Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 122, No. 308 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
December 25, 2013
www.rdrnews.com
WEDNESDAY
‘Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!’ Christmas traditions may vary around the world, but the message remains the same AMY VOGELSANG RECORD STAFF WRITER
Final part on the threepart series about the history of holiday traditions.
Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad! Joyeux Noël! Wherever you are from and in whichever language you say it, Christmas is still a time most associate with family, tradition and joyous celebration. For Christians, Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, and a reflection on the nativity story — when Mary was visited by an angel, said yes to bearing the Savior and with her husband, Joseph, went to Bethlehem for the census Caesar demanded.
Jesus was then bor n and places in a manger in the barn with animals as witnesses. It’s a well-known story, but having an actual date was never made clear. It wasn’t until 350 C.E. that Dec. 25 became the day for Christmas, set by Julius I, bishop of Rome. Because this date coincided with the Pagan celebrations of the winter solstice, multiple bans were put in place to keep the festivals separate from Christmas. However, unable to abolish the pagan customs, the church eventually “Christianized” many of the traditions, causing many modern Christmas traditions to be based of f of original pagan customs.
The use of evergreens, candles, the Yule log, singing of carols, giving presents and having big feasts are all traditions originally used in large pagan celebrations of the winter solstice. There are some traditions, however, that are less based on non-Christian elements. The Star of Bethlehem is mentioned in the Bible in reference to Jesus. There is also the use of an Advent Wreath. Advent in the church is a time of preparation before Christmas. The wreath, with four candles, marks the four Sundays leading up the Christ’s birth. Another fun
AP Photos
Above: Armenian clergymen take part in the Sunday prayer services inside the Grotto, underneath the Church of the Nativity, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. Left: Palestinian children dressed up as Santa Claus pose for a photograph at Manger Square, outside the Church of the Nativity, traditionally believed by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, Tuesday.
See TRADITIONS Page A3
Safety tips to keep in mind this season JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Epic light display is also interactive
Shawn Naranjo Photo
TESS TOWNSEND RECORD STAFF WRITER
On Stephens Circle, Christmas lights dance to seasonal music. Clark Griswold would be fuming with jealousy if he saw this. The home of the Naranjo family is not only lit like a Roman candle, but the 13,000 LED lights on display blink in unison with music broadcast from an FM transmitter within the
house. Tune the radio to 102.1 FM and drive by 304 Stephens Circle for a treat of spiral trees, arches, bushes and rooftop edges flashing to classic seasonal tunes including “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Exhibition mastermind Shawn Naranjo, 45, said he concocted the computerized arrangement about four years ago after seeing a viral video of a Utah man’s Christmas lights dancing to music by the
Trans-Siberian Orchestra. “I just thought it would be kind of neat to bring it to the people around here,” Naranjo said. Naranjo first decorated the house in 1999 with 1,500 lights and no music. He has bedecked the residence a little more each year since then. Unlike the neighbors of the Griswold family in the 1989 Christmas film classic “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” Naranjo said his neighbors
Christmas tree has roots in several ancient traditions
have not complained about his home’s dramatic flourish. Many compliment him on the display, he said. He said acquaintances have contacted him to lear n how they can rig a similar production. Naranjo buys the equipment necessary for making the lights blink in rhythm from Light-O-Rama and purchased his radio transmitter off eBay. “I’ve always loved Christmas lights,” he said.
Holiday safety does not stop when the shopping is completed. Many of these tips are appropriate any time of year, winter, summer, spring or fall, especially for those who have young children around the house. • Cooking while holding a child can be hazardous. • Point handles to pans and skillets toward the back of the stove, so little hands cannot grab them and pull something hot down upon their heads. • Glass containers placed on a hot stove burner could cause the container to explode. Instead, place glass containers elsewhere. • Extreme caution is urged when handling deep fryers for turkeys. Follow all safety instructions that come with the device. • When busy cooking in the kitchen, be aware of surroundings to avoid stepping on little feet or tripping over small animals and children. • If possible, keep young-
sters away from cooking areas and do not leave them alone in the kitchens. •Wrapping paper and ribbons are pretty and fun, but keep an eye on any toddlers who like to pop anything small in their tiny mouths. Dyes and gilt can be toxic. Meanwhile, ribbons present a choking hazard. • Pick up all tags, pins, any small items that end up on the floor after unwrapping presents for the same reason; sharp objects like pencils and pens could also become weapons in small hands. • Plastic bags or inner liners should be thrown away immediately to avoid risk of suffocation. • Live Christmas trees are beautiful and fascinating to children and to pets, but present hidden dangers. Tinsel is poisonous and another choking hazard for children, or if eaten, can create blockages in the digestive tract. • The water dish in the Christmas tree holder
Looking a lot like Christmas
See TIPS, Page A3
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
The Christmas tree, or evergreens, as a for m of winter decoration dates back to ancient times. Trees that remained green all year were symbols of resurrection and life during the coldest, darkest months of the year. People hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows to ward off evil spirits. The Romans marked the shortest day of the year with the feast of Saturnalia in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture. They decorated their temples and homes with evergreen trees as a reminder that farms
and orchards would soon be green and fruitful. To mark the occasion, they decorated their homes and temples with evergreen boughs. Likewise, in Norther n Europe, the Druid priests used evergreens as a sym-
HIGH 48 LOW 22
TODAY’S FORECAST
Jessica Palmer Photo
bol of everlasting life. The Vikings attributed the evergreens to the sun god, Balder.
In Christian times, Christmas trees originated See TREES, Page A3
TODAY’S • MARY LOUISE JONES • AMBROCIO RAMIREZ • LORI KAY RODGERS HIPP
Mark Wilson Photo
Festive holiday lights brighten the corner of Aspen Avenue and Carolina Way.
OBITUARIES PAGE A2, A6 • PRISCILLA GRISE • EUNICE EDWARDS • GERTRUDE “GERT” • WILLIE O. MOORE JR. “SIS” GEBO CRONEY • SANDRA SUE MARTIN • MIGUEL J. CASTILLO • HELEN DENNIS
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B6 COMICS .................C2 ENTERTAINMENT .....A8 FEATURE................C1
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2
HOROSCOPES .........A8 LOTTERIES .............A2
OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ..............A8