0 + - Fulton History

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1962
ROGERSVILLE REVIEW, ROGERSVULE, TENNESSEE
Psychologist Says
Belief In Santa
Helps Develop Child
The Jacksons, Xmas
At The Hermitage
Christmas was a time of bustling
preparation for the members of the
Hermitage household in 1823, according to David J. Harkness, director of library extension services
at the University of Tennessee.
With her heart happy at the
prospect * of having her General
home, Rachel Jackson gave her
personal attention to the preparations. They were expecting some
50 guests—the whole family clan.
This year the Jacksons could
look back 14 years to a memorable
Christmas celebrated in the old
log house that was the first Hermitage. That was the Christmas they
had adopted their nephew as their
own son. Childless themselves, Rachel and Andrew Jackson had taken one of twin boys born to Rachel's sister-in-law.
This year Christmas would be
celebrated in their new brick home.
From the tapping of wine kegs in
the cellar to the laying of feather
beds on the upstairs floor, the
whole Hermitage bristled with activity. The silver had to be polished, plates had to be gotten down
from the cupboard, and linens
were to be ironed to a stiff white
with charcoal heated irons.
Wagon loads of wood were
brought in to keep the fires in the
house bright and a three-day, workfree holiday was declared for all
the field hands.
The General's "black family"
would all be measured for shoes
and would all have their turn at
the jug of Christmas "cheer."
A pot of steaming water was set
up back of the big house to scald
enough chickens for the guests and
for every slave family on the place.
For Christmas at the Hermitage
was a time of good food. Plenty of
sage was added to the turkey for
the cook knew "Miz Jackson likes
her turkey seasoned high."
-For a moving account of the
1823 Hermitage Christmas, Mr.
Harkness recommends a Tennessee author's novelette, "Her
Christmas at the Hermitage." The
book by Helen Topping Miller tells
of the contemporary quaint Christmas customs, of this Southern family.
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According to the book, the serenity of this Christmas was diminished for Rachel Jackson when her
nephew blurted out the secret that
the General would soon be campaigning for President. She yearned to irave him frome^freeor from
the service of his country. But
there was still peace for her in the
knowledge that she had had her
Christmas at the Hermitage with
her husband.
The first Christmas seal to help
the fight against tuberculosis was
sold in Denmark in 1904. More
than 40 countries all around the
globe now have or have had the
Christmas seal custom.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
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ANNUAL CHRISTMAS EDFTIOif
WAITING FOR SANTA CLAUS—Checking thereondition of the horses are Kiyan (left) and Sagina van
de Werken, while Gentian takes a peek through the front door of their homemade barn. The "little
people" are waiting for their burro-riding Santa Claus to appear.
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U-T Prof. Tells
Of Xmas In Holland
And In His Home
Two separate celebrations mark
Christmas in Holland, according to
Hendrik van de Werken, assistant
professor of horticulture at the
University of Tennessee.
The first of the two celebrations,
observed on December 5, is the
"gift-giving" one; the second on
Dec. 25 is a spiritual celebration,
according to Mr. van de Werken
who was reared in Holland and
came to this country in 1951.
The Dec. 5 celebration is based
on the Holland legend of St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas, a bishop from
Spain, celebrated his birthday by
giving gifts to poor people and children. Riding a white horse, the
white-bearded Saint was accompanied on his journey by his Moorish
servant Black Peter, who was
dressed like a harlequin and carried^ burlap bag^ full ot toys and
candy.
The Dutch children set out
wooden shoes with hay for St.
Nicholas' horse and sing songs so
that he will hear them and know
they are behaving. The small gifts
are sometimes dropped through the
chimney and sometimes received
CHILDREN AND HOME SNOW SCENE FOR CHRISTMAS — Hand- at the door.
made people frolic in the cotton snow while an electric train speeds by The December 25 Christmas in
Holland is when families get tothe van de Werken children dressed in their Christmas suits. Gentian gether, celebrate with a treat, sing
holds the humpty-dumpty doll her mother made, but the train has cap- songs about the birth of Christ,
and light candles on-simply ttecoiv
tured the interest of Sagina (left) and Kiyan.
""—
ated trees. No gifts are exchanged
at this time, but the people exchange instead wishes for a happy
Christmas and a good new year.
Although the van de Werken
family only celebrates one day for
Christmas, Mr. van de Werken has
preserved the simplicity of a Holland Christmas for his family.
His three children get small or
useful gifts and a treat from "St.
Nicholas." Mr. van de Werken explains that since he now keeps two
burros on his 5% acre farm, the
burro replaces the white horse of
Holland fame as St. Nicholas'
mount. Dressed in home-made "little people" suits, the children wait
for their burro-riding "Santa."
The Christmas decorations of the
van de Werken home show the
patience, industry and artistry of
the family and are thoroughly enjoyed by the "little people." Their
decorations this year include a
hand-made snow scene with tiny
figures in the cotton snow and varied shaped ornaments hanging
from the ceiling. A model bam
complete with stalls, loft and doors
houses miniature animals, chickens' nests, and bales of hay made
from yellow yarn.
Their Christmas is expressed in
their "home-made" decorations and
by simple gifts. "What we want our
children to feel that they get for
Christmas is a concise and simple
thing—a philosophy of a greater
consideration of their fellow man,"
said Mr, van de Werken.
Santa Claus helps us to teach
our children more than one lesson,
according to a University of Ten
uessee psychology professor.
Belief in the Santa Claus myth
stimulates the active imaginations
of preschool children and encourages their creative potentials, said
U-T Professor of Psychology Ohmer Milton.
"Santa Claus belongs with the
make-believe playmates of children. They love him and I think it
is good that they do."
Besides stimulating imaginations,
Dr. Milton said that Santa Claus
serves children as an introduction
to our culture because the emphasis is always on what he is going to
bring. Thus, he is a materialistic
Santa, the product of a materialconscious society.
"Santa Claus is also used to reinforce the lesson that good behavior gets rewarded. We tell our children that if you aren't good, Santa
won't come."
Dr. Milton says that this lesson
on the rewards of good behavior
comes as an almost immediate contrast to the Halloween lesson we
teach our children. Just a little less
than two months before Christmas,
we show them how to express their
hostility. We then use Christmas to
teach them that there is more reward in good behavior.
The disappointment that children experience when they learn
there is no Santa serves a further
purpose toward developing children's attitudes, said Dr. Milton.
They usually become disenchanted
with Santa when they enter school.
"The Santa Claus myth's exploding is a way of preparing them for
many other such experiences as
they grow up.' '
IN FASHION NOW
Shift dresses have come back in
e again although many of them
worn with belts. The bright
ils are particularly good this
ason and huge buttons are used
a great deal for decorations.
Some of these garments have a
coat effect and have large pockets
in front—below the belt
Wool suits with chiffon blouses
are favorites with many of the cafe
crowd. Others prefer a sleevless
dress of light weight wool which
can be dressed up with accesories.
While many lovely long dresses
are being shown for evening wear
the average woman in the smaller
cities prefers the short dress except for very formal occasions.
Using different sizes of paper
cups make Christmas bells by covering to cups with aluminum foil
or wrapping paper. Punch a hole
in the bottom of the cup, run a ribbon through it, knot the ribbon,
and you have a way to hang your
bells on wreaths, doors, fireplaces,
or elsewhere.
Untitled Document
Thomas M. Tryniski
309 South 4th Street
Fulton New York
13069
www.fultonhistory.com
ODELL PRICE, OWNER
simple faith
quizes us
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