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- 2 EDITOR'S THANKS As always, I would like to thank those faithful people who have quietly but most efficiently helped me in getting the Newsletter "on the road" every month during 1995:Lillian Chow, who is so very helpful and skillful in typing and putting it together, "copying" it umpteen times, together with the same for the minutes of each monthly meeting (taken, with our appreciation, by Jack Mounce). Betsy Lee and Betty O'Sullivan form the next "link" in the chain, who fold and stuff all this into envelopes and add an address label to each one. Finally two staff members: Devona Hanlin and Nina Pemberton who put it all through the postal meter and get it mailed to all the members. My sincere thanks to each and everyone of them. TWO CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS From "The Little Book of Christmas" by Jennifer Mulherin. 1. The Holly and the Ivy The custom of bedecking the house with evergreens dates back to pagan times when they were offered in homage to woodland spirits and gods as symbols of everlasting life. Life-giving qualities are particularly invested in the holly; with its shining green leaves and striking red berries signifying male sexuality. In combination with the female ivy, it promised new life and fertility to the entire household. Conveniently ignoring these ancient associations with fecundity, the Church promoted holly as a symbol of good luck, linked with Christ's agony and crucifixion; the sharp leaves represented the crown of thorns and the red berries His drops of blood. 2. Gift Wrapping Special Christmas wrapping paper and decorative trimmings are relatively late developments, made possible only in the 20th century by cheap colour printing. The Victorians had to make do with brown paper, for that was all there was, but in many ways this was an advantage; a decorative wrapping, by necessity, had to be personally created by the giver. Many Victorians collected scraps, printed sheets of decorative alphabets and pictures produced mostly in Germany, which were stuck into special albums. At Christmas scraps were cut out by the artistically inclined, glued in various designs on to a package and then decorated with glittering spangles. A hand-written message and a glossy ribbon completed the effect. By the end of the century, pretty coloured borders and cut-outs of angels and other Christmas motifs were being produced, marking the beginning of commercialized wrappings and decorations. The custom of giving prettily wrapped gifts at Christmas was a German one introduced to Britain by Prince Albert who in 1841 gave presents to his own children on Christmas Eve, much to their happy wonderment. Before then gifts had traditionally been exchanged at New Year. CAROL SINGING ON CHRISTMAS EVE (COUNTRY-STYLE) From "The Magic Apple Tree" by Susan Hill Barley is a very party-minded village, there is always much to-ing and fro-ing between houses, with people wearing their finery under overcoats, cars full of excited children emptying on to doorsteps. Nearly everyone has a lighted Christmas tree in the window and a holly wreath tied with red ribbons on the front door, and there are often little parcels on doorsteps, pots of preserves tied with a bow on top or bottles of home-made wine and cider and sloe gin. .../3