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Page 32 December 2017 The Catoctin Banner Newspaper www.TheCatoctinBanner.com Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com
Your Holiday
There’s no difference at all, are also used in some Asian dishes.
Questions according to NPR. They’re the same Water chestnuts are delicious and
pudding. Apparently “plum” is a
crunchy and have nothing at all to do
by Valerie Nusbaum pre-Victorian generic term, referring with this.
to any dried fruit, particularly raisins.
In the old days, there were neither figs Why Do We Kiss Under the
The holidays are difficult enough with baked apples, nutmeats, or toast nor plums in the pudding. I’m told it’s Mistletoe?
without wondering why we’re doing pieces floating on top.” Sonya Moss delicious, but it seems like an awful Chris Houck wants to know, “Why
the things we’re doing, right? We concurred. Sonya said that she’d tried lot of effort. Real ones, made from do we kiss under the mistletoe?”
all follow certain traditions and making it once and didn’t really like scratch, take five weeks to make. Dating all the way back to the
customs, but do we really know it, even though she’d used a generous 1 century Druids, mistletoe has
st
why? I got curious and started doing amount of bourbon. My mother-in- Does Anyone Actually Eat had romantic overtones because the
research, and I asked some other law used to make her own alcohol- Fruitcake? plant is able to flower in the dead
people to tell me what puzzles them free version of wassail, and it was My mother loves it. Randy’s mom of winter. According to history,
about their holiday rituals. We pretty delicious. I don’t remember anything baked and shipped several of them one Norse legend has it that Odin’s
much all know why we exchange floating on top, though. every year. So, I guess the answer is son, Baldur, was shot dead by Loki
gifts and why we place candles in “yes.” with an arrow fashioned from a
our windows, but we do lots of other Does Santa Pay the Elves? mistletoe branch. When Baldur was
things without thinking too much Why Do Some People Use a miraculously resurrected, his mother,
about it. This is what I learned. The best answer I could find to Star and Others Use an Angel Frigg, named mistletoe a symbol of
this question is that Santa pays his as a Christmas Tree Topper? love and proceeded to kiss everyone
Why Does Santa Wear a Red elves with candy and cookies, and Wickipedia writes that some who passed under it.
Suit? doesn’t even provide a dental plan.
In this age of everyone sounding off people use a star as a representation
According to The Children’s about everything, I’m surprised that of the Star of Bethlehem, while others Why Do We Hang Stockings?
Museum of Indianapolis, it is Santa hasn’t been severely chastised use an angel to represent Gabriel sent Legend has it that three sisters
widely thought that the Coca-Cola on social media and in the news. On to herald the birth of Jesus. And there hung their stockings to dry over the
Company influenced the color of the other hand, Santa doesn’t make is no truth to Randy’s story that Santa fireplace. Knowing that the family
Santa’s suit. It is also thought by any money either. got irked at an angel and shoved a was very poor, St. Nicholas tossed
some that Clement Moore’s 1822 tree up there. No one knows why Bill three bags of gold coins down their
poem “The Night Before Christmas” Why are Hanukkah Colors Blue Blakeslee uses a wine bottle. chimney, and the money landed in
inspired the jolly elf’s garb. In truth, and White? the stockings. Children everywhere
the original St. Nicholas (the Bishop Why Do We Eat Turkey for now hang stockings on Christmas
of Myra in the 4 century) is said to Mental Floss tells us that the Thanksgiving? Eve, hoping that they’ll be so lucky.
th
have worn robes of red and white. colors are taken from the Israeli Wild turkey may have been served
Either way, black would be much flag. Blue also represents the stripes at the first Thanksgiving feast in 1621. Why Do We Decorate
more slimming and wouldn’t show on the tallitot (traditional prayer Turkey began to be widely used for Christmas Trees?
the soot from all those chimneys. I’m shawls worn in the synagogue and the meal in the 1800s. The birds were This custom started in Germany.
just saying. at ceremonies). Blue conveys the sky,
faith, and truth. White represents large enough to serve a crowd. And, Supposedly, Martin Luther was
What is Wassail? purity, light, and peace. And silver? when I said “wild turkey,” I meant out one night and noticed the
Bling, of course. the kind we eat. The other kind is stars twinkling through some tree
Kathy Cage wrote that, “Wassail something else entirely and can be branches. He was so enamored of
is a beverage made of fruit juices, What’s the Difference Between served on any holiday. the sight that he cut down a small
ale, wine, spirits, and spices. The Figgy Pudding and Plum tree and decorated it with candles to
punch is traditionally served hot, Pudding? Do People Really Roast enjoy in his home. The tradition of
Chestnuts On an Open Fire? decorating Christmas trees spread to
Lynne Gartrell wrote, “In all the England and then all over the world.
old Christmas carols, movies, and
literature, everyone roasts chestnuts What is a Yule Log?
on an open fire. I have never done Lighting a yule log in a home is
that, or even tasted a roasted thought to burn away bad luck and
chestnut. Do people still do this? Are keep away the darkness. Any kind of
they good?” wood will do. It has nothing to do
Nancy King has a cousin with with Yul Brynner.
a chestnut tree, and her husband
gathers chestnuts and roasts them. What is Mince Pie?
He says they’re delicious. My in- Original mince pies contained
laws used to have chestnut trees, rabbit, pigeon, partridge, hare, and
too. They gathered the nuts, took pheasant, as well as dried fruit and
them down to the shore and sold spices. Modern mincemeat sometimes
them at markets. Our sister-in-law, includes sausage, and usually liquor.
Karen Nusbaum, is originally from The pies were baked in an oblong
England, and she assured Lynne or square shape to resemble Jesus’s
that chestnuts are good and are still cradle. Eating the pie is supposed to
roasted in the UK. Connie House bring good luck.
added that chestnuts were roasted to
keep poor people’s hands warm, as
they couldn’t afford gloves or muffs. No matter what traditions
Putting warm chestnuts in their you keep, Randy and I hope your
pockets, along with their hands, kept holidays are wonderful! Happy
their hands from freezing. Chestnuts celebrating to you all!
