Evening star., 1935-12-15
HANDS ATTACH WINGS TO CHRISTMAS MAIL
TOvland Covers the World
Every Nation Contributes to Children's Gifts
of Playthings With United States Playing
A AConstantly Larger Part.

France also sends to the little boys
and girls at Christmas time things to
delight their hearts. Toy books come
from France, books without reading
matter other than letters, numerals
or descriptive words. Germany also
contributes largely to this Christmas
item.
Germany sends over toy games and
marbles and musical instruments Of
every description. Czechoslovskia also
enters the musical field. Dominoes,
draughts. chessmen come largely from
Germany, as well as pool bagatelle.
billiard balls and poker chips. Austria
also contributes to the game quota as
well as Japan and Czechoslovakia.
Italy also has finger in the game pie.
IRON England. the home of Isaak
Walton the great fisherman, comes
all manner of fishing tackle and kim
dred equipment. Also these come
from Germany. Japan and Spain.
And strange as it may seem, cold Nor
way sends us our fshhooks.
So Christmas comes from every
where. Even old Santa himself with
his red cap and tassel hanging down
over one ear and his turned-up toes
draws his rosy cheeks and beard from
foreign lands.
But this does not mean that Amer
ica is backward herself in furnishing
her children with Christmas toys or
that the little children Of foreign
countries have no toys from strange
lands also. For We have our own toys,
but of a different kind largely from
those which we purchase abroad.
AS we look upon the Christmas tree
loaded with ornaments and dressed
with bright lights, surrounded by all
manner of playthings on the floor, it
seems as if it arrived there by magic.
The night before it was erected after
a day or so spent in the "five-and-ten"
or the toy department of our favorite
store. But long before the night be-
fore" Christmas was in the making, as
far back as five and six months ago
the Christmas toys were being finished
abroad and packed for shipment to
this country.
THRISTMAS toy making is a round
the-year business. The dolls are
in the making day after day in doll
factories throughout Japan and Ger
many. Toy games and toy trains and
mechanical sets that puzzle and keep
the whole family seriously engaged
for a few minutes are turned out II
faraway factories and stored against
the day when they shall be called %
occupy a space in some great packing
box for travel overseas.
The idea of Christmas gifts origi-
mated with the coming of the three
wise men of the east to the little
crib in the stable of Bethlehem with
gifts o. gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Happiness is the keynote Joy came
into the heart of the world with the
coming of the Infant and JOY must
reign during the period in which
the world celebrates His coming.
For two thousand years the Old
World, growing up with the Christian
religiE enveloping it as a mist Of
grace, has looked upon Christmas tins
and the Christmas tree as symbolic
of the JOY within its heart. And for
two thousand years custom and ira
dition has piled upon custom and
tradition to the uttermoSt confines
of every nation and every people
there.
DOSSIBLY the first Christmas toy
was not gift for pleasure or fun.
More likely it was some carving of the
Babe. exQuisitely done or roughly
so in wood, al depending upon the
artist who conceived and executed it.
But as time wore on the Joy that
ran through the world at the happy
season began to express itself in other
ways. Toy lambs, toy shepherds. tiny
stars that hung from tall, pointed
frs candles set in windows with
sprigs of holly and evergreen began
to make their appearance and add
to the occasion a glow of festivity.
Once the spirit of giving entered the
world and the happiness therefrom
began to assert itself in the human
heart, the toy idea became firmly
established as certain road to JOY.
All in honor of a Child