The Key West Citizen Newspaper, December 24, 1954, Page 21

The Ditty Box 832 DUVAL STREET DIAL 2-2971 Christmas In The Tropics By JIM COBB Felices Navidades! That’s the greeting that will be exchanged among a large sege- ment of Key West’s populace dur- ing the holiday season. It means Merry Christmas in Spanish. And that's not the only evidence of the. island’s, Spanish heritage you'll discover during the Yule sea- son. Although many of our resi- dents of Cuban and Spanish descent have become pretty much Ameri- canized, there are still a lot of La- tin-American customs adhered to in Key West. Chief among these is the tradi- tional “Noche Buena’’ celebration which starts at midnight on. Christ- mas eve, just after high mass is celebrated. (Cubans call this mass PALM AND COBAL—form .an interesting pattern in this arrangement combining two of the ma- terials most often thought of in connection with “tropical arrangements.” study in silver and white was relieved by the use of pastel Christmas ornaments. Silvered palm leaves and stag horn coral form the basis of the modern composition. The angels’ robes are pale aqua tulle.—Citizen Staff Photo, Don Pinder. Mrs. Harry Baker's Alicante was originated in a city of that name in southern Spain. Turron Masapare, Alemandras and Yemas, are each named dis- tinctively because of their ingre- dients. The Noche Bueana celebration continues far into the night. In Key West, those of Spanish descent generally mark Christmas day in the traditional American manner with the exchange of gifts and a visit from Santa Claus. But it’s not so in Cuba and other Latin American countries — and in a few Key West homes where Felices Navidades! Is Greeting Heard Here In Christmas Season Chritmas is marked on January 6 with the fiesta of los Reyes Magos. That’s the date that the church said has said th three Majis found the Christ - child and showered him with gifts. At that time Spanish children place their shoes in the window hoping for a visit from the three |; wise men and plenty of gifts. The wise men are just are reli- able as Santa Claus. Only difference is that some Spanish kids have to wait a little longer. THE KEY WEST CITIZEN — CHRISTMAS EDITION —— 1954 TO THE FIR TREE O Fir-tree green! O Fir-tree green!. Your leaves are constant ever, Not only in the summer time, (nist satellites are going VIENNA (#— Christmas doesn’t} amount to much for 70 millions in | Communist East Europe this year. | Communism supposediy has let | up a little in its persecution of the church and there are supposed to be more luxury goods available | in the state-run stores. But all in-| dications from the Communist press are that Russia's Commu- ahead with long-range plans to eliminate Christmas entirely. In the schools :of Poland, Czecho- slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, the ‘children: are being | you Gnd yours ot fils throughout the coming New Yeor! Kotton King 604 DUVAL STREET Jack and Jeanne Resnick |Christmas Doesn’t Mean Much In Red-Dominated Europe taught their parents are wrong: | shows in which American soldiers The Red star of communism, not/and bankers are the the Star of Bethlehem, is the im- portant thing. “bogeymen.” There will be special holiday ras Family celebrations of Christ-/“'0. Prostams. for children but mas are being discouraged. | mostly devoted ‘to. the Communist There will be fir trees in the | Concepts of “peace and friend- streets of Warsaw, Prague and_/ ship.” Budapest, but they will be known; The exchange of gifts is being as “New Year's trees,” or “winter | frowned on. Gifts, said a Polish trees.” f newspaper, are “decadent capital- There will be parties for the|ism.” ‘Czech mothers have been kids in schools and in the halls of | advised not to send packages to Communist organizations. But they | their soldier sons, “They have al- will be held around Jan. 1. In| ready enough to eat and packages them, the children will see films| will only spoil them,” said the about the Soviet Union and puppet | newspaper Odborar. ) ER NEN NE MO EN ON EE EEE CE: Oriental Pharmacy Duval Street But through the winter's snow and O Fir:tree green! O Fir-tree green! “You're ffesh and: f 3 Fir-tree green! 0 Fir-tree.green! 1 still shall Tove you dearly! How oft to me on Christmas night .Yeur laden boughs have brought the “Misa del Gallo” — i. e. the “rooster mass,” apparently be+ cause to attend, one must arise with the roostrs.) The Noche Buena festival is a time for families to gather in the spirit of the season. If you’re ‘lucky’ enough to be, in- of our many friends \who have made the pest year co worthwhile. To all of them, we wish & Merry Christmas and a Happy Now Yeast Reese Bros. Auto Service 1119 White Street, Rear Dial 2-7621 Wherever the spirit of Christmas remains, there we find that peace and brotherly love can never be forced from the hearts of men. A joyous Christmas and a bountiful New Yeartooll! Sweeting's Auto Service Opposite City Hall Dial 2-3733 vited to one, you'll find that the emphasis is on food — good food, cooked in the traditional Spanish ymanner. Lechon, (Spanish roast pork) is the piece de resistance. It's the custom to roast an en-|% tire young suckling pig but some- times smaller cuts of pork are used. (At least two Key West bakeries roast lechon to order. for those homes are not equipped to do the # job.) A sauce made of sour oranges | § (naranjas agria)-is the essence of | ¥ the dish. It is prepared by com- bining the orange juice with crush- ed garlic, oregano, bay leaves and : thyme. The meat is roasted for several hours and about an hour | § before it is done, the sauce is pour-| § ed over it and basted continuoulsy. Take it from me—it’s worth the | § trouble. The lechon. is- served with bla beans and rice and sour wine from the mountains*of;Spain. Dessert is ‘the traditional Span-| ® ish Christmas candy known.as Tur- |} ron, of which there are five var- ieties, each of them with a dis-!§ tinctive flavor and name depend- ing-on the ingredients or where they were developed in Spain. For-example, Gijon.comes from the city in the northern Spanish province of -Asturia. 3 * delight. O Fir-tree green! O Fir-tree green! f atilt-sholl love you dearly. —From the German 5-10 - 25c ‘The beauty of the oft’ told Christmas story’ ~~ has been an inspiration to many for many centuries... ‘qnay this Christmas being all of us closer to the hopeful " message... Peace On Earth, Good Will Toward Men! McCRORY'S STORE Florida Poultry, Egg & Fish-Co., 819: Simonton ‘Street ‘TELEPHONE 28385" — a eae meta nacre ines sean inane ee eet pareve Butler's Shoe Store 518 Duval Street CBS Construction: Co. Builders .of Fine Homes 519% Duval Street BB DB De Di De De Bi Be Be De De De De Be Bi De BLD DD It is our privilege each year to express our warmest Christmas Greetings to those we are proud to call our friends and patrons. May we say once more that we have appreciated your confidence in the past gnd that we will never cease trying to make each new year rich in neighborliness and good will for you. and To everyone we wish @ Merry Christmas A Bountiful New Year Key West Venetian Blind Co. 123 Duval Street * Dial 2-5531 fivwivwe eee waeLea Po[P Pip i? iPue dbs