The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1947-12-18

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No matter how you observe it,
| amid the restful quietness of a farm
| house in the snow or in the festive
| celebration along city streets, | want
| to wish every reader of this column
! everywhere, a really Merry Christ
mas.
+
New York City is itself a thing OF
beauty at Christmas time. Perhaps
a good time to observe it is at late
twilight when all the lights are still
on in the tall office buildings, max
ing them look like huge, Illuminated
honey combs, and when the store
windows are all aflame with bril-
lance which comes from expensive
artistry and good advertising. Pedes-
trians scurry along the sidewalks
dressed in all sorts of ways, their
breaths causing faint puffs of fog on
the brisk winter air. Some of the
new fashions make the girls look as
if they were bundled in bulky mo-
Their Hubbards. Colors abound in
! bright hues and ven the men sport
ties that are gaudy splotches on
otherwise subdued outer clothes.
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At regular intervals are the red
forms of plump Santa Clauses, those
regular representatives of the Volun-
teers of America who provide with
their spacious buckets and tinkling
bells money for free Christmas din
r for the poor. Nobody goes hun
cry in this town at holiday time. 1t
is a bighearted place, even II Geld to
those who do not understand tor
who shouldn't be here in the first
place. The average New Yorker-un-
like the movies-does not spend his
holidays reveling in the nightclubs.
These expensive entertainment pla-
ces are mostly patronized by visitors.
Lots of the residents 60 out to the
suburbs for Christmas OF visit their
relatives even farther away in the
country. Anything to get away from
the rushing crowds.
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Of course most people wait until
the last minute to do their shopping
early. 1t has been estimated by the
Federal Research Corporation that
only 80 per cent Of us have purchas-
ed any gifts by November l. This
wise outfit also reveals that the av-
erage American wife receives the
most expensive presents at Christ
mas time, averaging $40 a wife. She
spends an average of $25 on her hus-
band. Gifts for mother and father
average SIS. The average person
gives gifts to at least four people,
and gets in return a more or less
swap-out of the same kind OF
things he gave.
r
This year the New York stores are
making it easy to help people over
seas who need a lot more than we
do-if you have any doubt about this,
Just ask anyone who has ben to Eur
ope, within the last year. Such stores
as Altman's, Lord and Taylor and
Gristede's have fixed up food pack
ages that are based upon the needs
of Europe's citizens determined by
a survey. The most popular item
seems to be fat for cooking. Because
little meat is available in England,
for instance, lots of fish is used and
some kind of fat is needed to cook
it in. A long, drawn outdiet OF boiled
fish can get mighty monotonous. The
packages contain, in addition to fats
canned bacon, chocolate. tea, dried
fruits, and SPAN and sell for around
$40. They are shipped on the big
passenger ships and insured to arrive
safely.
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Radio City is again the center OF
the Yuletide decorations. In the
sunken plaza which in summer Is
swept by cool breezes for the bene-
fit of those who dine outdoors beside
the picturesque fountains, there is
now a beautiful winter scene OF ice
skating, with colorful figures sweep
ing thound the whitened surface to
the rhythms of soft music. Above all
this which is dimly lighted by the
hundreds of surrounding window
lights towers the biggest Christmas
tree in America-almost a hundred
feet tall and festooned with electric
lights that only a Rockefeller can pro-
vide. Yes, Santa Claus has really
gone streamlined here. He even