' V. . ' "'
Sunday, December 11, 1966
THE DAILY TAR HEEL
Page 3
Mistletoe, Stockings, Santa Claus
QiFistiaB Lore Combine In Yuiiletide Custom
U-'?.C Lib;
Pagan,
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TINY ELVES seem to dance around the spark
ling objects in shop windows giggling "buy
this, buy this!" It's Christmas and Americans
will x celebrate the festive season by spending
billions of dollars on trinkets 1 they neither
A Greeting-Filled Sack
Bends Mailman 's Back
NEW YORK (UPI) Count
'em. They run into the billions,
the numbers of Christmas
cards U.S. families send.
The Greeting Card Associa
tion estimated that 3.5 billion
Yule cards will be mailed this
year, the largest number ever
exchanged some 400 mil
lion more than were sent dur
ing the 1965 holiday season.
The postage bill? Approxi
mately $175 million, for the
nations 56 million households
the association added.
Just how much Americans
will spend on the cards them
selves the association Won't
estimate. "The figures are too
nebulous," say Stephen Q.
Shannon, association director.
The association did add that
Christmas greetings make up
about 50 per cent of the total
card business, that on the
average each family sends 75
cards, and that this year the
religious theme is stronger
than ever. Even the U.S. Post
Department takes note of the
season with issuance of a
Christmas stamp, a Madonna
and Child. 30 per cent of the
card designs are on the reli
gious theme, with the Madon
na by far the most popular.
Shannon said there are a
bout 50,000 designs in cards
You
NEW YORK (UPI) Dream
ing of a status symbol Christ
mas? All you need is money.
For the "visible evidence of
superior rank", as author
Vance Packard has describ
ed the term, is more visible
than ever this year in the
stores and specialty shops.
How about a ski slope in
your own backyard? It's 121
feet long comes with lights for
skiing at night, and has a plas
tic surface so there's no snow
shoveling involved. Price,
$100,000.
Or, for clanking around the
house, there are authentic
suits of armor, one of them
German, circa 1540, with
helmet and visor and "all fin
ger, hand and elbow joints in
working condition", for $6,500.
For her, a necklace with
round, marquise and pear
shaped stones set in platinum,
for $170,000.
All
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want or need. Statistics show that $3.5 billion
will be spent this year on children's toys
alone. Just think what the figure must be for
grownups' toys.
DTH Photo' by Jock Lauterer
this year, yet the primary
Christmas symbols still domi
nate. Among the most popular
are Santa Claus, holly and
poinsetta, nostalgic winter
scenes, bells, candles, Christ
mas tree ornaments, animals
and birds, jolly snowmen, can
dy canes, Christmas trees, tra
vel scenes, mail boxes and
the fireplaces.
One growing trend is the ur
bane design to go with our ur
ban population growth, re
ported the American Artists
Group, Inc., made up of hun
dreds of painters, illustrators
and designers.
Some of the results show in
such as the cards painted by
Frank Lacano, who hails the
new concert halls springing up,
or by Bernard Kaplan, who
created! a contemporary
"stained glass" window re
flecting the surge of the city
beneath the multi - angular
patterns of streets and sky
scrapers. The artists group also noted
that the war in Asia is re
flected in design cards deal
ing with the theme of peace,
goodwill, and the brotherhood
of man.
The association said that
contrary to a fairly general
supposition, the history of
Need For
Or in case this necklace is
grabbed up already, .a diam
ond and emerald drop neck
lace is available at $57,500,
and an all diamond bracelet
for $18,500.
Also for her, a Leo Ritter
designed Russian sable coat
for $25,000 or a Jacques Kap
lan - designed chinchilla blan
ket for $5,000.
Or for the do-it-yourself fe
male, there's a tool chest from
France, with decorations in
jewels and sequins. Included
for $400 are vicuna working
gloves and apron. Or goggles
for cycling or skiing, with
mink border, are only $12.50.
Tired of the paper shopping
bags? One from Portugal, at
$250, is beaded with rhine
stones and pearls and has a
gold frame.
Want to get away from it
all? All sorts of charter your
own villa plans are offered at
Christmas cards is not cen
turies old. The first known
card was designed and sent
by John Calcott Horsley, a
painter and illustrator, to his
friend Sir Henry Cole, the in
augurator and the first direc
tor of the Victoria and Albert
Museum in London. That was
Christmas, 183.
It was not until 1846, how
ever, that one thousand copies
of the Horsley design were
lithographed, hand - colored
and sold by Felix Summerly's
Treasure House in Bond Street.
Sir Henry had set up the art
shop in order to, improve the
taste of his contemporaries.
The first American cards
were published in 1875 in Rox
bury, Mass., by Louis Prang,
a noted lithographer. The as
sociation said the first known
card had a central illustration
depicting the conviviality of
the season. Small panels in
. the design to the left and right
showed the charitable acts of
"clothing the poor" and "feed
ing the hungry."
Inevitably the greeting on
the card was destined to be
come the most popular Yule
message ever composed "A
Merry Christmas and a Hap
py New Year to You."
Christmas Status
a mere $200 a week but for
real status, charger an island
with accommodations for 35
persons, and a private yacht,
for $5,000 per week. Or, go on
a shooting safari to Africa, 22
days for $3,600.-
These are just a few of the
many often costly and often
off - beat gifts for the person
who has everything else, spot
ted in a tour through stores
and Christmas catalogs.
Baby can have in his Christ
mas collection anything from
a set of serling diaper pins at
$5.50 to a Carriage blanket,
in any fur, ranging in price
from $175 to $500 "depending
on whether baby was born
with a silver or bold spoon in
its mouth," said furrier Kap
lan. Or, there's a formal christ
ening apparel set from Spain
for $550 and a cradle in white
molded wicker from Germany
This year when you're trim
ming the tree, filling Christ
mas stockings or hanging mis
tletoe give a thought to
where you got your favorite
Christmas custom: chances
are it goes farther back in
history than you realize.
In fact, (jnnsimas useu,
manv historians believe, may
have had its origins in ancient
Greek and Roman festivities
to observe the midwinter
change of seasons.
The use of greenery at
Christmas also grew out of
ancient Greek and Roman cus
toms. Holly, for example, was
favorite decoration oi tne
Romans, who made lavish use
Worst Enemy
In Viet Nam
Is Loneliness
SAIGON,Viet Nam (UPD
The loneliest Christmas of all
A llv
will be marked by over 350,000
American soldiers, sailors, ma
rines and airmen fighting in
the jungles of Viet Nam 12,000
miles from home and their
their loved ones.
Christmas packages and let
ters from home will pour in at
an astonishing rate
Uncle Sam will make an all
out effort to see that every
one of his boys eats a tradi
tional eight - course turkey
and dressing dinner on Christ-
mas Day even m the remotest
areas.
Protestant and Catholic chap
lains will travel hundreds of
miles by plane, helicopter,
jeep and on foot to hold Christ
mas services for the troops.
In the rear areas service
clubs will be decorated, Christ-
mac irmc? will Vta nloiro1 and '
ixivix. x v yiajvu
GI's will eat the best possible
Christmas dinner.
If the Communists cooperate
this year as they did last, guns
wiu iau biivui across me war-
torn land and no man will be
forced to kill 'another on the
birthday of the Prince of
Peace.
But the continual guard can
not be lowered and for some
young x Americans, -winstmas'
will be spent in ' a foxhole and
the only turkey they will see
will come in a little olive green
can stamped "C-ration, indi
vidual meal, combat, turkey
loaf."
On the hot white sands of
the coastal plains to the north
a few cursty marines may
find a ratty little scrubbrush
pine and decorate its branches
with the tops of C-ration cans
and links of machine gun "am
mo." If you squint your eyes a
little and ignore the 100 - de
gree heat you can pretend
that it's a snowy winter scene
and the tree is beautiful.
In the rugged green moun
tains of the Vietnamese high
lands along the Cambodian
border the tough "Green Ber
ets" mark a lonely isolated
Christmas.
The tiny barbed wire-barricaded
camps of the Special
Forces are staffed by twelve
man American teams super
vising a couple of hundred
native mercenary troops.
For many of these camps
any Christmas goodies will
have to be parachuted to them.
In many of these areas pi
lots flying loudspeaker planes
used for propaganda purposes
wm mase a special mgnt over
peace and being at home with
your family and friends
American men at war so far
from home will fight their big
gest battle against loneli
ness on Christmas Day
1966. '
for $295.
For the men, there's a fur
"blotter" for the desk, done in
either jaguar or leopard, for
$1,500.
Or, for him, there's a baby
grand piano in white wood,
which doesn't play piano mus
ic, but does open up into a
cabinet with bar, serving cart,
hi-fi and stereo set, record
player and television, for $1,
850. For his jacket, there are 14
k gold buttons, at $90, and the
"millionaire's diary," bound in
black pigskin, stamped in 18
k gold, and including facts on
yacht brokers, polo meets,
racing stables, and clubs of in
terest "to the favored few,"
for $25.
For the canine seeking stat
us, a split level indoor dog
house imported from Italy
sells for $119 and a mink"
the isolated camps to blare out !on' Christmas litter w a ma
a few bars of "Jingle Bells " Jor fffe hazard m
Christmas is a timp frr and can cause accidents on
of green boughs and garlands
to honor Saturn, their god of
agriculture.
While the birth of Christ was
celebrated on various dates as
early as the third century, the
observance wasn't officially
sanctioned until a century lat
er, rope Julius I authorized an
investigation to determine
Christ's probable birth date,
which led to the selection of
December 25th. On that date,
in 353 A.D., the feast of the
Nativity was first observed in
Rome.
You may kiss under the mis
tletoe, but the ancient Druids.
wno called the plant 'all heal,1
believed it had the power to
uuiabiuuuai; tui c unsccibc ana
counteract poisons.
It was in heavily - forested
northern Europe that deco
rating Christmas trees began.
St. Boniface, an eighth cen
tury monk who converted the
pagans living in what is now
Germany, convinced them to
oak and, instead, to adorn fir
trees in their homes in trib-
ute to the Christ Child.
A fourth - century bishop of
Turkey, Saint Nicholas, was
the real - life predecessor of
Santa Claus. According to leg
end, he dropped a bag of gold
coins down a chimney into a
stocking which a poor girl had
hung by the fireriace to drv:
hence our custom of hanging
Christmas stockings.
A French legend tells how
the Christmas rose came into
being. A little girl, accompany-
ing the shepherds on their
way to see the Christ Child.
was sad because she had no
gift to offer. The angel Gabriel
appeared and, taking pity on
the child, caused a beautiful
white rose to spring from the
ground. Overjoyed, the little
girl plucked the bloom, which
T l i m .
ue iuu& as a gm 10 ine lniant
Jesus.
The rose, together with the
poinsettia and desert flower,
continues to play an import-
ant role in the holidav season.
In many countries of Europe,
people still believe that all the
trees break into blossom for a
few moments at midnight on
Christmas Eve. The most pop
ular nowerinff Dlant , for
Christmas; according to :; the
! florists, is the poinsettia,
brought to the U. S. more than
125 years ago from Mexico by
Santa Claus
Isn't Really
A Litterbug
NEW YORK (UPI)-Santa
Claus is not a litterbug but
the estimated 4 0 0 million
pounds of wrapping paper,
boxes, ribbons and tags adorn
ing the gifts he delivers are
potential litter, reports Keep
America Beautiful.
When added to the nearly
50 million trees and countless
wreaths and other decorations
this litter potential is greater
than at any other time of
the year, KAB said.
Allen H. Seed Jr., executive
vice president of KAB, said
most people properly dispose
of their Christmas litter but
enough are careless to add
clutter to the otherwise deco
rative season.
"Even more important than
its blemish on the holiday sea-
streets and highways, said
Seed
He urged everyone to exert
extra care in disposing of
Christmas refuse so as not to
mar the holiday glitter with
litter.
ols
blanket cape comes with it for
$90.
For the collector, one store
is offering the complete Vanity
Fair, 32 volumes bound in
purple and silver, at $1,000.
There are of course those
well - publicized "hi"" and
iers" side by side bathtubs
for $4,000. Also for the house
are mink and cashmere Christ
mas stockings for $50 each or
mink and jewel - trimmed
v Christmas tree decorations
sprinkled with silver dust
for $10 each.
A French - made silver-plated
duck press, resting on mar
ble base, costs $410.
For the gourmet, canned ti
ger meat, from India is pre
pared in mushroom sauce, at
$2.49 a can. Or, there's a com
plete wheel of Swiss chese,
. three feet in diameter, weigh
ing 180 pounds, at $243.
Symb
Dr. Joel Poinsett.
One of the most revered
Christmas customs is the re
enactment of Christ's birth
with a creche or Nativity
Scene. This custom was pop
ularized in the 13th century by
St. Francis of Assisi. At a
time when few books were
available, and most people
could read anyway, St.
Francis dramatized the Na
tivity in 1224, to help the peo
ple of Greccio, Italy, under
stand the meaning of Christ
mas. Villagers took the parts
of Mary, Joseph, and shep
4 -
IN
Toys (Millions Of Them)
Toot, Toddle Into Yuletide
NEW YORK (UPI' An esti
mated 380,230,000 toys will
toot, thump and toddle their
way into children's hands and
hearts this Christmas, empty
ing parental pockets to the
tune of nearly $1,384 billion.
That's what the Toy Manu
facturers of the USA , the na
tion's toy trade group, predicts
for 1966, its 21st straight record-breaking
sales this year.
Toy prices in this billion
dollar business, whose dollar
volume doubledl from $1.2 bil
lion in 1955 to $2.4 billion last
year, will stay mainly under
$30, the toymakers said.
Affluent adults can provide
$25,000 worth of childish glee
with a mammoth marionette
show from F A O Schwarz, of
course, or splurge $6,000 for,
.. .an electric. "Levi theLeyita-;-"tor"
life-siie magician from
Hess' in Allentown, Pa.
But most toys will cost an
average of $3.65 each, and in
flation won't torpedo toyland
until next year, an association
spokesman said.
"We expect a fantastic sea
son, but fewer fads" said Je
rome Friar, association presi
dent. "There won't be any
wild surge for a toy everybody
has to have."
Batman, however, will still
spell "holy profits" in his first
yuletide sales test, industry
insiders agreed. At F A O
Schwarz, vice-president and
chief buyer Ernest Thauer, ad
mitted to having "many sleep
less nights" over the store
chain's order of 800,000 5-inch
Batmobiles from Corgi toys in
England.
"I couldn't forget those 200
dozen Davy Crockett caps we
were stuck with when that fad
died." Thauer shuddered. The
Batman duo did prove dynam
ic, though the store now ex
pects the $4 car to lead all
other items with over a million
selling by Dec. 24.
Other companies also will
cash in on the comic strip
craze. Ideal Toy is marketing
a "Captain Action" doll who
switches from Superman to
Steve Canyon and seven other
heroes with a flick of the cape,
and Chein toys offer a "talk
ing Peanuts bus" with a chat
tering Charlie Brown and com
pany. REALISM SELLS
Despite the money in manu
factured make-believe, the toy-
Is Money
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In the odds and ends depart
ment, look for:
An English taxi cab that
survived the World War II
blitz, at $2,000;
A "nothing rock," a foot
wide and 18 inches high, car
ries the legend . . historical
marker, on this spot, Febru
ary 29, 1775, absolutely noth
ing happened," but the plaque
can be used instead to carry
mottoes, advic or for identi
fication, at $30;
A "detect-a-drink" which
indicates the amount of imbib
ing done during the year, for
$5;
A diet computer, that in
dicates how much weight one
looses or gains over any giv-
en period or after one meav
And cuff links which dou-
ble as pill boxes, for $5 a
herds. Live animals were
figure of the Christ Child was
used, and a life - sized wax
placed in the manger.
Christmas carols can also
be traced back to St. Francis.
Originally a "carol" signified
a dance rather than a song,
and It was St. Francis who
led the villagers in joyous
dancing around the Nativity
Scene.
One of our most recent cus
toms, the exchanging of Christ
mas cards, began in England
in the 1840's. Christmas cards
. were first introduced in the
AMERICA
makers insist that realism is
important to their trade.
Julius Cooper, head of pro
duct development for Ideal,
said "Space toys won't sell
now because the child doesn't
see Daddy taking 6ff for work
in rockets every morning. He'd
rather have a tiny Mustang
he wants to stay down to
earth."
Realism also- repels, how
ever, and war toy sales should
slip as the Viet Nam efforts
spirals, buyers reported.
Thauer said the toys that
bang and blast in boys' hands
this year will represent "vio
lence far removed" as in spy,
cowboy, or knightly weapons.
One television ad is pitching
"laughs for the entire family"
when they "hit the bomb and
jyatchhe.vfrqnt of thehouse.
' ". fall ' a way , ' ' but . this bomb and
dart gun are aimed at a "fall
apart master spy" and not a
Viet Cong guerilla.
Scattered "special forces tar
get games" and jungle-warfare
equipment will appear, but
even Hasbro toys, whose "GI
Joe" doll figure has sold 10
million since 1964, does not
expect its new "Green Beret"
version to outstrip its leading
Army and Navy dolls of ear
lier vintage.
The reality of race will also
be skirted. GI Joe's vinyl face
necessarily reflects the racial
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TOUCH at ereenerv for the
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of year even Chapl Hill. The custom stems from the pagan
practice of worshipping Odin's sacred 'oak. St. Boniface, in the
Eightth Century, was the first to use greenery to celeferate
Christmas. DTH Photo by Jock Lauterer
United States by Louis
Prang, a German immigrant
who settled in Roxbury, Mas
sachusetts. Often called the
"Father of the American
Christmas Card," Prang print
ed his first "Seasons Greet
ings" in 1873.
No matter what your favor
ite Christmas custom from
holly to jolly Old St. Nick
youH probably agree that the
Yuletide is full of surprises
and not only in the gifts youH
find under the tree on Christ
ams morning!
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melting pot, since it blends
the features of all Medal of
Honor winners, including Ne
groes, American Indians, and
Orientals. But other manufac
turers find, like Ideal's Erwin
Benkoe, vice - president at
Ideal, that "Negro and other
racial dolls simpl ydbn't sell."
COLOR'S COMING
Other color-experimentation
will explode under the Christc
mas tree, primarily in pre
school toys. Research and der
velopment departments in
many outfits plan to ditch pas
tels for primary colors, hav
ing found that red and yellow
outrank the traditional pink
and blue with the under-six
set. - ,
Many passive push -, button
toys also -will be replaced, lay
1 thoseultnat : "give' 'the J 'child
more to do, more chance w
use his imagination" said
Bernard Loomis, vice-president
for national sales for,
Mattel toys.
"You always have to watch
for return to the basics," said
Loomis. "You can make a
buck, but you can't build a
business on fads."
The basics, Thauer explain
ed, are "the toys the child
never outgrows the Teddy
bear that becomes a mascot,
or the toy cars that even a
man collects."
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