St Ignatius High School - Ignatius Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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jim gift 5 OU0 by IOHN MESSITT. '51 lt was a cold, brisk winter day when Iimmy Hruska opened the door of his home on East llth Street, and was greeted by the spicy, sweet smelling aroma of pre-Christ- mas cooking. Gee, Mom, exclaimed limmy as he dashed toward the kitchen, what smells so good? lt makes me hungry! Eagerly he sat down to some milk and tempting mo- lasses cookies. l just love Christmas, it always brings presents and such awfully good things to eat. Yes, it does, said Grandpa, who was just finishing a huge mound ot dishwashing for Mom. But l like better than the gifts and good things to eat, the good will it brings out in all of us. Come sit down, Iimmy, and l'll tell you what Christmas Eve meant when I was a boy in a small Czecho- slovakian town. Iimmy sat down, anticipating with pleas- ure the repetition of an oft-told, but much loved tale. I was born, Grandpa contin- ued, in a very small town in the Carpathian Mountains. The folks there, for the most part, were farmers, poor in money, but rich in their faith and true to the old-time cus- toms of the country. When l was a boy, Iimmy, Christmas didn't mean just giving a lot of presents, but an exchange of good will and neighborli- ness. l'll bet there were good things to eat, though, interposed Iimmy. Well, times were not always good, my song but in spite of that, the Spirit of Christ- mas lived in everyones heart-no one could resist. For weeks and weeks the mothers cooked and baked, it was a very busy time in the kitchen. The spruce trees were brought in from the hills by the men-folks, and decor- ated by laughing groups of children and grown-ups. Everyone gladly did his share of work, and happiness was the key-note everywhere, because the birth of the Christ Child was at hand. The goodies were put away until that

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When I was very very young And came to Christmas Mass, I heard the carols that were sung. And as it came to pass I saw the tiny holy Child Lying on bed of hay. 'Poor little lesus, oh so mild, Said I, I'll find a Way On silken pillows to lay your head. Alas! But now in my conceit l've placed thorns in their stead And pierced Your hands and feet. -IOHN COYNE, '48 19

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very special day, Christmas Eve. We called it 'Stedry Vecer' which means 'Generous Eve', and on that evening the entire family gathered under the parent roof to share the feast which had been planned so far in ad- vance. Nothing was spared to make the 'Stedra Vecera or 'Generous Supper' as festive as possible. Mother brought out her nicest dishes and cloths, and when the girls set the table, an extra place was set for the 'Unseen Guest,' and a single candle burned brightly in the center of the table to represent the Christ Child. Lighted lamps were placed in every room to shine out in warm welcome to the 'jezulatko' or 'lnfant jesus.' Father, at the head of the table, said grace, and having finished, took the 'Oplatky' or wafers, which we received from the Parish Priest for this occasion, spread one with pure honey, placed another on top, and, breaking off a piece, handed it to Mother to eat, another piece to the eldest child and so on down until the youngest of us had been served. As Father broke and distributed the 'Cplatkyf he explained that by the act of breaking bread and sharing it, we were pledging to one another our loy- alty and willingness to share the good as well as the bad during the coming year. Then came the rest of the good food, as much and as rich as that year's harvest per- mitted. Many of the dishes were traditional foods, and we enjoyed everything very much. Happy conversation and joyous laughter added to the enjoyment of the meal. After we finished supper, Father gave thanksgiving, and off we tramped into the front parlor to carry on the beautiful custom of singing Christmas hymns around the can- dle-lighted tree. At midnight the ever beautiful 'Pastyrska Omsa' or 'Shepherds Mass' is celebrated, and everyone except the very old and the very young attend. From the lower end of Town, we heard the townspeople approach- ing, calling 'Vesele Vanoce' 'Merry Christ- mas' to each other and singing Christmas Carols. And as they passed each home the members of that household joined the caroll- ers in their song and their journey to the church, which had been beautifully decor- ated with spruce branches and bright col- ored winter berries, to attend the Mass. 'Ticha Noc, Svata Noc'-'Silent Night, Holy Night,' that sweet, simple hymn, and the mighty 'Gloria in Excelsis Deo' thrilled every one of us, because we knew we were sharing in the greatest gift and miracle of true love, the birth of Christ. So you see, jimmy, continued Grandpa, we exchanged gifts with each other and with the newborn Christ, not material things, yet our gifts of love and devotion were most acceptable and very precious. And we did have good things to eat, but we enjoyed them especially because we shared them with those we loved. Gosh, Grandpa, that's a swell story, said jimmy thoughtfully, l'm going to try real hard to make my Christmas like the ones you had when you were a boy. l'm kind of ashamed of myself now because l thought only of the nice present l would get and of the good things to eat at Christmas. That's fine, jimmy, replied Grandpa. When you share what you have, no mat- ter how little, your Christmas will always be a happier one.