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{liliifiiili Sfii’lifli 2 THE LIBERAL. Richmond Hill. W ‘Memorles of wmter With plenty of snow, woodsleds and pitchholes in the roads and with detours through the fields for better going, straw rides at night with everything sparkling with frost, the sky full of stars, the man in the moon with his smiling face seeming close enough to grasp your hand, and young voices raised in the songs of the day, Sleighing meant easy access to the woodlots and good roads to market. The long lines of woodsleds which wound their way slowly to town in the mornings and hastened back to the farm at night, linger in the recollection of those whose youthful days were highlighted by rides hit- ched on these bobsleds. The memory of the long walk home when the last sled had dropped one off a mile from town in the cold dusk of a winter‘s evening does not lessen the nostalgia for “those good old days". Realization that the Yuletide season is very near reminds us that sleighing for Christmas used to be a condition devoutly desired as good for business and good for the farmer. We like t6 'think"ifiéé“‘£fié“fii-st carol was sung by the angel chorus on that first Christmas Eve. nearly An ancient and lovely custom is the singing of Christmas carols and it goes back to the days when carols were sung in the streets by waits and minstrels, when the Yule log burned on the hearth, holly and mistletoe gleamed among the Christmas cand- les and wassail songs made glad the festiveusnd joyful Christmastide. - Every year the Christmas season is featured by singing of carols. Most churches hold carol services in the soft light of candles as one of the season’s main events. Commercial concerns flood the air with this beau- tiful music, until one becomes almost completely satiated with this music beautiful as it is. Nevertheless these familiar and ever. beautiful songs of Christmas which have been handed down through the centuries are an intrinsic part of Christmas. York Central Hospital has opened its doors in the service of the people thanks to the public spirit and generosity of many people. It. is a splendid building, carefully planned and built of the best materials by skilled and experienced hands. It has The dream of many years now is a reality. York Central Hospital is now operating and offering the accommodation so long deemed an urgent necessity. We can think of no better present for Richmond Hill and district; The news in our last issue that the first patient was admitted to the new hospital was a most welcome Christmas message for all the people of this district. It was fitting that the hospital should open its doors in service at the Christmas season, be- cause in its mission of mercy and healing it symbolizes in a very prac- tical way the true spirit and real meaning of Christmas. The true spirit of Christmas is joy, gratitude and good will to all. In this spirit we are happy to extend to all readers of “The Liberal” our very best wishes for a joyous Christmas. May every home in this district be blessed with a happy yuletide holiday. If we have failed in this, let us recapture the spirit of that first Christmas gift, sharing it generously with others and making our Christmas giving right from the heart, with love and understanding of our fellow men. How are we planning to commemorate this nicest time of the year and to whom shall we bring our gifts? And in what spirit? Are we forgiving and forgetting or are we remembering the petty so-called in- juries we think we may have suffered from others and approaching the Christmas season with a shade of bitterness in our hearts? Have we made our own the song of the angels, “Glory to God”? Have we done our part in making “peace on earth. good will to men” come true? In all history, in all mythology, there is no narrative so choice. so sweet and reverence-compelling as that of the birth of the Christ- child. In truth, there is in all the scriptures themselves, no portion with more effective influence in cleansing human hearts of all selfishness. How insignificant it was! Only the birth of a little child! Yet how mysterious and far reaching! Subscription Rate $3.50 per The Music Of Christmas “Authorized as second class mail, Post Office Department. Ottawa" An Independent Weekly: Established 1878 ICUâ€":9" I. on Rate $3.50 per year; to United States $4.50; 10c single copy Member Audit Bureau of Circulations Member Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association J. E. SMITH, Editor and Publisher W. S. COOK, Managing Editor merry @hrigtmag While Chrislmus 013112 liberal Welcome Gift crowd our memories of Christmas when we were young. Nor have the years dimmed the remembered pleasure of a. ride in a bright red cutter warmly wrapped in a buffalo robe and with a heated brick to keep one’s feet warm behind a spirited driving horse. Memory also dwells fondly upon snowshoe expeditions, tobogganing, bobsleighing on the snow-covered hills. and skating anywhere in the whole outdoors where there was a river. a creek. a pond or a lake, and a blazing fire provided light and warmth. How times have changed. Horses and sleighs live only in our memo- ries, at least in this area, and paved roads hum with automobile traffic. Wood as a fuel is out of fashion. Only the oldtimers, such as we, long for an old-fashioned winter with plenty of snow and bright sunshine â€" and good sleighing for Christmas. However, even to the youngest Canadian. Christmas does not seem to be Christmas without lots of snow on the ground. A WHITE CHRIST- MAS is a must. Day saying “ Old Year Out, New Year In! Please Give us a New Year's Gift!" From Spain comes another old tradition â€"-â€" on the “Old Night” as the Spanish call the last night of the old year, 12 grapes must. be consumed while the striking clock announces the New Year. For many Spanish people this tradition has great meaning, as they believe if they don’t have their 12 grapes, the New Year will hold only mis- fortune for them. On the other hand if they are able to swallow those 12 fruit units in the time it takes the clock to strike 12 times at midnight, the J says he is operating on the law of diminishing re- turns. ! t t t t It In a way, we envy that man who was convicted last week in Toronto on 12 charges of passing worthless personal cheques under aliases. He blamed his troubles on bank tellers who didn’t ask for identification. Someday we’d like to meet one of these tellers. It would be an even greater thrill than the time we caught Santa Claus at work. it t t t i i ...but we could never understand how he New Year is certain to bring very good luck for 1 shouted: “MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL" so clear- them. ] 1y with hith finger laid athide of hith nothe. The beginning of the eighteenth century marks the transition from the true carol to the more dignified and solemn Christmas hymn. The nineteenth century brought the beautiful “Silent Night, Holy Night” and also “0 Little Town of Bethle- hem” written by Phillip Brooks and inspired by a Christmas Eve spent by him in Bethlehem. Thus, Christmas carols have lived through the centuries. two thousand years ago. But, it was not until the thirteenth century that we find the beginning of the true Christmas carol and Italy was its birthplace. From Italy, the carol spread to Spain, France, England, Germany, and other European coun- tries where it retained its folksong qualities of legendary lore and childâ€" like simplicity with a strange mingling of reverence and genial mirthfulness. Christmas 1963 has brought to this district a welcome present in the opening of’ our new hospital. For many Christmases to come it will extend the skilled and dedicated hands of doctors and nurses in the great mission of healing and comfort. It enters on this mission with a. great reservoir of public support and good will. We hope that through the years this reservoir of good will will be multiplied many times and that York Central Hospital will grow in usefulness and for all time to come be a comfort and blessing to the people of this district. been equipped and furnished with fine scientific equipment and attrac- tive and serviceable furniture. It is blessed with a well qualified and dedicated medical, nursing and ad- ministrative staff and we hope and pray that throughout the years and generations to come this new hospital may fulfil in abundant measure the high hopes of all our people. $13.05! 3.1 mmmwmmwmy It was considered very bad luck to throw anything out on this day; even if it were ashes or a bit of rubbish! Superstitious people were filled with dread, if by accident or forgetfulness, someone carried from the house a lighted candle, for this, they believed meant death to a member of that house- hold before the year was past. Probably the most wide-spread of all New Year’s superstitions and one that was taken most seriously was the one concerning the “first-footer”. The type of person who first set foot in the house on the first day of the year was considered extremely important. For instance, it was very bad luck for a woman to enter one’s house first on New Year’s Day; and unlucky for the “first-footer” to be a light-haired man. Among others that were considered unlucky were grave-diggers, persons who walked with their toes turned in; those whose eye- brows met, and men with red or blonde hair. In many villages, in order, to avoid any catastrophe, a dark-haired man was chosen as a first-footer and his job was to go from house to house where he would be first to enter and thus preserving the good fortune of the house. If everybody who entered on the first day of the year carried food into the house that was con- sidered good luck. Among the peasants there was such a fear of starvation that a peculiar ceremony was practiced in many homes to ward off this enemy. “Breaking the cake” it was called. A special New Year’s cake was dashed with much force against the door, then everybody Would rush to pick up a piece and eat it. praying meanwhile that neither hunger or want should enter that house. “Burning out the old year" by building huge bonfires to which everybody added fuel, is still observed in many parts of England and Scotland. In Sussex, there is an old custom of throwing apples, oranges and nuts out the window to be scrambled for by the fishermen of the town. A quaint custom said to have persisted from the time of the Druids is practiced in Northumberland; twentyâ€"four men dressed in oldâ€"time costumes marched around the town from eleven~thirty until midnight with pans of blazing tar on their heads. The children of Nor“:- umberland beg for gifts of coins on New Year's Day saying “ Old Year Out, New Year In! Please Give us a New Year's Gift!" In Today, We mainly associate New Year’s with making good resolutions, but the New Year tradi- tion of long ago had many queer superstitions and beliefs. In the olden days, New Year's was considered a good time to tell the future, to look ahead into the year that was just beginning. One custom was known as “dipping”. The family Bible was read by the master of the house. He opened the Bible with eyes closjd and he passage found sindicated the fortunes, of his " ouse for the coming year. The text was read solemnly and slowly and interpreted by the family as an omen of luck or ill-luck that should befall. Ring Out The Old! Ring In The New! Rambling Around by Elizabeth Kelson pe: ~Sjecona/ jéouqéb . . . "There has been much fav- ourable comment locally on the prompt and efficient manner in which snow-plowing and snow- removal were carried out dur- ing the Christmas season. The heavy snowfall presented quite a problem for the local council but streets were plowed out quickly and snow was removed from Yonge Street by men and] equipment all through the! night. The prompt action against the snow meant a great convenience to Richmond Hill citizens.” In a way, we envy that man who was convicted last week in Toronto on 12 charges of passing worthless personal cheques under aliases. He blamed his troubles on bank tellers who didn’t ask for identification. Someday we’d like to meet one of these tellers. It would be an even greater thrill than the time we caught Santa Claus at work. The CT'\" network has a show called “People In Conflict”. (No, Virginia. It’s not the hockey games.) But none of their “conflicts” have ever been half as intense as some of the conflicts between the big-town Santas and their small Visitors. The trouble develops when the kids try to whisper their wishes into Santa's whiskers while he struggles to twist their face toward the hidden camera for a saleable picture. The only kids who win are the young delinquent types who can talk out of the corner of their mouth. Quebec Separatist leader, Marcel Chaput, is off on another fast to raise another $100,000 for his movement. But this time he had only raised $7,000 on the 23rd day. However Marcel is confident. He says he is operating on the law of diminishing re- turns. Everyone seems to be alarmed over Stafford Smythe’s threat of an eventual TV blackout on N. H. L. hockey from the Maple Leaf Gardens. Actually it could be good for us and the game. It might revive our interest in the amateurs and The Toronto Milk Producers’ Association reports its surplus-milk processing plant is now “able to handle any emergency flush of surplus milk that usually occurs around the festive season”... We know festiveâ€"season drivers are supposed to go easy on the drinking. But MILK? Don’t be too rough on the Russians for boosting the cost of our bread. To paraphrase the old saying: We can’t sell our wheat and eat it too! OTTAWA -â€" Immigration Minister Favreau announced today that two new omces will be opened in France as one means of trying to attract “well in excess” of 100,000 immigrants to this country next year... And it’s also ONE means of getting an audience for CJBC. HOCKEY. President Lyndon B. Johnson was busy last week signing special legislation to curb unemploy- ment . . . and giving away enough ballpoints to take care of THAT industry. (Wonder what the “B” in his name stands for?) Studebaker’s plan to build a “distinctively Canadian” car in their Hamilton plant has only one flaw: Who is going to buy it if it sells for a “distinctively Canadian” price? Opening sales at this year’s North Bay fur auctions indicate that mink coat prices will likely rise by 10 to 15 per cent. So if you haven’t got her present yet hurry on down to your friendly furriers. The Christmas issue of “The Liberal" in 1951 compli- mented the local council on its snow removal of the previous week. Items gleaned from files of “The Liberal", the home paper of this district since 1878. In Year: Gone By Yesterday’s news is not necessarily dead oug 2; Three Christmases On December 24. 1891 "The Liberal" recorded that a “green” Christmas was expect- ed â€"â€" no snow on the ground and none forecast. Our Langstaff correspondent recorded that Mrs. William Bowen went in style to her mis- sionary meeting when her hus- band drove her in a cutter with bells ringing and draft horse prancing, carrying an overload of ladies with much merriment and smiles from passersby. “nuumuuununuuuunuu\muumnuuummmummnmmnml lilllll\ll\llll\lllllll‘llmllllllllllllll“Ilmm“lll|\lll\\ll\ll“lllllll|llllllll The Rev. Dillwyn Evans. T h o r n h ill Presbyterian Church is president of the association. and the Rev. Albert E. Myers. St. Paul‘s Lutheran Church. Rich- mond Hill. is the secretary. The Richmond Hill- Thornhill Ministerial As- sociation will hold its re- gular meeting at St. Matt- hew's United Church. Cros- by Avenue, Richmond Hill, at 12 noon December 27, (Continued On Page 12) BY GEORGE MAYES Assoc. M eets December 27 Ministerial Christmas is a lonely time, With loved ones far away, For bitter-sweet remembering 0f another Christmas day. Christmas is a jolly time When all the world seems merry, A time for gifts, festivities, For pine and holly berry. Christmas is a holy time. As midnight candles glow, And heads are bowed in reverence for His Birth so long ago. \ Holiday Matinee: MON. DEC. 30 and WED. JAN. 1, 2 PM. : Starts Sun. December 29 at 6 pm. Also Mon. Tues. Wed. Dec. 30-31 Jan. 1 U HE WONDERFUL STORY or A BOY AND HIS AMAZING UNDERWATER FRIEND! ; , STARRIN Mglgo-nomva-MAVEE DORIS Manna a“CHUCK CONNORS [WE HALPlN ‘ HOLIDAY MATINEES Thur. and Sat. Jan. 2 and 4 â€" 2 pm. Holiday Matinee Thur. Dec. 26-2 pm. Saturday Matinee Sat. Dec. 28-2 pm. W” C m Thur. Fri Thur. Fri. Sat. January 2-3-4 YOU’LL HAVE Robert D. L JAMES B.CLARK mm ., IVAN TORS Please N ate the fabulous dolphin §-STEPHEN .3 §3t. December 26 - 27 - 28 Please Note Please Note ittle “METRUCDLUR pmws A JOE PASTERNAK.pRooucnou industry Specialty Extruders Ltd. has an annual capacity of 12 million finished pounds of: precision aluminum extrusions. 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