Tárogató, 1949-1950 (12. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1949-12-01 / 6. szám
TÁROGATÓ 15 today fill more than three Canadian mail bags out of every four around Christmas time. One Christmas card company alone sells over thirty-five million cards per season. There is a controversy about who “invented” the Christmas card. Three contenders are involved. The most noted one is Sir Henry Cole, English philanthropist. The story goes that, having forgotten to write his regular letters of good will to his friends at Christmas, he decided to print substitute cards with a greeting which has become traditional — “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You.” He ran off one thousand, and as an after-thought had artist John Horsley decorate them by hand. They had three coloured panels, the centre one being an English family Christmas scene and the two outside ones being Biblical scenes. The second contender is W. A. Dobson, of Birmingham, England. He was an artist and, after designing a card, he had a number lithographed for distribution. The third contender is Rev. Edward Bradley, of Newcastle, England. He had cards, of a religious nature, printed. Apparently they were without any elaborate illustrations, but the printers thought the idea so good that the next Christmas (1847) they printed a selection and sold them through Newcastle stationery stores. However, it was not until 1862 that Christmas cards were widely available in this way. Twenty years later Christmas cards became a rage. There will probably never be any clear decision about who really did the inventing. The important thing is that Christmas cards are here to stay. They go to practically every country in the world, and they are written in almost every language. Whether expensive or modestly priced, they are part of our modern way of life, and, in the way the post office handles them, a symbol of our complex civilization. IT’S YOUR TURN TO PLAY SANTA By Paul and Ida Kidd Turn about is fair play. For quite a few years Mother and Dad have planned the family festivities at Christmas time, supervised the Christmas tree, and arranged for Santa Claus’s visit on Christmas Eve. Now it’s time for you to get in on the fun. It’s your turn to play Santa Claus! There are many ways in which you can add to the celebration of Christmas in your home, and by doing all you can to help your family get more out of the Christmas season, you’ll discover that it will be the best ever for you, too. First of all, how about some decorations for the house? Ask others in the family for suggestions. Then, too, you could probably use some assistance in getting the decorations together and putting them in place. Have you ever made a Christmas wreath? A wire clothes-hanger bent in the shape of a circle makes a good frame. Around this can be twined holly, cedar, pine, and other evergreen foliage that happens to be available in your section of the country. Tie a big red bow on it and hang it on the front door. If you are real ambitious, you might make several small wreaths for the window. Stars are excellent for decorating and are certainly appropriate for this time of year. They can be cut from silver or coloured paper in various sizes and strung from chandeliers or doorways, or pasted to mirrors and windows. If you have a mantel in your house, by all means decorte it with candles and evergreen boughs. A creche (manger scene with a baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, and others) set in a prominent place will be a constant reminder to the family and those who visit in the home during Christmas, of the real meaning of the season. The Christmas holidays would be a good time to plan an evening of entertainment in your home for the family. You can really have fun with your family and the odds are ten to one that the other members would really get a kick out of something you plan. If your immediate family is small, consisting of only three or four persons, perhaps you can arrange to invite in another branch of your family. Do any of your grandparents live in your town? Or an uncle or an aunt? It would be
