The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1912-12-20
Why Christmas Should
Be Spent at Home

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VT is the fashion nowadays, alas, to
| I cry down Christmas, and 1t is fast
l becoming cant be bothered
a with it, sort OF day. 1t Is looked
upon as nuisance because Christmas
dde brings with 1t necessary increase
Of expenditure In the form of tips and
presents
1t Is becoming more and more the
fashion to be bothered-to
take less notice of Christmas and spend
1t away from home where there will
be plenty of fun"
In the good old days spending Christ.
mas anywhere but at home was never
for one moment dreamed of. Prepara-
tons were made months beforehand.
Geese and turkeys were fattened, plum
puddngs were made. prospective
| guests were borne In mind, and the
| girls Of the home fell to thinking of
| new schemes for decorations. Now,
could anything be more delightful than
making Christmas plans at least two
months beforehand so as to keep the
festive season right royalty? All this
sort of thing kept the family together,
for when the winter evenings brought
them nearer and nearer to Christmas
day It made them see how necessary
each one was to the other in the way
of helping and suggesting as regards
presents for So-and-so, holly for this
room and mistletoe for that Grad
ually it dawned on every one how dear
the home was to all and how still more
precious were the parents and children
to one another.
When Christmas day did come 1t
was a time Of perfect happiness, har-
mony and satisfaction to- every guest
and every member Of the family. II
Christmas Is not spent at home what
becomes of the family gathering, the
delight Of decorating, the care and
thought the happy mother has expend.
ed on the cooking of the dinner and,
to crown all. the praise of the Christ
mas pudding, which by the consent |
of one and all invariably is "the finest |
pudding ! have ever eatenY No |
praise of Christmas pudding ever |
comes ainiSs to a housewives heart, |
and If Christmas Is not spent at home
the dinner will fall dat There is no
family gathering. no noisy, good hui
mored chaff. and there is not that sub
tie, ndefinable something at work
which binds the family closer together,
heals mp old sores, opens up new
friendships and wipes away all bitter
ness, that is so marked a feature in a
good, homely Christmas gathering.
There have been more reconciIia.
tions more divided houses" brought
together again, more eyes made dim
through a mist of happy tears at some
difference or misunderstanding made
clpat BY Christmas gathering at home
than at any other season or place
Charles Dickens, the novelist of
who did more for Christ
mas than aey one can ever guess, had
had slight difference with Thack-
efay. He met him on the steps of his
club on Christmas morning. hesitated,
then held out his hand, which Thack-
cray grasped with all the warmth of
his great heart. Both men returned to
their family gathering at home. feeling
better and happier pen
Without dougL family gathering
ut this festive and joyful season knits
the bond of love and good fellowship
closer than at any other time. Old
sights and hurts are forgotten; hard
men of business relax and soften at
the sight of the children who many
time have drawn out all that is best
In them after 1t has lain dormant for
years until they have forgotten they
had tender side to their nature at
all. Yes, without doubt home is the
place for Christmas. "Oh, It will be
so dull and uninteresting at homer is
often the cry. It will only be dull to
those who make 1t SO.
And If there is vacant chair or two
which, alas, can never be reflled dash
away the silent tear and be thankful
that you are spared to taste the Joys
of still another homely Christmas.
Your example Of spending the festive
season will most assuredly instIll the
owe of the yearly family gathering
nto the younger generation, who Will
emulate your ideas in future years
'osterity Will be Indebted to you for
howing how to keep up good old
Christmas which was suffering from y
slump In the twentieth century.
BY all means, then, spend Christmas 3
t home, decorate your house. remem- e
or the postman, the butcher, the serv.
nts and even your wifa's or husbands
elatiyes. However poor you are you e
an be rich In mind, thoughts and
heery words. When you sit down to 3
ne tablet don't care whether It
roans with turkey and plum pudding
I'D for twenty or thirty or whether II
lerely trembles under the weight of
luch scanticr fare and places laid for
My three or four-if your heart 10 10
le right place you Will say:
Here's TO a happy Chrfstmasr e
hank God we are at Pictorial E
IagazIne.