by Edward Ellis, Special Correspondent
One of the most satisfying things about this city is its longevity. While few of us expect to survive for 132 years, New Bern has – and many more years as well. Way back in 1893, for example, townspeople mingled amidst the chilly streets of Middle, Broad, Pollock, Craven and Front in anticipation of a joyous Christmas.
That year’s New Bern Daily Journal noted this as the time “the family pocket-book has its holiday opening.” It also lamented: “With each succeeding Christmas, time flies with increasing speed and the years grow shorter.”
The newspaper’s editor also listed “some popular Christmas fallacies” still worthy of consideration:
• That small gifts are as welcome as large ones.
• That people ever get the gift they most yearn for.
• That gourmandizing is the chief object of Christmas day. [Today, we call that “pigging out.”]
• That it is easy to coax a beautiful girl under the mistletoe.
• That there’s a more pitiful sight than a man shopping for holiday purposes.
• That we give as costly presents to our sisters as to other people’s sisters.
• That for the majority of people, Christmas brings anything more than a day off.
• That the tramp or the defeated politician feels the softening influence of the holiday season.
• That there is any force powerful enough to stifle the small child’s exuberance of joy for Christmas day.
The writers offered a dollop of humor. “Ella, are these slippers for Carl?” Winnie asked. “Why, yes,” answered Ella. “So why don’t you embroider his initials on them?” Winnie wondered. “Mercy,” Ella said, “It is two whole weeks until Christmas and who knows who I’ll be engaged to by that time!”
And a scoop of wisdom: “Christmas should be observed as something more than a season of merriment. It should be celebrated as the greatest anniversary of the world.”