THE MICHIGAN DAILY TIME OF FANTASY: Children Find Delight in Holiday World Best-Selling Literature Rates High on Gift Lists QUALITY fSWEATSHIP FOR ALL AGE 25 STYLES and COL To choose f ro THE L CHRIS AT TR ULRICH'S -ANN HERE'S 9 UNKETS I $1000,U and up 100%j Wool RTS MICHIGAN ES JACKETS FOR THE LITTLE ANGELS 100% WOOL ORS M m SWEATERS .ARGEST DISPLAY OF TMAS CARDS in the city :EMENDOUS SAVINGS 4 ARBOR'S FRIENDLY BOOKSTORE A 4; Santa Symbolizes Idealized Father By MARTHA MacNEAL The psychological basis of the figure of Jolly Old Nick has been pretty well summed up in the popular song, "I Saw Mommy Kissin' Santa Claus"-he is a father symbol. Santa Claus is the miraculous provider of untold wealth and wonder from a mysterious world out there that the child can hardly imagine, although he has fun trying. The North Pole is equally far away and as strange as that unfathomable somewhere that swallows up Father for most of the day. And surely the images of frosty ice-palaces and busy elf-ridden workshops full of bright toys is far more intelligible to the vivid mind of a child than are father's oddly dull answers to the question: "Daddy, what do you do?" Santa does the kind of work that father ought to do, and some- how must do, by the logic of child- hood. Moral Figure Santa Claus, also like father, is a moral figure, whose approba- tion is held out, perhaps unfor- tunately, in the form of material treasures. However, the child must be permitted to keep the light- heartedness of Christmas for a while, before the inevitable ser- iousness of growing up; and thus the Christmas profusion of toys cannot be wholly condemned. The child is told that if he is good, Santa will bring him pres- ents; and if he is bad, Santa will "NOW LET'S SEE ... what shall I ask Santa to bring me this year? I'm really tired of Betsy-Wetsy dolls and Wyatt Earp squirt guns. Maybe if I'm really good bring me an actual scale model anti-missile missiles." between now and Dec. 25, he'll space launching platform with ., leave only coal in his stocking. But on Christmas morning there are always toys; and the child enjoys a moment of unquestioned approval, no matter what his sins. We all need that now and then. It has been said that children who grow up loving their fathers will love God. Whether this is true or not, Santa remains something of a God-like figure on the child- ish level. He is petitioned, albeit by letter rather than prayer; he dispenses rewards for good be- havior; and he performs amazing miracles out of thin air. All of these, then, help to sus- tain the child's woild of wonder and essentially self-created im- agery. But, inevitably, as a world of inescapably less wonderful reali- ties begins to dawn on the child, there comes that moment dreaded by parents, when he looks up and asks on the verge of tears, "Is there really a Santa Claus?" And so the parent attempts to soften the blow by telling his trusting offspring that Santa is symbolic of the spirit of giving, and that symbols are real in their own way. But something of child- hood has passed forever. Youngsters Give Christmas Views By BARBARA SCHWARTZ How is Christmas seen through the eyes of children? A group of four-year-olds at a local nursery school gave their views on Christmas and its vari- ous aspects, and came up with some interesting variations on the traditional holiday themes. To these children Christmas means toys, a fat man with a beard, fantasies of roller skates, the North Pole and snow. They all agreed that only good little boys and girls get a visit from Santa. One child didn't ex- pect any presents and admitted frankly, "No, I haven't been too good this year!" Another little boy added appre- hensively, "I hope I've been good!" Before another child had a chance to answer, his buddy piped up, "No, he hasn't been good at all!" Map Needed One little girl's lament was that Santa Claus didn't know where her house is. Why does Santa have a beard? The answer was, "To hide from the little children." A blond-haired child with two dimples said that Santa Claus comes from the land of the seals and the ice and the walruses. This was later clarified as 'the North Pole. Spectrum of Gifts The perennial question "What do you want for Christmas?" was answered by the girls with a spec- trum of desires from Dino the Dinosaur or a 'Thumbelina Doll to a Mickey Mouse Watch and roller skates. The boys unanimously de- cided that they wanted machine guns this year. The consensus was that Santa Claus is fat and comes down the chimney on a ladder. But one boy dissented, claiming Santa Claus sneaks through the key-hole. One girl, when asked who helps Santa in his big task of making toys, replied, "Why, his mother, of course." "Santa is at. least 9 years old," insisted a little boy. But a little girl said no, she was sure that Santa is exactly 41 years old. By WILLIAM BENOIT Tradition and the best-seller list are probably the strongest in- fluences determining what the Christmas-book shopper will buy for the people on his gift list, campus bookstore owners agree. Adults like to buy for their children the same books they read as youngsters. The best seller list provides an easy guide to what friends will enjoy reading, not only at Christmas time, but throughout the year. More non-fiction than fiction booksnare sold during the holiday season than fiction. Books illus- trated, either with photographs or drawings, are popular at yule- tide. Children's Books Children's books hold a special charm for adults and children alike. Here again the trend at Christmas time is to stay with tradition and books that were popular generations ago. Winnie the Pooh, an indisput- able classic, is still big with young- sters and oldsters alike. Parents read about the mythical adven- tures of Winnie with as much en- joyment as their children. Alfred Hitchcock has written a book of spooky stories for little tots. The book was timed to coin- cide with the holiday season and contains eleven ghostly tales de- 'U' Choir Sets Yule Concert The 200-voice University Choir and the University Symphony Or- chestra, both under the leadership of Maynard Klein, will present their annual Christmas concert at 8:30 p.m., Dec. 18, in Hill Aud. Opening the grog:.atm will be the "Gloria in G" by Francis Pou- lenc in its Ann Arbor premiere. Elisabeth Olsen will be the so- prano soloist, with Charles Schae- fer as the guest organist. Following the intermission, the choir and orchestra will perform the "Mass in C Minor," K. 427 ("The Great"), by Mozart. The featured soloists are soprano Mar- jorie Gordon of the Detroit Opera Association, soprano Jane Pieper, '63M, tenor James Miller, Grad, and bass Leslie Breidenthal, Grad. J" TRULY FINE SINGLE LENS REFLEX CAMERA -HONEYWELL b7 I, I r 5 HOME K. ti '...i e.ti " "' .t . . ' , i' ... ' .4. b '' i «2 . "': ,a1 Y .kh M ' " ) . A "' y'Y;t. it .;.t !. <, b . 9 't ,r . y <. ' s; r ~ f ^^.y ;.. ; ti : . + + M, tii r." :a Y ,i , w Y. A . ' r A' .j . rt 4 . '. , .4 j. ' , ,..,..: tY , . r. s ./j5-y, " 1RS / We show here just a few of the hundreds of gift ideas we have for you. Come in, call, or write; we'd love to help you solve your Christmas problems. Early shoppers have the best choice! A-just one of our beautiful robes--it's 100% orlon acrylic deep pile so luxurious-yet washable ! Sizes 8 to 18. Red, Blue, White, Maize. $12.98 B-Always on her want-list-dreamy lingerie. We have exquisite colors, lavishly laced or beautifully tailored, in both full slips and half slips. Sizes 32 to 44. half slips from 3.98 f full slips from 3.98 petti pants from 3.00' C-She always appreciates B Hoisery. We have beauti- fully boxed hose already >. . . for gifting." -~: from $1.00, C , Lts talcs a Christmas Walk on South University in Campus Vilage... ON FOREST off S. U. around the corner from the Campus Theatre. mamm amm mes mmmm masamm assm mII Events Enliven Vacation For Foreign Students signed to frighten the youngster gently. Dr. Seuss That master of the absurd, Dr. Seuss, has written more books, and more books, and more books, and more books, and seems to have gained immortality in the literature of the young. ,Although humor is popular in literature during Christmas, adults also buy educational volumes to put under the tree for their child- ren. Books on the Civil War, na- ture study, and our American heri- tage are sold in increasing num- bers. Gospels Set Basic Themes of Later Ages By JOHN BRYANT Christmas, because of its reli- gious and social nature, has been the subject of a good deal of literature by authors, both world- renowned and unknown. The first literature of Christmas lies in the Bible in the Books of Matthew and Luke. From the Book of Matthew we learn the story of the wise men and the flight to Egypt, but we hear nothing of the birth in the manger or the shepherds. Luke, on the other hand, makes no mention of the wise men but tells us of Jesus' birth in the man- ger and of the shepherd's visit. From these two basic stories the modern "Christmas Story" has evolved. Other additions to the basic story have originated from story-tellers and balladiersof mediev times. Anoth r product of medieval Eu- rope - England in particular - is the Christmas carol. Carols origi- nally were sung for other holidays also and were often part of reli- gious dramas. Christmas Carols The English carol, which reached its highest popularity during the 15th century, featured a regular rhythm and a recurrent refrain. These carols faded in popularity and in 1822 one observer predicted that they would be extinct within a few years. However, a book called "Carols for Christmastide," which set old carols to new lyrics, started carols on the way back to the position they hold today. Oddly enough, songs such as "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and the wassail songs originally were not Christmas songs at all. They are products of pagan festi- vals celebrating the new year. Although a great deal of Christ- mas fiction has accumulated in the last two centuries, Dickens' "Christmas Carol" is probably the most popular of the modern Christmas writings. However, this story emphasizing charity and good will is not Dick- ens' only Christmas tale, as he describes Mr. Pickwick's Christ- mas in "The Pickwick Papers." Modern Stories Modern writers have not been idle in writing Christmas stories, either. "The Little Girl in the Yellow Dress" and "The Littlest Angel" are examples of contem- porary Christmas literature. In poetry, Christmas has been the subject of poems by such noted poets as Longfellow, James Russell Lowell, Christina Rosetti, Swin- burne, and Whittier. Even Tennyson devoted several stanzas of "In Memoriam" to de- scribing the bells of four neigh- boring villages which tolled out "Peace and goodwill, to all man- kind." A large amount of Christmas literature is published each year; most of it, for obvious reasons, in December. For as long as Christ- mas is celebrated as it is now, writers will continue to write about it. P ENTAX H-3 with fully automatic diaphragm, ff1.8 lens, 111000 sec. shutter Classic in design, meticulously ,constructed, and com- pletely functional in every operation, this outstanding 35mm camera from Horneywell puts you in complete control of every picture situation-makes every picture better than the last! We'll be pleased to demonstrate the Honeywell Pentax H-3 to you, so plan to visit us soon. Remember-the H-3 is acclaimed by the experts as the best value in its class, yet it's yours for no more than $199.50. OPEN MONDAY AND FRIDAY EVENINGS UNTIL 9 P.M. By TOM CREECY All but a few of the University's 1,410 foreign students will spend this Christmas away from home. To help dispel the anticipated feelings of gloom, the Internation- al Center and the Ann Arbor Ecu- menical Center have arranged sev- eral strong diversions. The International Center has planned a thirteen-day bus tour of the Eastern United States. To be called "Holiday Through Ameri- can History," the tour will pre- sent America via an historic per- spective. Tour members are to see Jamestown, Williamsburg, Gettys- burg, historic spots of New York City and Washington, D.C. - in- cluding special tours of the White House and Capitol Buildings-all for $100. The Ecumenical Center will fol- low the same Christmas cheer-in- stilling plan it has in previous years; it will arrange for the 60 or so foreign students who registered for the plan-and who, surpris- ingly, have been mainly -non- Christians-to live with American families over the holidays. The hospitable families chosen reside in three or four small Michigan towns. The Michigan Alumni Council has a sirhilar plan; alumni also invite interested foreign stu- dents to their own homes. Some of the remaining students who are grabbed up by unaffiliat- ed families who do so out of a combination of Christmas season good-will, and comme il faut, out of year-round human curiosity. .Many of our more intrepid f or- eign students make their Weih- nachten merrier by touring some big U.S. cities on their own-Chi- cago, Washington, and New York being the most popular. In these three cities, visiting pundits may make use of the organized sight- seeing trips and social gatherings of the Chicago Holiday Center, Foreign Student Service Council and Midtown International Center, respectively. Those who are slightly less in- trepid may take advantage of VIS- IT-Ventures for International Students Interested in Travel; they- may still plan their own itin- erary, supply their own mode of travel, and let VISIT arrange for American Family Hospitality at, their pre-registered desinations. For the remainder-those who stay in Ann Arbor-there are mo- vies, studies, and the free time they've all been wanting; but, to quote a Hong Kong native who will soon spend his third Christ-, mas away from home, "it's lonely, very lonely!" 1116 S. University Ann Arbor's Only Exclusive Camera Shop NO 5-6101 r A GREAT NAME SINCE 1742 Elegant Crystal for Christmas Gifts Modestly priced, these patterns by KOSTA adapt them- selves to the traditional or the contemporary table setting. We invite you to inspect these and the other outstanding crystal patterns in our collection. ICH1ISmiks SHOPPERS probably have their gifts Malmo ... 1.75 per stem Ballet . . . 1.75 per stem Bernadette .. . 1.75 per stem Available in Clear only King Karl... 2.50 per stem Available in Clear or Twilight all wrapped by now! cQ§ Both of the above available in Clear or Twilight r - _" -- - A I _ _ . r _ _ , , 1 t. . . . . .. ' . ..... . . .t:ll,. , . . W-C tic It's too late to be one of them, i I f