1978-11-29; Central Michigan Life

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Volume 60 No. 37
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Mount Pleasant Michigan 48858.
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Wednesday, Nov. 29,1978
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CMU already feeling
season s
by DIANE NIEDZWIECKI
LIFE Copy Editor
There is an old English fable that tells the story of a child and a
city and the "giving day."
Counting off days on the calendar, the boy waited impatiently for
Christmas Day to arrive. He would take the sparse funds he had
saved and buy a pudding to share with his grandmother, who was as
destitute as he and a slight bit senile.
The story is sad and sentimental, as are all good old English
fables. The reader, upon finishing the tale, is filled with hope and
perhaps a small, gnawing desire to somehow find a way to get away
from greeting card definitions of the day. The day inspires the world
'If Christmas was today, I would go home
and go to church. "—Kathy Staley, Traverse
City Junior
to give what they have to those they love.
Modern day prophets, street poets, famous people and not so
famous folk, the whole of Madison Avenue and even everyone from
CMU right now will admit at any given time that the means, if not
the end, of the Christmas spirit is not new skis, new clothes and a
camera but a feeling.
A feeling. We are a hypocritic group when it comes to Christmas.
We call it the giving season and complain about department store
price tags. We dread the crowds but we all have a group of people
we love.
"I have a couple of kids in college, so I guess I don't get into the
Christmas spirit until they come home and the whole family
gathers," George Blackburn, history department chairperson, said.
Comedian Redd Fox says he was so poor as a child, that having
now attained money and recognition, he keeps a Christmas tree in
his house all year long to remind himself that with all he has,
Christmas is truly a 365-day affair. -•-■
Ah. A philosophical poiht. N6, Virginia, there may not be a Santa
Claui. but yes, CMU, there is a Christmas.
To pinpoint what day Christmas falls on, one can look at a
calendar. To pinpoint when the Christmas feeling begins is more
difficult.
The common malady, "But I don't feel in the Christmas spirit,"
usually magically disappears when the tree goes up, the friends and
relatives drop in and all the presents are wrapped.
Diane Foster, Traverse City junior, said the Christmas spirit
usually hits her "as soon as Santa hits town." Char Durston, Bir-
spirit
mingham senior, said the Christmas bug does not hit her until "a
couple of days after Thanksgiving. The weather is cold and
Christmas is the next holiday."
"I get into the Christmas spirit when the snow starts falling..
Then, or about three weeks before Christmas," Kirk Froggatt,
Garden freshman, said.
Another idea about Christmas comes into play as cease fires are
declared on Dec. 25, the murder rate drops for the day, and we
explain to a child why to some, Christmas is a birthday and the word
incense takes on a new meaning.
Who were those wise men?
(News flash: an ancient document has been unearthed that proves
"the first non-violent revolutionary" was born on Nov. 29, not Dec.
25...)
Good heavens. That means... Christmas is today.
Christmas trees are not yet harvested. There are no candy canes
at the supermarket. Gifts have not been purchased. Wars show no
sign of cease fire. Nobody wishing anyone else "Merry Christmas"
(except Redd Fox, and who treats comedians seriously, anyway?).
It is here. We do not think we are ready. We are missing
Christmas	
"If Christmas was today, I would go home and go to church,"
Kathy Staley, Traverse City junior, said.
John Cumming, director of the Clarke Historical Library, had a
different response.
"I guess my initial reaction would be, "Gosh, I haven't done my
Christmas shopping yet," he said.
But is this really happening? Roommates are comforting other
roommates with "advice to the lovelorn." A man is working late for
his ill co-worker. The senior citizens are making gifts for shut-ins. A
local crisis center is on the telephone. The professor is joking with
"I have a couple of kids in college, so I
guess I don't get into the Christmas spirit
until they come home and the whole family
gathers.'-George Blackburn, History
Department chairperson
the student. Strangers say "hello" to each other and smile. Someone
is celebrating someone else's birthday.
And it is Nov. 29.
Hmmm. Before the day ends, the people catch on, they read a
Christmas issue newspaper that features a day that still is weeks
away.
We wish you a merry Christmas, and, as an afterthought, a very
nice day.
Today's Christmas tradition
hails from varied sources
byJERRYMORLOCK
LIFE Staff Writer
The celebration of Christmas,
like Christianity itself, has
changed since the birth of
Christ.
But, as much as Christianity
has changed, in one significant
way it has remained the same.
The first Christmas celebrations
were as disassociated with the
birth of Christ as Frosty the
Snowman is today.
Dec. 25 is not the exact
birthday of Jesus Christ. That
day was chosen to correspond
with pagan festivals that took
place near the winter solstice,
when the days began to
lengthen. Northern Europeans
and Romans celebrated this
occurence as the rebirth of the
sun, so some scholars believe
Christmas was appointed to this
date to make the birth of Christ
more meaningful to pagan
converts.
This connection was not made,
however, until long after the
birth of Christ. "The notion that
there should be a feast to
celebrate the birth of Christ was
not important until the third or
fourth century," said Baird
Tipson, religion professor.
Christians in the Middle Ages
did not always "feast" on
festival days, Tipson said. "In
early days of Christianity, there
was a lot of fasting; purifying
yourself for the Advent season."
For the English, however,
Christmas was a time of
celebration, as they adapted
many folk customs from other
countries.
During the Middle Ages in
England, a commoner or servant
of an important lord was chosen
to rule during the Christmas
season, and his rule was a time
of enjoyment. This tradition
may have come from the Roman
winter festival, when slaves
were granted equal status with
their 'masters.
Burning of the yule log was
another custom rooted in pagan'
practice. This was adopted from
an ancient Scandinavian
practice of burning evergreens
'in honor of the winter solstice.
The use of evergreen trees at
Christmas may also have
originated among northern
European tribes who honored
these trees as symbols of eternal
life.
Martin Luther generally is
credited with beginning the
Christmas tree custom. The
sight of an evergreen tree on
Christmas Eve with the stars
shining supposedly inspired him
to bring a tree into his home.
The practice of singing'
Christmas carols has been
traced to St. Francis of Assissi
in 13th century Italy. St. Francis
often would lead songs of praise
to the Christ child. He also is
credited with introducing the
nativity scene of Jesus in the
manger.
The celebration of Christmas
was not always as important in
the United States as it is today.
"There is a tendency to think
we have always celebrated
Christmas the way we do now,
but for the first 100 years in
America, Christmas was a
relatively minor event for most
Protestants," Tipson said.
"Most Christmas customs
were looked on with great
suspicion in early America,"
Tipson said. "America was a
Puritan country."
Because    of.   this    Puritan
tradition,   Christmas   did   not
become   a   legal   holiday
America until 1856.
Away from the Puritan influence and New England, other
immigrants joyously celebrated
the season, bringing their
customs from their, homelands.
It is this habit of happiness and
celebration which marks the
spirit of Christmas
country today.
Merry Christmas
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