age-old customs and
looks much the way it did during ancient times, despite modern
vehicles which move through timeless streets.
rvance Brings Many
,s to Bethlehem
It is cusomary in the United celebrants, processions, traf-
States to celebrate the birth fic control, and other civic
of Jesus on December 25th, problems, the authorities of
the date observed by theBethlehem and the surround-
Roman Catholic Church and ing area would be just as
most Protestant denomina- happy if Christmas were
tions, but not all Christian celebrated universally on one
faiths adhere to that date. day, but it is unlikely that
In Bethlehem, Christ's such unanimity will be achiev-
birthplace, the Roman cele- ed soon in the face of the in
bration begins on Christmas the face of the Churches'
Eve, December 24th, high- different traditions.
lighted by the traditional
Midnight Mass, and continues*************
on Christmas Day. The Greek Cards Have Use
Orthodox Church, however,In most cases, Christmas
observes January7 as Christ- cards become waste paper.
mas day, marking the oc- Before you consign this year's
casiop ,with=similar ceremon, cards to the trash can,
les. January18thand19thare consider removing personal
the dates for the observance messages from them and
in the Armenian Church. turning them over to a church
The three faiths have their or other group whose mere-
own churches and chapels bers devote their time to
within the Basilica of the creating attractive scrap-
Nativity in Bethlehem and books with the cards.
each observes Christmas on Many beautiful and colorful
its own day with services in cards, carefully selected and
the Grotto of the Nativity at arranged in these inexpensive
the exact spot where, it is and easy-to-make scrap-
believed, Jesus was born. books, provide hours of
The separate observances enjoyment to older people and
are bolsteYed by a long others whose activity is
history which ecumenism may curtailed for one reason or
find it difficult to erase. For another.
centuries the Churches dis- You might enjoy making a
puted possession of the scrap-book for yourself. What-
sanctuary, originally built by ever the case, the second life
the Roman Emperor Con- given these Christmas and
stantine in 330, and prece- greeting cards can be re-
dence in worshipping there, warding and useful.
The Greek Catholics took
possession of the building in
1672. The Roman Catholics
grandma'shouseforthereveaihngoltheiamflyChriltmastree have shared it since the
and the opening of presents, lt's a wonderhd memory and Boh mid-19th century with the
amdllmvekeptthetraditleno|ChristmasEve servieesand the Greeks. Armenians have their
paper sacks through our married lives. We've passed them on own chapel and monastery in
Climate Key
Time of
Holy Bkth
The evidence that the
journey of Mary and Joseph
from Nazareth to Bethlehem
took place in the dry season,
that is, before the onset of
winter, depends to some
extent on what we know
about the climate of Palestine
today, which, scholars
believe, is not very different
from what it was during the
time of Jesus.
The annual mean tem-
perature is a pleasant enough
62.8 degrees Fahrenheit, with
a range from a high of 112
'degrees to a low in winter of
only 12 degrees.
While the lowland plains,
nearer the Mediterranean
Sea, receive heavy rains from
November to April, winter in
the hills can bring biting frost,
bitter winds and even snow.
Nazareth, the city of Jesus,
was a town of some note in the
southern Galilee, near the
western edge of the fertile
plain of esdraelon.
This area provides more
clues to the time of the
journey for scholars who look
to the still fertile and well-
watered hills of Galilee and
into the less favored hill
country of Judea, where the
cultivation of grains, olives
and vines tended to give way
to the grazing of sheep,
especially in the dry season,
So it can also be assumed
that the holy journey was
during the dry season by
looking to the Bible in which
Saint Luke says that in the
same country were shepherds
looking over their flocks.
• ~" IPqEflCCADD,JOY
TO YOU THIS CHRIsTMAS
.Here's hoping that yours is a spirit
lifting holiday! May it be
filled with gladness. We're thankful
for the loyalty you've shownto us.
565 E. Main
John & Ernie Lawi-enee
48&7602
,,..., . a, i i i i i ,.,.
to our children, and hopefully, our grnnddfildren will enjoy this city of about 25,000
. population.
them someday, too
• V aSi:::a l~he vdo i f::r::t bOc bseri
I @. BESTWISHES FOR|j" I
'ollow this prescription for a
happy holiday--good cheer...
share laughter and joy . . . fill
your heart and home with love. Our
best to all.., to all, thanks.
Your .-..
O
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