s

In China —-:
A Spectacular

‘The Chinese New Year, which
Begins in late January ‘or early
February, : depending on the po-
sition of the moon, is a week long
celebration: the most important
af the year. On the last day of the
old-year, accounts are ‘settled by
business men in‘every type of en-
terprise. Tt is also a day of feast-
ing, ceremony: and ‘firecrackers.

The first celebration on New
Year's Day. is: the offering made
to heaven and earth. Rice, vege-
tables, tea, wine, candles, and in-

- eense are used in the ceremony.

‘Tribute is paid'te ancestors and
to ail living members of the fam-
iy. Chinese homes .are elabor-
ately decorated for this festival
with | brightly.: ‘golored banners

cunless the family is in mourn- .

ing}, bearing expressions of hap-
pincss’ and expressing ambitions
for the coming ‘year.
Gifts". are exchanged. ., “new
clothes: are worm, and the chil-
* dron have their "share of Loys and
fireworks tao.. The Feast of. the
‘Lanterns is the great spectacle of
the week and no one is so poor
that..he: does not have at least
one lantern to! Hight for the ac-
casion: This is, ‘also the time fer
the Festival of the Dragons and
the Fisherman's Festival. Every
nation has its own collection of
unusual folk beliefs: In China it
is considered unlucky to meet a
_ ‘woman when you leave home, for
the first time, on Now Year's Day.

FERRE
22 THANK You *
> FOR CHRISTMAS ©

ea] By Mike Benneti
ESE Serene pace

If} am_a’ stranger to you, to”

your. town, will. you open your

heart and let me share the joy

and happiness, at this great’ sea-
- s0nF

T have, traveled ‘far across time
and space, hurdling mountains,
spanning Uic vast oceans, As wit
ness to the ages, [have been wel-
comed. in. distant. parts of the
world — and I have been driven
from homes, towns and citics like
a straw In the teeth of a sumer
storm.

All goodness and evil that lives
in.the world is known to me, And
I have seen time and place with
no Christmas at ail

Can you picture Christmas: ‘Eve,
in a Jand of long'ago, where there
is no shaw, no decorations in win-

-dows of homes’ and \shops? In
- Fact, there are, no: homes _ and
shops,

Vision with me the land of Have
Not. A very unusual place, A
skeleton of a place, really; only”
crumbly walls. here and there
marking the spot where -now-si-
lent people once. lived, worked
“and shared life together ina tap.
py atmosphere,

Stress Can cin
During Holidays -

The director of a Mental Hy-
giene department reports that the
Christmas. season is marked by

“greater acts of violence than any
other time of the year. Thousands
of Americans: suffer “Christmas
neutosis": during. the hatidays.

Despoadency can be a seasonal
phenomenon for many who have
no history of- mental problems.
Christmas sometimes results in

intensification. of ‘rivalries and -

competition for- parental faver.
It isa time when emotions are
lovsed and memories clome ficod-
ing back, 2 time of happiness but,
for some, a time of deep sorrow.

Lonely ‘people are . generally a
susceptibie, and.increased drink: --

ing that often goes along with
the holiday spirit can accentuate.
the situation.

Suicide statistics are net t partic:
viarly high during the holiday
season in spite of the emotional-
problems that might emerge
through Christmas neurosis, *

‘THE HERALD, CHRISTMAS EDITION, 1974

bell towers in the city, retains many of its age-old cus-
toms and looks much the way it did during aneient times,

. despite modern vehicles which move’ through timeless
streets, Photo courtesy Israeli Government Tourist Office.

ERN Berfitemem, viewed from one of the higher

Hanukkal is a Jewish holiday, ~ oe
lasting for. cight joy-filled days,

Tt is a very important Jewish -
holiday. It marks the world’s very ~~
first fight for religious freedom,:'
some twenty-one hundred ‘years

They siso sing Han
and- play games... woh ,
--They play” with: a speci al top

‘ealled Dreidel.. The. Dreidel “gées.
_ back: to-ancient: times -when:the-.”.
‘. -Jeivs “were nat: “permitted. to wor- >

ship as ‘they ‘pleased. They would -~
‘gather:-in’ secrel.. and“someone
would preach. If an enemy. would...’

‘approach; they would get. fouta
-. Dreidel:. and sstart: playing. : In:
“this way the soldier did not know |
- what: they, were ‘really,’ “doing: .
.- The: peustom: of © phting the.
eight’ candles “goes back.to-a_imir-
“age which happened during “the ;
_“telebration. The ‘only.pure” oi
that’ the Jews’ could -find to: hurn
‘in the ‘Temple. could Jast for only."
‘one: day. - However, they decided :
to go ahead and use the little jar.:
of oil. t-tasted for. eight whole
days until new. oil. could’ be ‘pre-
pared: Because. of “this, we have -
the custom of lighting the eandles :
during Hantkkah, : woe

ago. : F
During Hanukkah, Jewish bays -
> and girls observe. many customs.
They light candlés‘in the Meno.
rah. This. is a special candlestick ©
that holds eight candles with one
place left aver fo” put. the Sha:
mash. The Shamash is the candle.
that lights*the other candles: “
On the first night of Hanukkah, ;
one candle will be lit. On-the.
night, two candles will be Ht: This
gacs.on for’ eight: happy nights.
The candles burn until they go -
out. New candles are. used each
cach night, ~ 7
. The Jewish people exchange
gifts ‘during Hatukkah. Some /
times they give ‘all the‘ gifts on
one night. Sometimes they ‘give -
gifts every night during the cele-

On this Yuletide,

> we wish for you and
yours an abundance

: of Christmas cheer,

topped off with an

extra helping of peace

and love: Thanks, all.

Twin Valley Mobile Homes
1043 Highway 16 Ltd.. 635-4043

. 4607 Keith

-Arnim Saunders Welding (1968) Ltd. «

It’s Yuletide Season.
. + here’s.a hearty ~
wish ‘for thé best
. holiday ever! Fill it’
with good times, high —-
spirits, and lots of.)
Friends. It's - been’
our pleasure to serve.
you. ‘Have a happy!

635-6662 -