The Hawera Star MONDAY, DECEMBER. 24, 1928. “A MERRY CHRISTMAS.”

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 24 December 1928, Page 4

The Hawera Star

MONDAY, DECEMBER. 24, 1928. “A MERRY CHRISTMAS.”

D«livar«d every evening DJ !> o’clock in Uawera Manaif.. Normanby. Okaiav.a. Elttaam, Mangatoki. Kaponga. Alton, Inrleyville Patea. Waverlev, Mo„oia, Whakamara. Ohangai, Meremera, Frasei Road, and Ararata.

The Christmas season brings many duties along with its pleasures. Probably for most of us who have unfortunately outgrown the delights of anticipating the contents of the Christmas stocking, Christmas Eve is associated with memories of past experiences of last-minute purchases, of fevered efforts to “catch the mail” and of the labour of preparing generally for the enjoyments of the morrow. For most of us, too, there is an anticipatory feeling that the history of all our past Christmases in this respect will inevitably repeat itself, in spite of our solemn vows to the contrary. But in the midst of all the hurrying and scurrying there shines through the cheering knowledge that, no matter how sophisticated we may have grown, Christmas is still true” ,in at least one respect—it is truly a, season of goodwill. Even the dreams of yesteryear can be recaptured through association with children, to whom this festival belongs as it does •to no adult. The early falneies oif tinkling reindeer bells and mysterious visits in the: dead of night, which assuredly lived in those far-off times, cain be made to live again as we assist to make them real to the mind of the younger generation. AVhere we differ from our younger selves in our enjoyment of the Christmas season is that now it is a time 1 of compensatory ■pleasures, whereas before it was one of whole-hearted delight in all the good things provided for us. But nevertheless we hold those, compensations very dear. For those who are associated in any way with the provision of Christmas cheer for the very young and the very old, for the poor and for those who spend their lives in institutions of various kinds, Christmas brings its own reward for the labour involved, while for every body it brings many a warm glow to the heart by its repeated proof of the existence of “goodwill”—of the innate kindliness of human nature at its best. Modern conditions of living have so reduced the opportunities for display of goodwill to our neighbours that wo eagerly seize upon the occasion provided by the festive season to remind ourselves and each other that it does indeed exist. We find, with curious thrills of pleasure, how much such little acts of demonstration still mean tons, in spite of the “self-contained,” if not self-centred, lives wc live today, compared with the days when one’s neighbour was also one’s daily eomipainiom amid, .tire sli-axecr of joiys and sorrows. Whatever other customs and traditional ceremonies posterity may see fit to abandon, it is certain that the festivities of Christmas will be retained so long as men feel that the goodwill of their fellows is one of the factors contributing to. the sweetness of life.