We had a very nice Christmas party, however, we missed all of you

Volume 44, issue 19
December, 2013
Evansville, IN
President Myrrl Choate
Pres. Myrrl Choate
We had a very nice Christmas party, however, we
missed all of you that were unable to attend. A big
thank you to Donna Feagley, our game
coordinator. The games were a lot of fun! Thank
you to Donna Connor and her granddaughter,
Lucy, who worked the check in table.
I wish each and every one of you a very Merry
Christmas and a healthy, happy new year!
Myrrl
Announcements
Board of Directors
President……………………………………Myrrl Choate
Vice President……………………………Judy Jensen
Recording Secretary…………………..Donna Feagley
Corresponding Secretary…………..Sara Murray
Treasurer………………………………….Cristie Harry
Director…………………………………….Eileen Will
Director…………………………………….Donna Conner
Director…………………………………….Lola Perkett
*Our combined program/business meeting
is January 18th on a Saturday.
WHO IS ALTRUSA?
“Altrusa is an international nonprofit organization, making our
local communities better
through leadership, partnership,
and service. We are civicminded people who strive to
create better communities.”
….”……...”worldwide.”
In today's world we are inundated
with images of Christmas from the
media. We are told that it is all
about buying expensive gifts for
each other. In today's challenging
economic times it is a tragedy that
parents spend way more than they
can afford to try to please their
children. The sad truth is that,
"money can't buy you love". A
holiday is about the time spent
together with loved ones. It is
about gifts that come from the
heart, and it is the about the
thousands of years of tradition that
mark the holiday season.
CC BY 3.0
Source: Christmas Poems - Poems about
Christmas http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/h
oliday/christmas-poems.asp#ixzz2o5RCCXOt
Family Friend Poems
The Power of Empathy, animated short explains the difference between empathy and sympathy
blazenfluff.com
(*Put your cursor on the blue sentence to see how to follow the link)
Christmas
Christmas is my favorite time of
year.
The snow, the lights, the cheer.
The Christmas tree is so pretty,
And there are so many
Wonderful things to smell.
People seem especially
Nice and giving.
They give to those
That haven’t done as well.
Our church is full,
And the candles are lit .
We sing
silent night .
We kneel, we stand, we sit.
At home we open presents,
And have a big meal.
After all
Christmas is a big deal.
By Lola Perkett
December 2013 at the Kennel Club
‘TTT
Holiday Characters From Around the world
Author: http://holidayquizes
hhu
There are many ways to celebrate the holiday season and many characters
other than Santa. Here are some of these interesting holiday legends. Ho, ho
,ho how many will you know?
*The caganer, a holiday figurine
found in parts of Spain, Portugal
and Italy, is depicted as
performing which of the
following acts?
Belching
Defecation
Making Santa’s sleigh
Making holiday bells
The caganer is one of Europe's
more unusual holiday
characters and is depicted in
the act of defecating. Small
statues of the caganer are often
found in nativity scenes. They
are small statues that depict a
peasant man in a red stocking
cap in the squatting position.
The exact origin of this figure
is unknown but has been around
since at least the 17th century.
The Caganer
In the 1964 television holiday
special, which of the following of
Santa’s reindeer is the father of
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed
Reindeer”?
Dasher
Comet
Donner
Vixen
Donner (originally named Donder/Dunder)
is the sire of little Rudolph. The first time the
names of Santa's reindeer appear is in the
1823 Christmas poem "A Visit from St.
Nicholas" also known as "The Night Before
Christmas". We first hear of Rudolph in a
story by Robert May in 1939. Singer Gene
Autry released his version of "Rudolph the
Red-Nosed Reindeer" in 1949. All of these
occurrences have led to Santa's reindeer
becoming one of the more well-known
Christmas characters around the world. The
original idea of reindeer helping Santa
originated in Scandinavia and has multiple
variations.
In the country of Greece, it is St. Peter,
as opposed to St. Nicholas, that is most
often associated with Christmas.
Which Christmas character came
from the mind of Theodor Geisel,
and can be best described as a bright
green man-like creature who hates
Christmas, has skinny arms and legs
and a nasty smile?
True
False
(False)Actually, it is St. Basil that is
associated with the holiday season in
Greece. It is thought that Father Christmas
was given St. Basil's name. He is thought
to bring presents for children on January
1st, which is also known as St. Basil's
Day.
Dominick the Donkey is a wellknown Christmas character in
which of the following countries?
Norway
Jordan
Italy
Argentina
Dasher
Ebeneezer Scrooge
Headless Horseman
The Grinch
In 1957, Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr.
Seuss, released his holiday story "How the
Grinch Stole Christmas". The story was so
popular that in 1966 an animated television
special of the same name was released. It was
narrated by well-known horror actor Boris
Karloff. This television special has been
shown every Christmas season since it was
released and has been seen by generations of
children who eagerly await its broadcast on
television.
"Dominick the Donkey" was a holiday
song that was first released in 1960 by
Lou Monte. It tells the story of a donkey
that helps Santa to deliver toys to the
children of Italy. It is very loosely based
on Italian folklore, but since the release of
this song, Dominick has become a very
popular holiday figure in Italy. His image
can be seen with Santa in the same
manner that reindeer are seen with Santa
in other parts of the world.
Dominick the Donkey
What is the job of krampus, an Austrian mythical
holiday figure who is said to accompany St.
Nicholas on his holiday journey?
He stuffs holiday stockings
He checks to make sure all
children are asleep
Le Pere Fouettard is a Christmas
character that assists Santa in the
holiday traditions of which European
country?
Greece
Portugal
France
Wales
He carries St. Nicholas on his
back
He punishes bad children
Krampus is a scary holiday figure that is
also found in Croatia, Hungary, and
Slovakia. He travels with St. Nicholas
to punish children who were bad, while
St. Nicholas leaves gifts for children
who were good. He is depicted as a
demon-like character with horns. Some
traditions have him birching bad
children (whipping them with a birch
wood rod). Other traditions depict him
as having a basket on his back in which
he puts bad children before he deposits
them in the pits of hell.
(France) Le Pere Fouettard, literally "The
Whipping Father", is said to accompany Santa
on his holiday rounds in France. He brings lumps
of coal for the stockings of bad boys and girls.
He also is depicted as carrying a stick to
sometimes flog bad children. Images of him
show an old man with a sinister face, dressed in
black clothing, with long stringy hair and a long
beard.
In which frigid country might you hear the story of
Gryla, an old female ogre-like monster who was
believed to come down from the mountains during
the holidays, to steal and sometimes eat, children
who had been naughty?
Iceland
Chile
Panama
Suriname
Gryla
(Iceland) The legend of Gryla is found in Iceland. Even though she was mentioned as
early as the 13th century, her character was not actually associated with Christmas
until the 17th century. She was so fearsome that laws were passed in the 18th century
forbidding the use of her name to scare children. Another holiday legend in Iceland
claims she is the mother of the Yule Lads who are similar to Santa Clause with
brothers. Some of the Icelandic legends concerning these characters are every bit as
scary as those of Gryla.
In which of the following countries
would you live if you were waiting
for presents from The Smallest
Camel?
Peru
Syria
Mali
Greenland
(Syria) In Syria, gifts are expected and exchanged at the
Epiphany which falls on January 6th. The legend of the smallest
camel comes down from the story of the three wise men who
traveled to Bethlehem with their camels to see the Christ child.
Even though the smallest camel was completely exhausted from
carrying such a heavy load, he so wanted to see the baby, that he
persevered and managed to carry his share of the gifts all the
way. Because he never gave up, and tried so very hard, he was
granted immortality and still carries the holiday gifts to this day.
Frost“y the Snowman” is a holiday character
that originated in which of the following
countries? Russia
Sweden
USA
Greece
"Frosty the Snowman" originated in
the U.S. in 1950 as a holiday song by
Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys.
The song was made into a children's
book the same year. An animated
television special followed in 1969 and
featured the voice of Jimmy Durante as
the narrator. Frosty has been a
Christmas icon for over half a century.