Claymont High School - Clay Tablet Yearbook (Claymont, DE)

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FROM CASOLI TO CLAYMONT Carmile Gentile, 1938 1920 my father came to Claymont from Casoli, Italy to seek work with the idea of making America his home. He arrived at a time when there was a great demand for labor, but since he could speak no English, he found it difficult to make his way. Soon he learned about night classes in English which were conducted by the Adult Education Bureau of the State of Delaware. He attended these classes three nights every week, learned very quickly, and was soon reading, writing, and speaking English. He worked very hard to earn enough money to bring his family to America, which he succeeded in doing in November, 1929. On November 27, my mother and I landed in New York where my father met us. Later we came to Claymont and joined my brother who had come over in 1928. He had learned his trade in Italy and is now a successful tailor in one of the largest cities of our country. My father has risen to the class of skilled laborers and is giving his best to his employer and to his community. He has become a naturalized citizen. Since my mother does not speak English, we use the Italian language at home. My only American companion there is the radio. Although I am an American citizen, I should like to visit my native land and see the beautiful things that I have been reading about in our American books. EDITOR'S Nora:- There is in our school no better example of the significance of the term The Melting Pot than the boy who wrote this article. Carmile had reached the fifth grade in school in Italy, but as he knew no English, it was necessary for him to enter grade one when he came to our school in September, IQ3O. He also attended night school, and because of his rapid pro- gress, he was soon transferred to grade four. Each year thereafter brought promo- motion, until, at the end of grade seven, he received a double promotion. After attending summer school, he entered the ninth grade the following September. Next year he will be graduated from our school with scholastic records above the average. But even more important than his scholastic standing is the type of citizen he has become. In cooperation, loyalty, and courtesy he is outstanding. Italy gave to America this boy of good mind and character. America has given to him oppor- tunities to develop them. Italy and America have produced a fine citizen. CHRISTMAS SPIRIT IN UKRAINE fAs Told Me by My Motherj Myrtle Morrison, 1937 O sooner had the fast of Christmas commenced, than the people began preparations for the most important and the most joyous holiday of the year. Father selected a large, stout sheaf of wheat which he placed in the honorary corner behind the table and spread hay beneath the table. In the center of the table Mother placed two loaves of white bread, one on top of the other, and a candle in the top loaf. The candle was the only means of illumination and was burned in honor of the deceased. The Christmas Eve supper was a family festivity, and all members of the family joined in the common holy supper. A dish and a place at the table were reserved for each member who had died since the last Christmas so that their souls might come to be with the family. The holy supper commenced when the first star appeared in the sky. Mother had prepared a twelve course supper-a course in memory of each of the apostles-and all of them were fast dishes, prepared without meat and dairy products. The entire family prayed, and the meal began with kutya. This exclusive Christmas Eve delicacy had been prepared from whole wheat grains cooked for many hours and seasoned with honey and poppy seeds. Father took a spoonful of it and threw it against the ceiling. The greater the number of grains that adhered to the ceiling, the more prosperous would be the new year. Dish followed dish. There were soups: borshch, the typical

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FROM RUSSIA TO AMERICA Tiny Nichols, 8T HEN my parents came to America, they brought with them many Russian customs. Our holidays are celebrated at different times from American holidays. We celebrate Christmas on january seventh. Our Christmas is not observed by giving gifts of candy and toys. Instead we have a big meal and give clothes and things that weireally need. We have a less elaborate Christmas on December the twenty-fifth. We celebrate New Year's Day on January fourteenth. Like the Americans, we blow horns and make a lot of other noise. Our Easter this year came on May second. The midnight before Easter we go to church and stay until six o'clock. ln church we have to stand up all this time. There are just a few chairs in the rear of the church for the old ladies. My mother brought many old recipes with her from Russia. These l cannot spell, but l could pronounce them for you. One of these is a ground meat ball baked in a cabbage leaf. Another is a sort of dumpling stuffed with mashed potatoes, beans or prunes. My mother specializes in making soups. Some of these are beet soups, vegetable, and cabbage soups. We also eat many American dishes and many kinds of cakes of which they have never heard in Russia. UKRAINIAN SUPERSTITIONS Mary Chiz, 1937 IKE those of other countries, the people of Ukraine have superstitions of their own. Although many have been forgotten there are some that still exist and are observed care- fully, and sometimes fearfully. These have been handed down from generation to genera- tion and may seem laughable, but then what superstitions are not? Many Ukrainians even today will not wash their hair on Friday, for it is said that the hair keeps on growing after death if it is washed on this day. l remember an incident that was elated to me some time ago. It seems that a farmer while digging for a well came upon a bony scalp on which was the most beautiful blonde hairfjust as alive looking as though it were on a living person. l-low much truth is in this story l do not know. lt may be a product of someonels imagination. If you want to make bread someday, don't pick Friday. Some terrible misfortune may come to you. One evening my father caught me in the act of sweeping the floor and told me to stop immediately. When l asked, Why7 l was simply told I could do it in the morning just as well. My curiosity getting the best of me, l made further inquiries and found that it is be' lieved sleep is driven out of the house when the floor is swept after dark. To those who are superstitious, here is another one to add to your collection. When two people are standing on the opposite sides of a doorway and some object is handed to either person, it is considered bad luck to take the object. Of course all superstitions bring bad luck of some sort, and the Ukrainians are especially careful when there is an infant in the house. For instance, a different word for rabbit must be used in the presence of an infant lest some evil befall the child. A neighbor or friend must not come to borrow anything after dark where there is a small child for it is believed that something may happen. Une day in November which is celebrated by the Ukrainian children in the same order as l-lallowe'en is in America, the young girls make a gala occasion. A group gathers and each girl is compelled to carry water from the well to the house to make biscuits. After the biscuits are made they are set down by each girl and a dog is called in. The dog sniffs around a bit and picks out a biscuit to eat according to his taste. The owner of the first biscuit that the dog has eaten is the first to be married. Every girl wonders whom she will marry. Cn Christmas Eve the girl may go outside and listen for the barking of a dog. The direction in which the dog barks signifies where her husband-to-be may be found. Some people still believe in these superstitions, even those who have been naturalized and are Americans. They have been brought along with Ukrainian customs and traditions to make up another ingredient in the Melting Pot of the world.

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Ukrainian soup of beets, sour cabbage pea soup, and fish soup. There were dough wrapped potatoes and also sour cabbage and plum jam courses prepared in a similar manner to that of dough wrapped potatoes. There were cabbage leaves stuffed with buckwheat and leaves stuffed with rice. The supper would not have been complete without mushroom dishes and cooked dried fruits with griddle cakes fried in hemp oil. When the supper was at an end, sisters, brothers, and cousins received nuts and apples. Mother, Father, aunts, and uncles sang carols and told stories. The carolers from the village arrived, singing carols from door to door. The elders made contributions of money which were turned over to the support of the church, Thus the great Christian holiday brought to realization the dearest dream and left the most cherished memory of every Ukrainian-the period of temporary freedom of the hard- working Ukrainian farmer on the fertile Ukrainian soil. MEMORIES Dorothy May, 1 9 3 8 e all woke up early May izth. The Coronation was to be broadcast, and none of us wanted to miss it. My father lived in London during the Coronation of Edward VII. To the rest of us, it was all new. None of us had ever seen or heard a Coronation. During the whole procedure father did not say a word. It was evident that he was reminiscing. He did not see the radio. Instead he saw the Hussars with their brilliant uniforms, the Royal Lancers, the King and Queen in their gilt carriage drawn by eight prancing horses. He could see the procession marching down the Pall Mall past the Admirality Buildings to the House of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. When the ceremony was over, and the King and Queen came out of the Abbey, he was there, in the crowd, just as he had been at another time. Big Ben was booming. The procession began again. It wended its way to Trafalgar Square where the Four Lions guarded Nelson, the hero of Trafalgar, thence to Oxford Circus and Marble Arch. Finally after many weary miles, the parade entered Hyde Park and went up to Buckingham Palace. After it was over he spokea It was just the same. The ceremony, the music, the joy, the shouting, pushing crowds! Everything. Were you ever in the Abbey? I asked. Yes, he said. I've been there several times. It's a wonderful place. There is in it a musty odor, peculiar to that place. Everywhere are ancient relics-tattered flags, swords, rapiers, Bibles, and statues. The tombs of many famous Englishmen are in the Abbey. Everything you see reminds you of other centuriesf, When he Hnished talking, I sat there thinking. Years from now I might be reminiscing. A GALLANT SOLDIER Alice Massey, 1937 Greater love hath no man than this, That he lay down his iife for his friend. utside a blinding snow storm raged. Snow flakes chased each other merrily, leaving the surrounding trees and bushes looking like a winter fairyland. Inside a blazing hre roared. making the house warm and cheery. I paced the floor restlessly wondering just what to do next. Seized with the desire to rummage, I made my way to the attic, and there, in a secluded corner, I came upon a small box. In it were some old diaries and papers which I found were quite amusing. I also found an old Bible, and when I opened its pages l discovered some newspaper clippings, yellow with age. One of them read as follows: KILLED IN CT.-XLLIPULI IQI4-fivirs. Dalton of io Flower St., Higginshaw, Lancashire, England has received official notification that her son, Private john Nliiilliam Dalton, ofthe Royal