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Story And Photos By Lib Stewart
SECTION B TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1980
Keeping Traditions
Important At Christmas
Keeping family traditions are
in important part of the
^ristmas celebration for Sarah
nances and David Faunce and
^ir sons, Brett 7, and Justin
l|oward, 3.
Xhristmas Eve at the Faunce
tome on West Mountain St. will
be the sixth annual family
gathering of the Mauney-
Simpson Clan which the young
couple have hosted.
The house will be merry with
the sound of SO or more relatives
who will enjoy eggnog and party
refreshments from a home
beautifully decorated in the
family tradition.
A week before Christmas,
David and Sarah Frances select
from the KM Jaycee Tree Lot a
seven foot Balsam and add a new
handmade ornament for each
family member. The Children’s
tree in the living room is decked
with hundreds of every im-
’aginable orn2unent that a child
iJikes, from toys to stuffed
;'ttnimals. And all of which the
cFaunces made.
‘T Wreath-making also takes
ffionsiderable time, too, and the
whole family gets the duty, and
it’s fun. Sarah has always used
, fresh magnolia leaves and pine
,, over the mantel in the living
room with a red and green felt
wreath centering the unique ar-
fipgement. The boys hang their
Christmas stockings and par
ticipate in decorating the tree.
Strah uses a Delarobia wreath
on the front door and garlands
the door with fresh greenery and
1 (daces lights in all the windows
the white two story house.
Wresh balsam and re^ candy
'^nes and bows trim the stair-
; way in the red and black-
fiecorated foyer and on her den
mantlepiece is a handmade
wreath of corn shucks tied with
gingham bow and ribbon with a
cornhusk doll dressed in red
check apron and cap. The formal
dining room, done in red and
green, has a Colonial
Williamsburg centerpiece of
fresh pineapple and apples.
Another Delarobia wreath of felt
is used over the buffet. A hand
made garland of pretzels is also
used in the den. Red candles are
used throughout the house.
This year Sarah is planning to
combine her traditional eggnog
party with the family dinner and
is planning a menu which should
please anyone on her guest list.
“1 decided this year to serve
, pickups from the buffet table
and use a lot of vegetable
quiches, along with turkey and
ham,” explained Sarah who is
planning to bake her yummy
dressing reicpe in muffin pans
and each guest can dip the small
size dressing bits in hot gravy, us
ing a tooth pick.
The whole family helps roast
the pecans for the party, accor
ding to David, and also assist the
lady of the house in preparing
the nuts for 54 loaves of banana
bread which Sarah distributes to
friends at Christmas, including
the postman and garbage collec
tors. The family also enjoy bak
ing Christmas cookies in the
busy week preceding Christmas
and give the cookies to friends.
Mrs. Faunce, daughter of Bil
ly and Mary Mauney of Kings
Mountain, is a natural hostess
and friends love to go to the
Faunce home at Christmas time.
In addition to her culinary
abilities, Sarah Frances has made
several Christmas red vests this
season and made the drapes for
their beautifully furnished home.
She and her husband did most of
the re-upholstering of furniture
in their house.
Sarah enjoys the busy holiday
season, always finding time to
ishare it with others, and especial
ly her close knit family.
The Faunces share their
Christmas eggnog recipe and
Sarah’s famous banana bread.
You might want to include these
party suggestions at your New
Year’s Eve parties, or for enter
taining at any time of the year.
SARAH'S BANANA BREAD
2 sticks butter or margarine
2 cups brown sugar
5 eggs
y* teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons soda
1 '/2 teaspoons baking powder
4 cups plain flour
6-7 large very ripe bananas
1'/: cups finely chopped
pecans
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Cream together sugar and but
ter. Add eggs one at a time and
beat. Sift dry ingredients
together. Add to creamed mix
ture alternately with bananas.
Add nuts. Pour into flour
aluminum tins well greased.
Bake I hour and IS minutes at
250-275 degrees F.
oOo
CHRISTMAS EGGNOG
3 dozen eggs separated
2 y* cups sugar
4'/2 cups whiskey ('A bourbon
and 'A rum)
3 pints whipping cream
Beat egg yolks, slowly add
whiskey. Beat egg whites slowly.
Add guar and pinch of cream off*.
tartar. Fold whites into yolks-
and sprinkle with nutmeg. Beat
whipping cream, cold. Serves 35.
5 JX-
CHRISTMAS HOUSE — Th* home of Mr. and
Mr*. David Faunce is a beautiful Christmas
house ond will be gay with family gatherings
on Christmas Eve. It is traditional for the
Faunces to host the Mauney-Simpson family
and the family was busy getting ready for the
holidays this week.
SI
Chrismons Tell Special
Story Of Christmas
W.
Chrismons tell the story of Mountain this week.
Christmas and the Christian Beautiful handmade
[symbols are reflected in church Chrismons in gold and white
iecorations throughout Kings honor the Christ Child and each
Photo by Gary Stewart
CHRISMON TREE - The Chrismon Tree is widely used in this
(area to decorate church sanctuaries at Christmas time to point
tio the religious emphasis of Christmen. The tree, above, was
decorated and dedicated on o recent Sunday at Dixon
byterian Church.
has a special meaning.
The symbols often take the
form of figures, such as the cir
cle, representing eternity; the
ball, meaning the earth; the nim
bus, a circle of light around the
head for holiness; cross and stars,
which illustrate the close rela
tionship between the birth and
death of Jesus.
Chrismon is a combination of
two words, Christmas and
Monogram.
Originated in 1957 by Frances
K. Spener of Danville, Va., the
Chrismon tree is decorated with
symbols from Christian history,
depicting the life of Christ and
the celebration of His birth.
Most Chrismon trees are
evergreens, denoting everlasting
or eternal life, and some of the
trees are also decked with tiny
white lights, pointing to Christ as
the light of the world. The gold
and white symbols represent
purity and glory. There is also a
cross, a crown of thorns, etc.
Many churches in Kings
Mountain have used the
Chrismon tree for years, adding
symbols each year. At Dixon
Presbyterian Church, Rev. and
Mrs. Graham Wood began the
project of making the decoration
last year and it was continued
this season. Children of the
church,,under the direction of
their Sunday School teachers,
made the Chrismons and on a re
cent Sunday night placed them
on a small tree in the sanctuary.
There was also a brief service of
dedication led by the pastor.
“It matters not the size of the
tree or the number of Chrismons
that we use but the message of
this experience,” said Rev.
Wood, “as the idea behind the
Chrismons is to honor the Christ
Child through the use of Chris
tian symbolism.”
CHILDREN'S TREE — The beautliully-
decorated Children's Tree is decorated with
handmade ornaments made by all the family.
It's traditional for the David Faunce family to
trim the tree and do the holiday decorating
and baking together.
ALL READY FOR SANTA — luttin and Brett
Faunce, sons of Mr. and Mrs. David Faunce.
and their (soodle “Sugar Bear,” eve all ready
for Christmas Eve. The children hel|>ed trim
the children's tree and assisted their parents
in traditional pr*[>arations for the holidays.