Christmas - Things to Remember
Tomorrow we will celebrate Christmas. So I am taking this opportunity to wish each of you who are listening in or who may receive a copy of this talk a very Merry Christmas. I hope you can have family get togethers where old and young have the satisfaction of renewing their love and friendship. It takes time to keep even family relationships in good repair and Christmas is a good time to do it. Christmas is the one principal time of the year when our thoughts turn to others, to relatives, to friends and especially to little children where ever they may be.
As I remember it there is quite a marked contrast between Christmases today and 75 years ago when I was a small boy. Of course my observations were limited for I was brought up in a rural community quite a distance from a town. We did not have at that time a Gallup Poll to find out for us as to how people behave, what they think, how they will vote, etc. The following will be my personal observations which I admit will be limited in scope.
The community in which I grew up generally observed three annual holidays, Christmas, the 4th of July and Thanksgiving. We always shot off fire crackers the morning of the 4th and sometimes an anvil making a great noise and we sometimes worked for half a day if farm work was pressing, but usually we went to a local celebration in a nice woodsy place. We sometime picked corn for half a day on Thanksgiving. That I will point out for the younger generation was in the days of the husking peg when each ear was husked by hand and we were anxious to get the corn gathered before it snowed. But when Christmas cam we always took the day off and we were always home.
Of course since I lived on a farm there were the usual chores to do, cows to milk, fattening cattle and hogs to feed, chickens to care for, horses to feed. Sometimes we did our chores a little late and the horses nickered and stirred in their stalls saying in horse language that you should have gotten around earlier for they were hungry for oats and corn even it was Christmas. Outside of necessary work Christmas was observed in my home.
We received presents then as now but not the bewildering assortment of toys and mechanical devices such as are given to children now. Our presents were books, mittens, scarfs, neckties, etc. - things we could use and I am sure we got as much satisfaction and pleasure out of them as children get out of present day gifts. Santa seemed very well informed as to what we needed. I have found it quite difficult to determine what to get for my grandchildren, they get so many things. I have solved the problem by getting each of the a U. S. Savings Bond. By explaining how it grows in value even if putting it in a safety box is my way of teaching thrift, which I think is very much needed by our present day boys and girls.
There are other striking differences between Christmas then and now. Today families have T.V., radio, phonograph records, movie shows and loud speakers that sing Christmas carols on the streets for days before Christmas. In addition people now have autos and good roads that shortens the time to get to where they want to go. We did not have any of these things. They weren't around at that time. We made our own music, musical instruments were not very common in our neighborhood. We had an organ the bellows of which were pumped by the feet of the player. We sang mostly carols at Christmas time. I think that is the reason I like carols now.
We made most of our own entertainment, sung songs, played games. There is personal growth where people make their own entertainment. In this respect I believe we were better off than young people of today. We did not have Christmas trees in homes, although there was a Christmas tree in the church. The religious services were much the same then as now. The story of the Christ child does not change. Boys and girls spoke pieces, (it would be called readings now) on Christmas eve. I can remember reciting poetry, taking part in dialogues. A home made Santa with a coat turned wrong side out and great false whiskers came into the church to deliver presents and he saw to it that no youngster was missed. The candy was all hard candy -- no chocolates but that made no difference to the children.
When I was a boy we made our own sleds, bobsleds, skis, bows and arrows, etc. Today we swamp our children with purchased toys. How much better or at least more interesting for them it would be if they made the toys themselves or were helped in making them. I recall that my son who builds houses took cast of pieces of wood, sawed them in square, rectangles etc. - a whole basket of them and gave them to an older brother's children. Out of these blocks the small children made houses, barns, garages, walks, anything and everything their imagination could contrive. They played with them long after they had forgotten the bought toys they got in such profusion at Christmas.
A few days ago my wife and I walked through several stores. I had never seen such an amazing display of articles designed for the Christmas trade. Christmas toys, Christmas presents and Christmas remembrances, etc. are now a billion dollar industry. Of course, I suppose it does encourage the spirit of giving but it is at the same time the giving of many non-essentials, to people who do not need them. We have surely commercialized Christmas. This was no the case in the community in which I grew up.
Writing letters at Christmas time was a custom then as it is now. My mother was a letter writer and remained so all her life. At Christmas she wrote to relative and close friends telling about the family and other things of interest. It is a fine custom and one which I have followed for many years although I have often used cards and form letters and not the truly personal ones such as Mother wrote. Still I always get a thrill when I receive a letter even though it is a form letter. It is a good custom and keeps one in touch with young people certainly do need something to keep them in touch with young people making new friends as well as keeping the old friends.
Giving and sharing are all strongly evident at Christmas time. These two great virtues add up to another virtue that is happiness, happiness both on the part of the giver and the receiver. I notice more smiles on faces at Christmas time than any other time of the year. Even the overworked postman loaded down with cards, letters and packages smiles when he stops at your door. Children are especially curious and happy wondering what Santa will bring them.
We should not forget however that Christmas means more than Christmas presents, giving, sharing and happiness. It is based on the profound teaching of Jesus as to the brotherhood of man and love for one another. The teaching of Jesus that all men are brothers and equal in the sight of God has a tremendous impact on civilization. After nearly 2000 years in which great progress in human relations has been made the World still struggles hopefully to translate these teachings into realities between nations and between man and man.
On this year of small war and the atomic threat we can rejoice that we live in a country in which a special effort is being made to protect the individual right of all citizens. As we observe this Christmas we should remember that the spirit of giving of ourselves in brotherly love in helpful service to others is the principal part of the Christian religion. It is the great teaching of the Prince of Peace whose birth we celebrate on Christmas Day.
In closing I which each of you a very happy Christmas and rewarding New Year.
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