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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1963
THE MICHIGAN DAILY'
PAGE NN
ITESDAY, DECEMBER 3,1963 TIlE MICHIGAN DAILY
1.
PAGE NINa.aa
PAPER PLATES, TOO:
Scrooge Sets Feast,
Still Pinches Pennies
St. Nicholas Evolves into Santa
,. _.
AYWA~VE' ~'TA~trW~T
Charles Dickens' "A Christmas
Oarol" depicts a typical Christmas
dinner-the stuffed goose basted
in sage and onion and topped with
' savory. gravy, the mashed pota-
oes, applesauce, and for desert
the traditional plum pudding.
In the story Scrooge is changed
from a miserly businessman to an
affable, generous old gentlemen.
]ut what if he hadn't been con-
vested and had lived instead in
rodern day America? If he had
been injected with enough Christ-
mias spirit to prepare a dinner, how
would it differ from the traditional
one?
A punch is a most appropriate
appetizer, for it puts 'the guests
at ease and sets the stage for a jo-
vial, pleasant meal. Without a
doubt, Scrooge would insist on
Kool Ade which, incidentally, costs
five cents for two quarts.
Paper Plates
After a round of toasting every-
one's health, the family would sit
down at the decorated dinner ta-
ble, stacked high with paper plates.
Why the paper plates? "Humbug!"
he might reply, "why waste all
that time washing dishes? Besides,
it will make a nice fire in the fire-
place this evening."
An abundant supply of bread
and butter (not the 70 cent
spread) would be served, but even
Scrooge knows that man cannot
live on bread alone. The potatoes
would come next, followed by some
good, down-to-earth, home-grown
vegetables salvaged from last
year's garden.
Finally, the steaming fowl would
be brought to the table. "But it's
not a goose!" someone might ex-
plain. "Why no," he'd reply,
"chicken is only 25 cents a pound,
and who can tell the difference,
anyway."
The dinner eventually would
conclude and the guests would re-
tire to the living room. The ta-
ble would be cleared and the dish-
es thrown into the fire. Another
Christmas dinner would have end-
ed at the Scrooge household.
By DIANE DUDLEY The legend which deals with'
nof Sata ClauNicholas' protection of maidens
begins with a monk named Nich- and the origin of the secret pres-;
olas who spent his entire life in entation of Yuletide gifts concerns;
Asia Minor, and who died on Dec. a poor nobleman with three
6 in either the year 345 or 352. daughters. This man could not af-3
Hard-working and extremely ford dowries for his daughters so,:
devotional, Nicholas became an in desperation, he was almost
abbot and then a bishop of the ready to send them out to pursue
metropolitan church of Myra in wanton ways.
Asia Minor. He was tortured and When Nicholas heard of this'
imprisoned under the reign of dreadful state of affairs, he sec-
Emperor Diocletian and later retly went, under cover of night,
freed by the tolerant Emperor to the nobleman's house and threwi
Constantine. a bag of gold through an open
After the death of Nicholas his window. The man used the bag of
bones were preserved in Myra un- gold to marry off his eldest
til the eleventh century when daughter. The second night he
some merchants stole them and received in the same manner an-
carried them off to Italy, where other bag of gold with which he1
the bones were deposited at St. married off his second daughter.
Stephen's church in Bari. On the The third night, as Nicholas was
day the bones were brought to trying to throw the third bag of;
Bari, 30 persons there were sud- gold through the open window,
denly cured of "distemper," a he was caught by the nobleman,
miracle widely attributed to Nich- but made the nobleman promise
olas. never to tell anyone about the
Patron Saint source of the gifts.
Nicholas, the patron saint of Christmas Stockingj
Russia, Greece and many Euro- It thus became the custom for
pean cities, is the special guard- older people to place gifts in the
ian of maidens, children, mer-
chants, sailors; the protector of shoes or stockings of young rela-1
scholars and the alleged patron of tives-gifts which were attributed
thieves. I to the generosity of Nicholas.
The celebration of St. Nicholas
Day in Europe included festivals
and feasts which took place
around Dec. 29. Eventually, near
the end of the eighteenth century,j
St. Nicholas Day and Christmas
Day merged, Then, on Christmas
Eve, St. Nicholas, so the legend
went, rode his horse around Eu-
rope, leaving gifts for good chil-
dren and rods for bad ones.
When St. Nicholas came to
America via the Dutch, he tradedj
his horse for reindeer; his name
for "Santa Claus," the American
I derivation of "St. Nicholas;" and
his robe or "tabbard," for the
familiar red and white costume.
Thus evolved the fat, jolly syn-
bol of American Christmas from
a kind monk in ancient Asia Minor
who became a saint and protector
of maidens and thieves.
Persians Honor
Mitira's Birthday
Our custom of candles at Christ-
mas may come from the ancient
Persian practice of lighting fires
in honor of Mithra, god of light,
whose birthday was on Dec. 25.
i3
CHRISTMAS GIFTS,
fronM anmy Lcuds3
Evening Sweaters
Cultured Pearls
Chinese Jade
Crewel Embroidered Bags
Flower Drum Jackets
INDIA ART SHOP I
330 MAYNARD
(across from the Arcade)
r?
MODERN ST. NICHOLAS
... evolved from monk
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mme Ale:
r_"fiurgguni
for little gi
Jeweled treasures ~
by'Trifari 4
sketched: earrings . $7.50
pin . ... $12.50
Plus ed.Tax=---
Magnetic magna-card set"-
a great Christmas gift
for your card-playing friends
" Elegant
Christmas Gift
a smart handbag
sketched: $18.98
plus Fed. Tax 4
h ' Finely-tailored/
Gifts for Everyone. sprtshirts
to please him
a" ~sketched $10.00'
For gracious giving!
Gift Wrap her
in an exquisite Let us help you choose your Christmas
gown and peignoir
gifts now before exams. --rs;x M.
sketched: YOLANDA x--x ; x>
a We'll package and mail them for you. Uw,
-And, of course, there is no charge for gift wrapping.
or just come in and browse at
t I JACOBSON'S--where quality and good 3
d K" ~taste preval
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