The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-21
Walter WincheII.
 On Bro0dm,ay 4uass Msrs Registered cOpynshl lSaA DaS Mirror

Another speciality was-and is- the wassau bowl, whose closest descendant is the apple toddy. The word is from the Anglo-SaXon Was Haile," meaning Here's to you (our Christmas toast to yoW.
 While the custom of Christmas trees antedateS Christmas itself, use of the trees became widespread only in the 18th Century. The Ro- mans had decked their homes with green trees on holiday occasions. It received its Christian symbolism from the legend of St. Joseph of Arithmathea, who settled in GlaS- tonbury and planted his staff in the earth, which is supposed to have borne leaves and blosSomed there after every Christmas eve.
 The first historical mention of a Christmas tree dates to a Stras- bourg, Germany, record of 1905, containing a description of fir trees set up with colored paper roses, apples, sweets and gold foil.
 Prior to the introduction of trees to the Christian celebration, Greeks would give their landlords . pole wreathed in holly, ivy and flowers while in England gilded evergreenS, apples and nuts, heaped into a pyramid was constructed, adorned with lights and paper, to which green twigs were later added, mak- ing it look more like the tree as we know it.
 England introduced the first Christmas card in 1858, when 1000 copies of the first edition were sold. The first playing cards, were also devised in England only as a Christ mas season novelty, but they soon developed into all-year and all- night affairs.
 The Christmas Seal, which is sold by the Tuberculosis Assooia- tion, was first invented in Denmark in connection with a children's hos pital which sent copy to Jacob Riis, the philanthropist, who wrote an article on it in Outlook Maza- zine The article became the in- centive for Miss Emily Bissell of Delaware, who organized the first sale of seals and raised $3,G00 for a Tuberculosis Pavilion.
 Kriss Kringle comes from the German Krindl or Christchild, and the gifts are Christbundles. Cakes, toys, clothes are tied in a bundle with a twig, called the Christrod, thought to be symbolic of teaching obedience, chastisement and disci- pline. Santa Claus, known also as Bonhomme Noel and Rupert, found it convenient to come down the chimney about New Years so good luck could enter-not to mention the draft needed for the fire.
 The town of Santa Claus, Indiana, which receives over 60000 letters per day at Christmas time, got its name as result of being refused the name of Santa Fe by autnori- ties because of the other Santa Fe. SantaclauS was the original spelling, which was simplified into two words when the children's mail started pouring in.
 Instead of Santa Claus, the Italian children believe in an old woman called Bufana, and in Rus sia, Babushka takes the place of St. Nicholas. Father Christmas in Finland is dressed as a goat and hands out gifts which traditionally are to include a large package of meat. Belgian children believe St, Nicholas was born in Spain, out our conception of St. Nicholas, a merry little gentleman who lives at the North Pole and comes to town on a sled with reindeers, has its birth place in the poem of Clement Moore, who wrote "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" in his Green wich Village home in 1922.