Give Plants
Protection
From Cold
. A few precautions can help
"oaeowners avoid cold damage to
®**tain plants that frequently fall
v7“m* *0 eevere temperatures.
Some of these damage-prone
P*“ta an rhododendron, boxwood
■nd some of the other broadleaf
evergreens, according to
epicultural extension specialists at
North Carolina State University.
Hm best way to protect them from
winds and the winter sun is to
plant them in protected places to
begin with. Plants that are already
in the wrong places may be Suc
cessfully moved, if they are fairly
young
Otherwise, some type of screening
protection is recommended. For
valued plant* you may want to
build a scaffold on three sides —
east, south and west — then cover
the frame with burlap or some
similar material.
He!J,
flflortl!
urtles give their young no care at
all. The mother sea turtle digs a hole
on a beach and lays her eggs, covers
them with sand and then returns to
the sea. The sun hatches the eggs.
1
May the year ahead bring a lasting peace to
the ifhole world...and may it bring happiness
to you.
THE CHEVROLET LEADER 433-5511
A Merry Christmas
and
Joyous 1989
from the
Saint Augustine's
During this Joyous season our thoughts turn to our
good friends whose Loyalty, Courtesy and Goodwill
have helped to make our achievements possible
We Are Deeply Grateful.
May the Gladness, Hope, Peace, Love and Joy of
Christmas abide with you always.
Pinata Remains Strong
In Mexican Christmas
The story of Mary and Joseph’s
search for a place to stay in
Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus led
to the creation of the pinata, a Mex
ican Christmas tradition dating back
to the colonial period of the 1600s.
Use of the pinata remains strong in
Mexico, but other Mexican Christmas
traditions are being challenged by
customs imported from the United
States.
Dr. William H. Beezley, professqr
of history at North Carolina State
University who studies Mexican
popular culture, said the pinata was
born as a popular effort to relive the
story of Mary and Joseph’s search for
lodging on Christmas night.
“A pinata is a clay bowl or vase fill
ed with goodies,” Beezley Said. “Lit
tle toys, candies, oranges, little
treats. Around that clay bowl is a
papier-mache figure shaped like an
animal, a boat or whatever is the in
spiration of whoever makes it. Today,
one might see a lot of Walt Disney
characters.”
The tradition of the pinata is prac
ticed in all areas of Mexico, rural and
urban.
“For nine days before Christmas,
the children in a neighborhood go
door to door, asking if there’s room
for them—room at the inn,” Beezley
said. “They are turned down at each
house until they get to the last one,
the one that has been selected for that
evening. There, they are invited in
side for a little Christmas party.”
As part of the party, the children
are blindfolded, spun around and
allowed to try to break open a pinata,
which hangs above the patio.
While the other children watch,
each child takes a turn swinging at
the pinata with a pinata bat—a thin,
carved and decorated bat slightly
shorter than a baseball bat.
Once the pinata is burst and the
goodies begin spilling out, all the
children scramble to get whatever
treats they can. Then the children
sing songs, play and have
refreshments.
“The tradition of the pinata has
now spilled over into other Mexican
fiestas, which also often feature
fireworks,” Beezley said. “Pinatas
now have expanded to saint days and
birthday celebrations.”
Although the use of the pinata is
thriving, some Mexicans have begun
to abandon other traditional national
Christmas customs, or to combine
them with U.S. practices.
“In Mexico today it’s kind of a toss
up because of television and the prox
imity to the United States,” Beezley
said. “Mexicans are being bombard:.
ed with U.S. traditions."
For example, he said, it is tradi
tionally on Jan. 6, Epiphany, that
wise men come and bring presente to
Mexican children.
“But that is being altered and get
ting to be more Santa
Claus-oriented,” Beezley said.
“There are even Christmas trees
there now. It is becoming a mixed
tradition.”
can
The average
line 38 miles‘
President Reagan has received his own Olympic gold and silver.
5 v 7^**, House ceremony, a group of 1988 U.S. Olympic gold
F]°rtnce Gri®th J«V»er, Matt Biondi, J^et Evans
^Maynard along with U.S. Olympic Committee President
Robert Helmick presented President Reagan with a set of gold and silver
uiympic coins.
The U.S. Olympic Commemorative Coin^-a $5 gold coin and a silver dol
teiv-are available nationwide at financial institutions, coin dealers and par
ticipating retail stores including K-Mart, Sears and Montgomery Ward
to all
The people who bring you Budweiser wish you and yours
the very best this holiday season.
• Can
• Raleigh