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Image provided by: Rochester Public Library, Local History & Genealogy Division
iin sete ~ \\o % «Balin arsercw woe l omnis 1022 oon rier ‘ GatES'Chlll News CornWell By Laura Mimmo Did you, ever. wonder , what 1€ would. be like to be - visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, only to be shown what Chrnstmas‘ was like long ago in many - different countries rather © - that just your own past? _ . A visit from Ed «Cornwell, a hxsmrgan, appraiser and antique collector could very well prove similar,. Though Cornwell's interests are many, his favorite subject is Christmas. He owns at least 50 books on the age-old holiday and its traditions. \Our American traditions came from Europe,\ Cornwell says. \Nativity sets originated in Italy, Christmas trees are from Germany, carols are from many European countries and Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, was a saint from Italy whose image has been altered over the years by both Germans and Americans.\ Cornwell added that he likes Americans because they are from all over the world:-and can take it all in. \Many of the things we do today are pagan,\ he says. \Christmas trees came from tree worship. However, if we do away with all parts of Christmas with Pagan origins all we would have is the birth of Christ and we'd miss out on all of the other interesting traditions.\ According to Cornwell, 16th Century Christmas trees in Germany and Austria were decorated Takes a\ \ wuh flaps: flowers and - -_ carried in processions by. - leaders of guilds. I -\The tree symbolized the treg of life in. the | Garden: ~of | Eden,\ - Commwell says. .. The first Christmas tree Rochester was _ displayed in a Lutheran __ church. __ \People payed a penny to see it and the money was given to charity,\ Comwell said. . Nineteenth Century Christmas trees were decorated with cookies, gilded nuts, apples and small toys for the children. The Germans also used real sparklers or candles to light up their trees. \They kept buckets of water and sand near the trees, but there were still a lot - of _ accidents,\ Conwell said. Later on the trees were adorned with strung beads and beautiful glass ornaments. The first glass ornaments were made in Lauscha, Germany. \When Mr. Woolworth went to Germany he brought some of the ommaments back and sold them in his stores,\ Cornwell says. \His competition laughed but the ornaments sold out. Woolworth spent so much money on the German ornament industry that the people of Lauscha were able to pave the streets and modernize the entire town,\ Unfortunately, World War I and World War II put a halt on the German ornament import business. Today most glass ball ornaments came from . China. f According to Ccmwell , Saint. Nicholas was a . \Bishop who lived in Italy. He was also the patron - saint of Russia, - . _.\I wonder if they will . bring him back now that they are no longer under Communist rule?,\ he says.. According to Italian traditions Saint Nicholas. used to wear his bishop's robes and ride a white stallion. He also traveled by horse in Holland. It was Clement Moore, '~ the author of \Twas the Night Before Christmas,\ who described Saint Nicholas as riding in a sleigh driven by eight reindeer. In the beginning of the 1900's a commercial artist for the Coca Cola company portrayed him , wearing a red suit. A long-time Italian tradition still practiced today involves a sorceress called La Bafana. Supposedly the three kings stopped at the house of La Bafana on their way to see the Christ child and asked her to come along,. Tho sorceress was too busy to accompany them at the time. Later she set out to find the child herself. However, she had no idea where he was so she went house to house and left a present for each child in hopes that one of the children was Him. As for the three wise men, Cornwell says theologians believe they were priests who studied the stars. When they saw the peculiar holy star they followed it to the baby St. Jude's Church to Host Masses As construction for their new church continues at 4100 Lyell Road, St. Jude's Parish is preparing for the last Christmas in the old barn church. The parish will celebrate three Masses on Christmas Eve, at 5:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and Midnight. The 5:30 p.m. Mass will be a family Mass especially for children with a Christmas Pageant and the blessing of the parish Christmas trees and Christmas creche, and all families represented | by - the Christmas Pageant featuring a live Baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Angels and Shepherds portrayed by the children of St. Jude's Parish. The pageant will be presented again at the 7:30 p.m. and Midnight Masses. Our Midnight Mass will feature the parish choir with a medley - of Christmas carols and the Jesus Their bodies are supposedly buried in - Cologne, Germany, \Many of our Christmas \ . food traditions are also. ~ from Europe,\ Cornwell | says. \The Italians have their fish dishes, The Germans have their sausage and cheese. \ = The traditional Yule Log came from England. \When the log was done burning they saved a little piece of it to burn next Christmas.\ According to Cornwell, Neopolitans were the first ones to produce creche figures. The Church of the Nativity in Rome has a nativity scene with 1,000 figures that remain displayed all year. Cornwell himself collects nativity sets,. He has 65 so far, the newest 113 ,,‘,€) 7..11 the Hollday Memory Lane addition being life size and made of metal from the late 1800's. \All of this antique Christmas paraphernalia is collected today,\ Cornwell says. \The glass ornaments from Germany, papier-maché Santa Clauses, and nativitysets made in the 1940's and 1950's are worth quite a bit today.\ fii Our First Christmas % x-, May we take this special time of the year to say @ Thank You, to our customers and friends for making this a happy and successful one for us. _ Merry Christmas wien and A Very Happy New Year! .@ he Polli Garriage and Gollectibles 5491 Brockport-Spencerport Rd. ® 637-7863 journey to Bethlchem beginning at 11:30 p.m. In addition, Christmas morning will have the parish's regular schedule of Masses at 8, 9:45, 11 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. All area residents are invited to join the joyful and religious celebration of Christmas at St. Jude's Parish to capture the real spirit of Christ - in Christmas. Latin-American Holiday Celebration Set Dia de los Reyes (Three King's Day), a holiday celebration in the Latino tradition of giving and sharing, will be held at the Center at High Falls, 60 Brown's Rage on Senday, J January 10 from 4-8 p.m. This cultural event will feature the traditions of Latin America, and will explain the crigins of thil holiday celebration ard its' importance to the Latin- American community. This event is sponsored by the Center at High Falls and representatives of the Hispanic Community. Happy Holidays From the Staff of the Gates-Chili News ...A SUGGESTION FOR CHRISTMAS... ..need gift ideas for that hard to please person? We have something for everyone! Our coverage of Gates, Chili, and the surrounding areas will keep you up to date on the latest news in your community! 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