The Key West Citizen Newspaper, December 24, 1953, Page 7

Christmas, Florida, Is A Busy Little Town As Holiday Mail Piles fn For Cancellation Christmas is a little §, for cancellations stands at near- | than te name the post Fert Christ- ts well as a world-» ly 30,000, and this record will not mas? Although it has oniy likely hold good long. Fort Christmas it remained un- ants, this little Orange ( es back til 1892, wnen the Postal Depart- with its tiny, one-room po: ice, ment decided there were too many Sarries on such 2 tremendous vol- with eme of mail throughout the year 19th ce and especially at Christmas time, that in 1949 the Post Office De-\r partment, upped the office's rating t to third class. 1t is not unusual for the tiny office to handle as many as 250,- 006 pieces of mail during the holi- day season. The one-day record estoy Mtorida cities the prefix Seminoles official postal designation of. this m.the site of town would henceforth be Christ- - mas. A world-famous postmark was created they built a crude fort of palmet- it was nearly forty years, how- to logs, which they completed on ever, before some enterprising Christmas Eve. What could be person, identity unknown, decid- more appropriate, they thought, ed that the cancellation would 3 be @ novelty to his holiday mail- | ings, and brought the first mail | from outside the settlement to | get the holiday marking. The idea caught on rapidly, and in 1934 the newly-appointed post- mastress, Mrs. Juanita S. Tucker, gave it the impetus which made |mailing Christmas mail from Christmas an international fad. Fort” and they declared that the ‘Bethlehem Has Three Christmases SS Christmas Isn't Always On December 25 By ©. M. MARSHIAN jtake an important part in The first Basilica of the Nativity Bethlehem, Jordan — When is was built in 330 4. D. by the Em Christmas? peror Constantine. The mosaic floor For you it is Dec. 25. But here of this church was rediscovered in in the towa where Christ was born 1934. there are three Christmases. Ca- Since the Crusades, open and tholics and Protestants celebrate sometimes bloody fights have beer Dec. 25 here just as they de in waged betweer Latins and Greeks most of the Western World. East- over rights in the hgly places. They ern Christians (Greek Orthodox,’become more bitter after the Turk Ethiopian, Coptic, Assyrian) cele- ish conquest in 1517 when the brate Jan. 18. {Turks began to use the battles in The Greeks use the pre-Gregor-' bargaining with the West ian calendar, 13 days behind the In the 16th, 17th and 18th Cen- one used in the West. The Armen- tuary changed hands many times, ian date is based on ideas rejected often with much bloodshed. In by other groups a few centuries the Turkish sultan froze rights of after the birth of Christ, worship in the holy places. They The people of Bethelehem do have been unchanged since despite equal honor to each of the three attempts by ruse, diplomacy and rites. The city council and Jordan force to make changes officials attend all three services.. The Greek Orthodox Church has Perhaps it is fortunate that the the dominant position in the Church three factions disagree as to the\of the Nativity, the Grotto of date, because all three have a partithe Nativity and the sanctuary * the work. figh if one faction Once more we pel pause to wish a silent conflict who should owa which lamp altar am. whe should worship where, passing through which door. But conflict has served only te maintain the traditional character of the Christmas rites around the scene of Christ's birth. The church. es have bee troyed, gutted and rebuilt through the centuries, but the ceremories continue. Since the Jewish - Arab’ war, Jordan officals have taken an in creasing interest in all the serv ices. But the interest in the West- ern Christmas has been especially keen since Western tourists show greater interest in Christmas pil- grimages. (Easterners more often come here at Easter.) Tourists and pilgrims have become a vital Source of revenue in the Jordan economy. our friends and patrons the most joyous of Christ- mases. May your holiday be bright with cheer! Mrs. Tucker designed an attrac-'in the care of the holy _ places. 'of the Nativity and the sanctuary. \tive cachet, picturing a little green There is much friction and if all/But the Latins and Armenians each !Christmas tree, for the marking!tried to celebrate Christmas on the have an adjacent convent and each jof Christmas mail. The combination of cachet and | Christmas postmark was unbeat- the world began beat- same date there might be more. |is responsible for certain very de- The Greeks and Armenians seem finite parts of grotto and church. jto have been on the ground first. |The division goes down to such de- Their monks in Bethelehem began tails as lamps, candles and other Lou's Radio & Appliance Lou Carbonell 522 DUVAL STREET é olid ay : Wishes Obce more it's a joyous occasion for us to send to our friends the Greetings of the Season and to wish , them a Cheerful Christmas.,.a New Year of success and good health. 9 «\3 ROBERTS Office Machines 128 Duval Dial 2.5634 W@ is the time for ok songs, old wishes anc So again we Th Member FDIC “Your Friendly Community Bank” "FLORIDA NATIONAL BANK caring for the Grotto of the Na-jsubsidiary items. Even today a tivity in the Fourth Century. It was ras t some distance from only after the Moslem conquests 1 any railroad, Christmas is a star/and especially at the time of the \a ERRY | iy Rie ee |route post office. The incoming! Crusades that the Latins began to) Se ee path to the tiny postoffice and outgoing mail is handled by jauto from Titusville on the Atlan-!| jtie Coast. Much of the outgoing} |holiday mail is from Orlando, 24 miles to the west, whose residents |bring their mai! to Christmas for| chine will not handle the Christ- jcancellation. The Orange County} mas fush so a great portion of Chamber of Commerce does its the mail is hand cancelled. When |Part to boost the holiday total by the rush is on, Mrs. Tucker and er husband draft nearly every- one in the tiny community, which consists of two combination fill- ing station-grocery stores, three churchs and a school, besides the post office, assistant to help get out the Christmas mail. It becomes a community project, especially during the last two weeks before Christmas. Scarcely a day goes by without |some unsuspecting tourist ‘“‘dis- ||covering” Christmas, and few can resist temptation to stop and mail some cards with holiday cancel- |lation. The cancellation and the ‘cachet have resulted in stamp col- jlectors from all over the world j\writing to the postmaster to get covers bearing the famed post- f4 mark. Each year the mail comes ; | from more and more far-off places. | England and Scotland are the lead- ing foreign contributors to the ag F{| Christmas mail pouch but Mrs. |Tucker is never surprised to get jmail from any part of the world. | bringing all its mail to the tiny) postofice for dispatch during the toliday season. The one small cancelling ma- PURE Service Station Stock Island hope that your Christmas be aglow with plenty of gogd J cheer and happiness, wo REETINGES or THe SEASON “New Year be radiant with the pleasures derived from lasting, Joyal friendships. - Matchett's Bakery 901 Duval Street — os eA its ee Mary and Frank Yaccarino and Family OVERSEAS FRUIT MARKET worm old friends sey, Happy Helidey YNBatAnAAA The loyalty of our many friends gives to us added confidence and mych promise for the future. We wish a Joyful Christmas and Successful New Year to all. AMY OPTICAL DISPENSARY 423 SIMONTON STREET TELEPHONE 2-7522 at Key West the joy of happy memories ¢ the peace of real contentment e and the happiness of @ bright New Year “Q" AIRWAYS 522 Southard St. Key West, Florida