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C is for candy canes, hearing carolers sing, Filled with the holiday spirit they bring; It’s Christmas in Hollis, and all over Queens Let’s look and “C” what the holiday means Christmas Once known as a religious holiday just for Christians, Christmas has become the commercial venture, an economic indicator, a chance for Hollywood to make some money and for retailers to sell, sell, sell. Of course the origin is considerably simpler. It celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, whom many believed to be the son of God. For Christians, he is their salvation. For others, he represents the hope of mankind. Perhaps the best description of what Christmas is all about came from a commercial venture – “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” when Charlie Brown, in frustration yells, “Can’t anybody here tell me what Christmas is all about?” His friend Linus chimes in, take the stage, asks that the lights be dimmed, and begins to speak: “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the lord shone round about them, and they were so afraid.” “And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you this day is born in the City of Bethlehem, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.’” “And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men.’ That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.” Chanukah Known as the Jewish festival of light, many people – even some Jews – are often at a loss when asked to tell the story behind the holiday. More than 2,500 years ago in Judea (Israel), Syrians began persecuting the Jews, who were known at the time as Maccabees. A rebellion was started by Mattathias, a Jewish Priest, and a battle ensued. The Jews, led by Judah Maccabee, defeated the Syrians and freed their temple. But the temple had to be lit, and the only oil available was impure oil left over from the Syrians. Finally a small amount of pure oil was found – but only enough to light the temple for a day. Miraculously, the oil lasted for eight days. Jews view this as God’s miracle – constituting the basis for the modern celebration of Chanukah, when the menorah is lit every night for eight nights, in remembrance of what transpired so long ago, the triumph of light over darkness and the spiritual freedom of the Jews. Cook Someone A Meal The holidays are a time of love and a time of sharing, so a good way to express your feelings to someone is by preparing something nice for them. Also it would be a good way to score some nice points on Santa’s list. So slap on the apron, fire up the stove and make someone close to you a hearty meal that will put a smile on their face. Christmas At Our Lady This Christmas the beautiful voices that fill Our Lady of the Snows Church in Floral Park are projecting far beyond the walls of the church. To relieve the stress of weaving through insensitive shoppers on black Friday or the frantic hours leading up to Christmas dinner all you have to do is pop A Festival Christmas, the church choir’s first release, into the nearest CD player and the stress will melt into joy. The CD features songs by both the Adult and Children’s Choirs, led by Lisa Evard-Kelly, the church’s Music Director. You’ll get your fill of holiday favorites, while experiencing the talents of original songwriters like John Rutter and Vaughan Williams. You can get your hands on this CD by calling the Parish Office at (718) 347-6070.
Cell Phones Everybody needs one, and Vertigo Mobile at 78-35c Springfield Boulevard offers many great gift opportunities for cell phone users. Make sure to check out some of Cingular Mobile’s fine products and features. Some of those well-tuned features include camera and video playback, Bluetooth connection, quad band world capacity, external picture caller id, and a voice recorder. Give them a call at (718) 464-4664. Crafts At St. Teresa Need to do a little last minute shopping? Tired of treading through the mall or endless city streets looking for gifts? Then why not purchase some handmade crafts and benefit a good cause at the same time. Come to St. Teresa of Avila School, South Ozone Park, on Dec. 18, which will be hosting a Crafts and Holiday Gift Festival to benefit the school. The event will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature a diverse mixture of arts, crafts and holiday gift items. There will be refreshments sold and a craft area to keep the children busy while parents shop. Nothing says caring like giving a gift that gives back, especially to children. Calendars Let’s not forget that the end of the year is coming. What better way to preserve memories throughout the year than with a personalized calendar. Copycom, a great photo shop 22-46 31st St. Astoria is offering a fun and clever gift calendar. You can create your own photo book that goes along nicely with different months of the year. Good submissions for your very own personal calendar are seasonal and birthday photos. Copycom calendars come in assorted sizes. For more information call (718) 267-9266.
Charitable Giving For many, the holidays are a time of happiness and warmth. It is also a time when people try to share their good fortune with those less fortunate. But where can you bring your contributions – and where will they go? The Salvation Army is probably the charity most recognized with the holiday season, because of its bell-ringing volunteers standing next to their big black kettles. If you would like to donate through the Salvation Army, indicate on your check or your online donation form, the name of the cause – Katrina Evacuees, Seniors, Veterans, or others. The Salvation Army does not receive any federal, state or city government funding because it is a religious organization. In addition to them, each fall and winter, NY Cares gathers coats and jackets donated by New Yorkers, and distributes them to the homeless and to families in need. If you would like to donate used, but still wearable coats or jackets (cleaned, please), to NY Cares, you may do so by dropping them off in bins located at your nearest police precinct or firehouse. NY Cares accepts coats for adults and children. For further information, go to NYCares.org Candy Canes In 1670, the choirmaster of the Cologne Cathedral in Germany handed out sugar sticks to singers, to keep them quiet during a long performance of a “Living Nativity.” In honor of the season, the choirmaster had the sticks bent into shepherds’ crooks. In 1847, a German-Swedish immigrant named August Ingaid decorated a small blue spruce tree in his Ohio home with paper ornaments and the “bent” sugar sticks. It wasn’t until the turn of the century that the red and white stripes and peppermint flavors were added to the sticks, and they were renamed Candy Canes. In the 1920s, Robert McCormack, of Albany, Ga., made candy canes for his children as Christmas treats. It was a long, tedious process – from shaping the sticks by hand, to adding the flavor and painting the stripes with food colors. In the 1950s, McCormack’s brother-in-law, Gregory Keller, a Catholic priest, invented a machine to automate the production of candy canes. McCormack later designed packaging used to transport the canes on a large scale – without breaking. The largest candy cane ever made in the Unites States measured 5-feet, 2-inches tall and weighed more than 100 pounds. National Candy Cane Day is celebrated each Dec. 26 in the United States, where a total of 1.76 billion of the ancient treats are manufactured each year. That’s enough candy canes to reach Santa at the North Pole- and back, 32 times.
Christmas Music & Movies From “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” to “Feliz Navidad,” the widest variety of Christmas and holiday tunes are available on CD, DVD, VHS, Cassette – and even on vinyl 45s, and 78s, just about anywhere. Every music type, from jazz standards to punk to hip-hop share one thing in common – Christmas music. You can find just about any band, anywhere doing a Christmas song. As for movies, “The Santa Clause,” “Home Alone,” “Elf,” “Love Actually,” “Scrooged,” “A Christmas Story,” “Miracle on 34th Street,” “Bad Santa,” “It’s A Wonderful Life,” “A Christmas Carol” and more warm the hearts, tickle the funny bones and bring smiles to the faces of people the world over. Check out you local music or video store for any of these. They’re all over the place, and usually on sale this time of year. Citystore Do you “Love NY?” Would you like to share the love by presenting out-of-town relatives and friends with genuine New York City gear and memorabilia? If so, just go to http://A856-citystore.nyc.gov to choose from a wide assortment of sweatshirts, T-shirts, hats, caps, scarves – and even a replica “genuine” New York City Garbage collection truck. All items contain logos of various City agencies, NYPD, FDNY, etc. The Web site also offers a vast assortment of books, postcards, photos and other keepsakes from the city people love to “Love.” Cops Bring X-Mas Police at the 110th Precinct in Elmhurst will join with officials at the precinct Community Council Dec. 21 at their annual Children’s Christmas Party. Cops from the 43rd Avenue stationhouse will take on new identities as Santa and his elves, as the Community Council hosts dozens of area children from 7-10 p.m., at St. John’s Hospital on Queens Boulevard. Kids will get a chance to sit on Santa’s lap, and each will receive a gift – courtesy of the Community Council and cops at the 110th Precinct. There will also be snacks and beverages for the kids. For more information, call the precinct Community Affairs Office at (718) 476-9310. Cautionary Carols During the holidays, the Queens Library isn’t just for reading, but that doesn’t mean you’re not going to learn something. At an upcoming carol recital, the Aesthetic Realism Theatre Company will sing several traditional Christmas songs and then comment of their philosophical meaning. Eli Siegel, the artist and critic who started the group, described ethics as “the art of enjoying justice.” Event organizers believe the commentary will discover this ideal within the carols and thereby the heart of the Christmas Spirit. The event will be held Sunday, Dec. 11, at 2:30 p.m., the Queens Borough Public Library, Central Library Auditorium, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., Jamaica. |
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