Annual Friends of the Library Christmas Tour of Homes

Christmas is right around the corner - well, really right here already, it seems - and what's the best way to get into the Christmas decorating spirit? Seeing how other people are decorating their homes, of course! This Sunday is the Annual Friends of the Library Christmas Tour of Homes. Where else can you get to tour four beautifully decorated homes and a historic church - and munch on refreshments - for a mere $15 per ticket ($25 for two tickets)??? In Natchez, of course!

Each year library supporters open their homes for our Tour. The homeowners must plan - and decorate - early to be ready for this event. The Tour of Homes is the only major fundraiser the Friends of the Library hold each year, and it is through the generosity of these homeowners - and the supporters that buy tickets and tour the homes - that the Friends are able to provide the many little "extras" the Library can offer.

This year, the Armstrong Library began offering Ebooks for check-out. The Friends have donated the funds for this project. The Friends also sponsored the National Library Week Open House and participated in the BIG Adopt a Needy Shutter project to help raise funds for the exterior repairs and renovations! A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to everyone that made a donation! We know that if something comes up that we have not budgeted for, we simply ask the Friends, and - through your donations and memberships - they provide!

We've got several projects planned for the coming year and your membership in the Friends and participation in their programs help make these a success. After Christmas, we'll resume our monthly Afternoon Movie event. The Teen Room has events planned, as well. The Library has a new web site address, so make certain you have it bookmarked, so you don't miss out on any news: http://www.ArmstrongLibrary.org.

So, make your plans to spend Sunday afternoon with some good Friends! Come steal decorating ideas, enjoy munchies, get in the Christmas spirit, and know you are supporting a great cause - your local library! We thank you!

Holiday Happenings in the Teen Zone

This Fall the Teen Zone has been busy with students working on their Reading Fair projects, studying for tests, and checking out the latest crop of new books.  Halloween slipped by, and Thanksgiving is right around the corner, so now is the time to think about Christmas!

Local teens in grades 7 through 12 are invited to come to the Teen Zone every Thursday from November 29 through December 13 from 4:00 - 5:30. We have much planned: we will be making ornaments, christmas candy, and gifts for your friends.  We will also use this time to decorate the Teen Zone for the holidays.

Thursday, December 20 the Teen Zone will be open all day for gaming with the Wii, watching holiday movies, and to put any finishing touches to the room decorations.  Popcorn, cookies and drinks will be provided by the library. Bring a friend and get into the Spirit of Christmas! To be sure we have enough materials for everyone, registration is requested. Stop by the library or call 601-445-8862 for more information.

What's the Scariest Book You've Ever Read?

In honor of Halloween, I thought it would be fun to ask this question, and I hope you'll respond. I'll get the ball rolling by answering it myself.

Sometime in the 1980's, I was in a hotel room alone in Columbus OH. I always read when I go to bed, and on this occasion, I was reading Rosemary's Baby. Do you remember this book? It was one of the first modern horror novels to become a national bestseller. It was extremely well written and was having its intended effect on me.

As I lay there reading, I noticed that the picture on the wall in front of me was swaying, but I thought I was tired and my eyesight was just blurry. Then I noticed that the armoire next to my bed was shaking. Now I was starting to get a little worried. Next, my bed started shaking. Pretty soon, everything in the room was shaking vigorously. Now I'm not only worried but scared to death.

I had been in a couple of minor earthquakes, and I decided that must be what was happening. So I got up and opened the door. If this was an earthquake, there would be people in the hallways, talking and escaping. However, my hallway was totally empty and quiet. Total fear now!

I thought about calling the desk, but I was afraid I was imagining all this and I would sound like a weirdo. In my mind, it was better to die in an earthquake or be possessed by the devil than appear like an idiot. (Vanity can definitely get you in trouble.)

By now, the shaking had stopped. I wanted to go to sleep but I was too petrified. I realized I would not be able to sleep until I had found a satisfactory answer for what had happened. I finally came up with the idea that the room next to mine was a utility room which contained a laundry - and the shaking was caused by a washing machine that was overloaded. After all, hotels have bedspreads and blankets to wash, and they are very heavy. I guess I was really sleepy, because I convinced myself this was true and finally fell asleep.

The next morning I dressed quickly, packed up my stuff, and went downstairs. I wanted to get out of that room as soon as possible! On the way, I noticed a room number on the supposed utility room, but I imagined they didn't want people to know it was a utility room. I went in the restaurant to have breakfast, and I noticed the newspapers people were reading had huge headlines. "Earthquake Hits Columbus!" Such a relief! I was not crazy after all nor had I been possessed by the devil.

Then I heard everyone talking about the earthquake. Apparently, the hotel had been evacuated. Why did I not know about it? Why didn't I see or hear people in the hallway? When checking out, I asked the people behind the desk. They were horrified! Apparently, I was the only person staying on my floor, and they forgot about me! I pretended that I slept through the whole thing - I wasn't about to confess what I had really been doing. (There's that vanity again!)

By the way, I left my copy of Rosemary's Baby in the hotel room and never finished reading the book. I also have never read another horror book - I'm not taking any chances. So it remains the scariest book I've ever read.

Mardi Gras in Natchez and Around the World

Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) or Carnival generally refers to the time between Ephiphany and Ash Wednesday, when popular practices include wearing masks and costumes, overturning social conventions, dancing, sports competitions, parades, and other celebrations before the penitential season of Lent. It is an important time in most Catholic countries and communities.

The Brazilian Carnaval is their most famous holiday and accounts for 80% of their annual beer consumption and 70% of their annual visitors. The celebration in Rio de Janeiro is the largest carnival in the world.

The Carnival of Venice is one of the oldest in Italy (12th century), and the subversive nature of the festival is reflected in the many laws created over the centuries in Italy attempting to restrict celebrations. Carnival of Viareggio is the most famous one in Italy.

Mardi Gras arrived in the United States along with the French. The settlement of Mobile AL became the first capital of the territory of Louisiane in 1702. The next year was the first celebration of Mardi Gras in the US. In 1720, Biloxi became the capital, and the Mardi Gras followed, as it did when New Orleans became the capital in 1723. Mardi Gras is celebrated all along the Gulf Coast, although most Americans associate it with New Orleans.

Elodie Pritchartt's aunt in
1909 Mardi Gras Parade

The first celebration of Mardi Gras in Natchez may have been in 1875, according to Natchez: An Illustrated History by David Sansing, Sim Callon, and Carolyn Vance Smith.

"In 1875 Natchez became the first town in Mississippi to hold a Mardi Gras celebration. Rex and his retainers arrived at the Natchez landing on a steamboat appropriately named “Royal Steamer.” In the evening following a downtown parade, the Italian Society of Natchez held a gala Mardi Gras ball."

The diary of Rev Joseph Buck Stratton has this description from 1898.

"Today was a public holiday devoted to the celebration of the rites of what is known in this region, once dominated by the French and Spaniards, as Mardi Gras. General decoration of buildings took place, processions of the Fire companies, military, trades, maskers, etc. occupied the day and the population of the town and country filled the streets. At night a beautiful torch-light procession in which the king of the Carnival presided, traversed the streets. It was composed of a number of floats on which a succession of tableaux – historical and other was displayed greatly to the delight of the spectators. The pageant was elaborate and tasteful and exceeded everything of the kind which had ever been witnessed in Natchez. A grand ball at the Institute Hall closed the exercises. It is supposed such saturnatia pay financially. It is more than doubtful of the pay morally; “in like manner did not our Fathers”.

Mimi Miller, Executive Director of Historic Natchez Foundation, is quoted in an article in County Living, where I also found the quotes above and the photo.

"A major fire broke out during the festivities in 1909 and the fire trucks had been appropriated as floats. Needless to say, the fire caused a lot more damage than it might have otherwise. The fire and the boll weevil, which first appeared in Mississippi in a Natchez area cotton field in 1907, caused the demise of Mardi Gras. When it was reborn in the early 1980s, the first krewe named itself appropriately--the Krewe of Phoenix.".

And that krewe rolls out once again in Natchez today at 5 pm through downtown. Don't miss it!

Answers to Questions about Christmas Symbols

Not long after Thanksgiving the phone at my reference desk began to ring and my email box began to fill with questions about the symbols of Christmas. What's a busy librarian to do? Go check out a reference book about Holidays and Traditions, and thats just what I did and here is what I found. By the way these are actual questions.

Q: Is Santa Claus the same person as St. Nicholas?

A: Yes and no. The original Santa Claus was Nicholas, the legendary saint who was bishop of Myra (Turkey) in the fourth century. He was usually shown wearing the fur-trimmed robes of a cleric, with a beehive (symbolizing industry) and a bulldog (fidelity) at his side. He was a gift giver but also a disciplinarian, bringing switches and rods for children who misbehaved. December 6 was his feast day, and in many countries, it is on this day, not Christmas Eve that St. Nicholas arrives to hand out his presents and punishments. It wasn't until the December of 1823 when Clement Moore's wrote the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" that the American Santa Claus was transformed from a tall, slim bishop to a jolly, overweight fellow who wore a red suit and entered the house via the chimney.

Q: Are reindeer for real and can they really fly?

A: Again, yes and no. More than 600 years after the death of St. Nicholas, Russians carried his legend back from Constantinople, and he became Russia's patron saint. From there his story spread to Lapland, home of the reindeer, which may explain why the modern Santa lives at the North Pole and gets around in a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer. It was again Clement Moore's poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" that popularized the names of Santa's reindeer: Now Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixen. On Comet, Cupid, Doner and Blitzen! Rudolph is a whole other question!

Q: Are Luminarias more than just a pretty way to light your path?

A: Yes, Luminarias mean "lights" or "illuminations" in Spanish. The word also refers to the small bonfires that illuminate the dark nights of the Christmas season throughout the American Southwest. These bonfires are made from pinon pine logs that have been stacked in log cabin style to form a box about three feet in height. Some believe that luminarias can be traced back to the fires that warmed the shepards to whom the birth of Jesus was announced. Today luminarias acn be seen on Christmas Eve in front of churches, homes, and public plazas.

Q: What is the history of the Christmas carol "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"?

A: This popular secular 16th century English carol is from West Country of England. It is one of the few traditional holiday carols that make mention of the New Year's celebration. This song actually reflects the Christmas tradition of showering gifts on the people who wandered from house to house (known today as carolers), singing these Christmas songs to please the wealthy people of the community.

Q: Why do we send Christmas cards?

A: In Ancient Rome, it was the custom to exchange greetings and gifts on the first day of January. With the advent of Christianity , the giving and receiving of such tokens continued in some European countries, often taking the form of New Year cards. These contained no reference to Christmas and were sent out after December 25 so they would arive on New Year's Day. The first printed Christmas card was produced in England in 1843. Designed by John Calcott Horsley, it sold for a shilling and looked like a postcard. It wasn't until the 1880s that cards became folders of four, eight, or more pages. Cards became more elaborate throughout the Victorian period, with "frosted" surfaces, fancy cut edges, layers of lace-paper, and other forms of decoration. Now, in the twenty-first century the christmas card is still out there, I saw them in Walgreens. There were religious ones and some with cute little penguins and little forest friends dancing around the decorated christmas tree. There were even some for those who enjoy a little "wicked" fun. I love Christmas cards. To me, it's more special whem someone sends me a hand written card with a scene that warms my spirit. After looking at ten different designs and still not making up my mind as to what I wanted I decided to rebel against my own tradition and send everyone a Christmas E-Card... So now you know a little bit about some of our more famous Christmas traditions

HoHoHo...Happy Holidays to All!

Tour of Homes Preview: Stratton Chapel (Refreshment Center)

The Friends of the Library annual Christmas Tour of Homes is Sunday, December 4, 2 - 5 pm. Admission is $15 for one ticket or $25 for two tickets. Tickets may be purchased at the Armstrong Library, Natchez Pilgrimage Tours, or at any of the homes the day of the event. You can tour four beautiful homes in any order and have refreshments at Stratton Chapel. This is the final preview of the Tour of Homes. Two homes were previewed last week, and the two more were previewed earlier this week.

Stratton Chapel
(Refreshment Center)
405 State Street
Located in the First Presbyterian Church

Located behind the Federal style First Presbyterian Church downtown and across from City Hall is an outstanding collection of photographs taken from as early as 1840 and offering a grand depiction of life in Natchez over the course of its early history. The collection boasts over 500 photographs of steamboat activities along the river, the families and homes of Natchez, and downtown Natchez as it once looked in the days of old. The collection for viewing is made possible through the generosity of the late Dr Thomas Gandy and his wife Joan who spent many years restoring the photographic works of Henry and Earl Norman.

Refreshments will be served to the accompaniment of organ music.

Tour of Homes Preview: Staniforth House

The Friends of the Library annual Christmas Tour of Homes is Sunday, December 4, 2 - 5 pm. Admission is $15 for one ticket or $25 for two tickets. Tickets may be purchased at the Armstrong Library, Natchez Pilgrimage Tours, or at any of the homes the day of the event. You can tour four beautiful homes in any order and have refreshments at Stratton Chapel. This is final preview of one of the homes. The first two homes were previewed last week, and the third was previewed earlier this week. Later this week, we'll preview Stratton Chapel, where the Refreshment Center will be.

Staniforth House
315 North Rankin Street
Home of Kirk Bondurant & Bruce Zabov

Built in 1852, the Staniforth House is a classic Greek revival brick cottage. Thomas Staniforth, its builder, was a Natchez contractor/builder who lavished extra attention on what was a comparatively modest house for the time and neighborhood, probably because it served to advertise his business. Original casings highlight the large windows across the front, and fireplaces grace several rooms.

Large antique salvaged windows have been added to the kitchen, providing a lovely view across the back gallery and walled garden toward Holy Family Church. Other particularly attractive touches are the decorative painted paneling restored in the dining room and the faux stone walls in the entrance hall. Beautiful cypress cabinets complete the kitchen. The modern and handsomely upgraded baths make this home truly comfortable.

Many Natchezians will remember a previous owner repainting the bricks. An article in the Natchez Democrat in 2001 indicated that he had found photographs in Dr. Thomas Gandy’s collection including one taken by Marshall Gurney in April 1865, showing the front and northwest sides of the house. The walls were brick with a white cornice along the side.

The people staffing the house on the day of the tour include some of the people who did the actual restoration work on the house.

The Staniforth house is the home of Kirk Bondurant and Bruce Zabov. They have restored it carefully. Furnishings include antiques as well as interesting artifacts and memorabilia from years of living in Key West and Costa Rica.

Tour of Homes Preview: Maples House

The Friends of the Library annual Christmas Tour of Homes is Sunday, December 4, 2 - 5 pm. Admission is $15 for one ticket or $25 for two tickets. Tickets may be purchased at the Armstrong Library, Natchez Pilgrimage Tours, or at any of the homes the day of the event. You can tour four beautiful homes in any order and have refreshments at Stratton Chapel. This is the third preview of one of the homes. The first two homes were previewed last week, and the fourth will be previewed later this week.

Maples House
506 Orleans Street
Home of Lisa & Ken Maples

This property has links to several families with long histories in Natchez, including the Pattersons, Reeds, and Brandons. In 1882, James William Henry Patterson and his wife Sarah Love Reed bought the property on Orleans Street from Rachael O’Conley. He borrowed money on the property in July 1885 to build the house. James was owner of Chamberlain & Patterson Dry Goods Company on Main Street with his partner James Chamberlain.

Ken and Lisa Maples acquired the house in 2008. They have updated the swimming pool and added a spa and landscaping to the backyard. They recently restored the front porch to its original period style and are in the process of adding an outdoor kitchen and living space to the rear of the house.

Tour of Homes Preview: Doyle House

The Friends of the Library annual Christmas Tour of Homes is Sunday, December 4, 2 - 5 pm. Admission is $15 for one ticket or $25 for two tickets. Tickets may be purchased at the Armstrong Library, Natchez Pilgrimage Tours, or at any of the homes the day of the event. You can tour four beautiful homes in any order and have refreshments at Stratton Chapel. This is the second preview of one of the homes. The first home was previewed earlier this week, and the last two will be previewed next week.

Doyle House
704 State Street
Home of Chesney & Marc Doyle

One of three, almost identical, two story houses built by J Foggo Dixon in 1880, 704 retains its original front porch and Victorian gingerbread. In 2007, Marc and Chesney Blankenstein Doyle undertook a complete renovation. In Spring 2011, they finally moved in with their twins.

Keeping the original footprint of the house, the Doyles created a three bedroom/three bath home with all modern amenities. Seven roofs were removed to install new architectural shingle. Central air and heat were added for the first time.

The family has been in the home since 1939. Her mother (Kathie Boatner) lived there until she married Rawdon Blankenstein in 1957. Their four children knew 704 as “Gram and Biggie’s house.” Their grandmother and great aunt had always run a tight ship, evidenced by the typewritten “Privileges and Rules of this Playroom” from 1942 that Gram created for Kathie and her playmates, including “P.S. When grown-ups want to use the front gallery please vacate!”

Wednesday was Gram and Biggie Day. Sliding down the banisters was allowed with adult assistance. Wooden blocks tied to socked feet with string were ice skates for sliding across the wool rugs. Gram even convinced the children that wire brushing the mildew off patio bricks was fun!

The dining table, a favorite gathering spot, was on the steamboat Springer when it sank near Rodney. The table was rescued and sold to Chesney’s greatgrandfather, Alfred Vidal Davis of Tacony Plantation in Vidalia.

Tour hostesses include Kathie Boatner Blankenstein’s childhood friends, all of whom were subject to the 1942 Rules.

Tour of Homes Preview: Callon House

The Friends of the Library annual Christmas Tour of Homes is Sunday, December 4, 2 - 5 pm. Admission is $15 for one ticket or $25 for two tickets. Tickets may be purchased at the Armstrong Library, Natchez Pilgrimage Tours, or at any of the homes the day of the event. You can tour four beautiful homes in any order and have refreshments at Stratton Chapel. This is a preview of one of the homes. Others homes will be previewed in later posts.

Callon House
400 South Pearl Street
Home of Katherine & Lindsey Callon

This Greek Revival cottage was built for Thomas and Elizabeth Mackin. The construction and cost are documented in an 1852 lawsuit. A deposition filed by the Mackins states they built a "Dwelling House" valued at $3,000 and "Fencing & Out Houses" valued at $1,000, after buying the property at a sheriff's sale in 1841. Andrew Brown Sawmill Papers record sales of building materials, including a large amount of interior plastering lath, indicating that the house was completed in 1843.

The 1850 census shows both Thomas and Elizabeth were born in Ireland. The quality of Mackin's house indicates that he was probably a levee contractor who boarded his levee workers on the property. Levee building was a common profession for Irish immigrants in river towns.

In 1858, the Mackin’s sold their residence to Ansel H Kendrick for $3,200 who sold to Cade L Holden in 1877, and it remained in the family until 1901. It was last the property of Eulalie Holden Reed and husband Richard F Reed, who published the pamphlet, The Natchez country; from the settlement by the French to the admission of Mississippi as a state.

The house sold frequently until Lindsey and Katherine Callon bought the house in 2009 and created the attractive historic cottage. Its restrained Grecian simplicity features a simple portico sheltering the doorway set within sidelights and transom. Well detailed dormers light the upper half story. An original two room dependency was later relocated to the rear of Pleasant Hill.

Why should you be a Friend (of the Library, that is!)?

What do the Friends of the Library do? Well, for one thing, they raise money for the Library! Each year the Friends of the Library hosts an Annual Christmas Tour of Homes. Homes on this tour are not open to the public during Pilgrimage. These are private homes, whose owners agree to decorate for Christmas (early) and open their doors to the public for one reason only – they recognize the importance of the Library. They are Library users and are happy to help in a way that benefits the Library! This year’s Tour information may be found here on the Library's website.

The goal for this year is to raise enough funding to get the (much needed) exterior repairs – let’s just say, SHUTTERS – and painting of the Library completed. In addition, the Friends of the Library also pay for our subscription to Ancestry Library Edition, a much-used database genealogy advocates just love! They also help provide funding for programs, such as our Summer Library Program for Children, Teens, and Adults. They help with book purchases, as well as lots of other extras!

The Friends is a wonderful support group, without whom we would not be able to provide many of the services people just take for granted. So, if you are NOT a Friend, please be a Friend (of the Library)! And join us for this year’s Library Tour of Homes, Sunday, December 4, from 2-5 pm. And, if you ARE a Friend, thanks!

It's Thanksgiving! (almost)

When the Pilgrims
first gathered to share
with their Indian friends
in the mild autumn air,
they lifted their voices
in jubilant praise
for the bread on the table,
the berries and maize,
for field and for forest,
for turkey and deer,
for the bountiful crops
they were blessed with that year.
They were thankful for these
as they feasted away,
and as they were thankful,
we're thankful today
-Jack Prelutsky, Children's Poet Laureate

Ho-Ho-Ho MERRY ...um, Thanksgiving?? Wait, that can't be right! That's for Christmas! I always seem to be one step ahead!

We all know that Thanksgiving is about giving back, spending time with family and friends, food, and overall just giving thanks for the many things that we have been blessed with! But, how do we explain things like this to litte children in a way that they will remember - in a fun, simple way that lets them know that there is a reason that we stuff them like little pigs in a blanket, and all the family gathers together when it's not even anyone's birthday, on that one special day? How do you simplify the meaning of "Turkey Day"? Here is a list of books to help you bring the magic of Thanksgiving to life while teaching young minds and entertaining a crowd of rowdy little ones on that big day.

Books for learning about Thanksgiving
(click on the link to go to our online catalog and reserve the book)

It's Thanksgiving! by Jack Prelutsky, Children's Poet Laureate

Thanksgiving by Brenda Haugen

Pilgrims in America by Melinda Lilly

Why We Have Thanksgiving by Margaret Hillert

There are also a lot of books about Thanksgiving for pure entertainment! Books for those times when you volunteer to help out at your child's, grandchild's, or niece's/nephew's school, or when the church is having a children's program. Enjoy these titles.

Books for enjoying Thanksgiving
(click on the link to go to our online catalog and reserve the book)

One Is a Feast for Mouse: A Thanksgiving Tale by Judy Cox

I Am The Turkey by Michele Sobel Spirn

Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano

One Tough Turkey: A Thanksgiving Tale by Steven Kroll

Happy Thanksgiving by Margaret McNamara

All of these (plus many more) are great books for the upcoming holiday and great books for teaching or entertaining a younger crowd! And they're all in the Library for you to enjoy with your children for free. Enjoy!

Get into the Spirit of the Holidays

Halloween is over, Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and if you blink too fast, Christmas will soon be knocking at the door. I am always just slightly behind in my quest to create that "perfect" holiday celebration so this year I'm starting early. Here is a list of books and websites to help you create your own perfect holiday season for you and your family.

A few good books to put you in the turkey mood:

A Ghost at the Table by Suzanne Berne

A Fatal Feast: A Murder She Wrote Mystery by Donald Bain

Undead and Unfinished by Mary Jane Davidson

A Catered Thanksgiving by Iris Crawford

New Books for Christmas have just arrived:

The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson

A Christmas Homecoming by Anne Perry

The Snow Angel by Thomas Kinkade

Lost December by Richard Paul Evans

What do you do when the kids are under your feet, the turkey is half stuffed, and your family is about to ring the doorbell? Check out these helpful websites:

• www.holidays.kaboose.com - A great site for whole family fun. Activities and games for kids as well as tips and recipes for the cook in the kitchen.
• www.vickiblackwell.com - A terrific site for teachers, homeschoolers, librarians, and parents looking for lesson plans, stories, and activities.

If you're looking for holiday decorating guides and cooking tips, try these web sites:

• www.wholefoodsmarket.com Whole Foods Market has some great ideas for food.
• www.butterball.com  The Butterball turkey people have recipies, cooking ideas, tips, and how tos, including video instructions.
• www.foodnetwork.com  The Food Network is a favorite of foodies everywhere.
• www.bbqu.net - The Barbeque University is for the die hard grillers out there!
• ww.eatturkey.com - National Turkey Federation provides valuable information about poultry and instructions for deep frying your bird.

So there you have it, all types of ways to get you into the upcoming holiday season!

New Year's Traditions from Around the World

If we were celebrating New Years in England, it would be very important to be sure a good first footer entered your home before anyone else in the New Year. The most desirable first footer would be a young, good looking, healthy male, carrying a small piece of coal, money, bread, and salt, symbolizing wealth. The least desirable first footer would be a woman, and those people with blonde or red hair - I guess those would be considered trouble makers! I can't help but wonder if this is the source of the expression "put your best foot forward." The ancient first footer tradition is practiced to this day in England.

In Ireland, the direction of the wind at New Year is traditionally an indication of the trend in politics for the coming year. If it blew from the west, it would be a good year for Ireland; if from the east, England would gain the upper hand. I thought this interpretation of signs to be very typically Irish. Of course, after the year we've had politically, there's no telling which way the wind will blow after New Year's.

Many countries have traditions that involve large, even massive, amounts of food being served, invoking coming prosperity and surplus. The French feast customarily includes special dishes like foie gras, seafood such as oysters, and drinks like champagne. It can be a simple intimate dinner with friends and family, or a much fancier ball. I'm leaning towards the French approach!

I'm not so sure I'd want to celebrate in Denmark, where friends and family show their good wishes by throwing dishes at your front door. If you have heaps of broken dishes at your door, you can consider yourself blessed with many friends. Really?

Well, Happy New Year to everyone! I guess I'll be sticking with the Southern tradition of good old black eye peas and cabbage to ensure good fortune. Does cole slaw count?

Merry Christmas from Your Library!

We have had a busy Christmas this year. It started on Saturday, December 4, when the Library Drill Team made its debut in the Christmas Parade. Let me be kind and say we're not quite ready for prime time yet. But we had a really fun time, and we plan to do it again next year - but we're going to practice first. (Click on the link to see pictures and video.)

On Sunday, December 5, the Friends of the Library held their annual Christmas Tour of Homes, which was a huge success. We had the most attendees ever, and the Friends made a record profit. This is very timely, since your Library is suffering financially due to budget cuts. (Click on the link to see pictures.)

On Monday, December 6, we were closed for staff development, and we held our annual Christmas luncheon for the Board of Trustees and the Friends Board to thank them for all they do to help us. We also used that day to decorate for the holiday. Come by and see!

I was looking on the web for what other Libraries were doing for Christmas. Some had a Christmas tree made of books. One library in Memphis had a flash mob singing carols. Do you know what a flash mob is? I think they're so cool! It's a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform a brief act, and then disperse. The first one I heard of, and maybe the first in Mississippi, occured in the Student Union of Ole Miss right before spring break.



Remember that your library can help you celebrate Christmas. We have some new Christmas movies on DVD that you might want to borrow and share with your family: Babes in Toyland, The Christmas Blessing, Miracle on 34th Street, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and Disney's A Christmas Carol. We also have lots of Christmas books on decorating, cooking, crafting, gardening - or just great stories.

HOLIDAY HOURS

CHRISTMAS

Close on Friday, December 24 & reopen on Tuesday, December 28

NEW YEARS

Close on Friday, December 31 & reopen on Tuesday, January 4

Library Staff in Christmas Parade

Book Cart Drill Team from a
public library in Indiana

This year the Armstrong Library makes its debut in the annual Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 4 at 6 pm. However, we were not sure what we could do, so we decided to follow the example of  other libraries across the country and pimp our book carts and do a book cart drill.

WHAT??

Pimp My Bookcart is a parody of MTV's Pimp My Ride and is an annual contest run by Unshelved, a hilarious webcomic by Gene Ambaum and Bill Barnes that is about a public library and is read by public library staff across the country. The purpose of the contest is to see who can best pimp, trick out, or otherwise improve a standard library book cart. The entries range from outrageous to clever. Check them out here.

But it gets worse. There is also a Book Cart Drill Team competition sponsored by Demco, a library supply company, that is held at the annual American Library Association conference. Your Library staff is going to try (and I do mean try!) to do a book cart drill.

The theme of this year's Christmas Parade is Broadway. So how many librarians are characters in Broadway plays? What a challenge! Then our Director remembered - Marian the Librarian from The Music Man. And what better music to drill to than 76 Trombones!

We may (will) make total fools of ourselves, but we will have fun. You don't want to miss this!

Pimping book carts and doing book cart drills are only the tip of the iceburg when it comes to putting a new face on libraries and their staff. Libraries are no longer as quiet as they used to be, and I can't remember the last time I wore my hair in a bun! We invite you to come downtown and get into the spirit of the season and see your local librarians in a whole new way!

Luck of the Irish

March 17 is highlighted on my calender with a big green marker to remind myself it will be St Patrick's Day. It's my day to show off my heritage, to wear green, go to the parade in town, and search out a lucky shamrock - or even better catch a leprechaun and make him hand over that pot o' gold.

Did you know St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was not actually Irish? He was born on this day around the year 385 somewhere near Dumbarton, Scotland. When he was sixteen Patrick was captured by Irish raiders looking for slaves to work their farms. Six years later, he ran away, boarded a ship, and headed to Europe where he finished his education and had a vision from God telling him to return to Ireland and convert the pagans to Christianity. St Patrick is best known for ordering all the snakes to leave Ireland, an event that, according to legend occured on the mountain known as Croagh Patrick. On the last day in July every year, hundreds of pilgrims gather there to commemorate their patron saint. Here are some other interesting facts about the holiday:

• Each year thousands of Irish Americans gather with their loved ones on St Patrick's Day to share a traditional meal of corned beef and cabbage. Though cabbage has long been an Irish food, corned beef only began to be associated with St Patrick's Day at the turn of the century. Irish immigrants living in New York City's Lower East Side substituted corned beef for their traditional dish of Irish bacon to save money.
• Irish soda bread gets its name and distinctive character from the use of baking soda rather than yeast as a leavening agent.
• Lime green chrysanthemums are often requested for St Patrick's Day parades and celebrations.
• The first St Patrick's Day parade took place in the United States on March 17, 1762, when Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City.
• More than 100 St Patrick's Day parades are held across the nation. New York City and Boston are home to the largest celebrations.
• At the annual New York City parade, participants march up Fifth Avenue from 44th Street to 86th Street. More than 150,000 people take part in the event which does not allow cars or floats.
• The shamrock, which is also called the "seamroy" by the Celts, was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland, because it symbolized the rebirth of spring. By the seventeenth century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism. As the English began to seize Irish land and make laws against the use of Irish language and the practice of Catholicism, many Irish began to wear the shamrock as a symbol of their pride in their heritage and their displeasure with English rule.
• It has long been told that during his time in Ireland, St. Patrick once stood on a hilltop with a wooden staff by his side and banished all the snakes from Ireland. In fact, the island nation was never home to any snakes. The "banishing of snakes" was really a metaphor for the eradication of pagan ideology from Ireland and the triumph of Christianity. Within 200 years of Patrick's arrival, Ireland was completely Christianized.
• Belief in leprechauns probably stems from Celtic belief in fairies, tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. In Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies. Though only minor figures in Celtic folklore the leprechauns were known for their trickery which they often used to protect their fabled "pot of gold".
• Leprecauns had nothing to do with St Patrick or the celebration of St Patrick's Day. In 1959 Walt Disney released a film called Darby O'Gill and the Little People which introduced America to a very different sort of leprecaun. This cheerful, friendly leprechaun is a purely American invention, but quickly evolved into an easily recognizable symbol of both St Patrick's Day and Ireland in general.

St Patrick's Day is the one holiday where everybody can be Irish for the day. Folks run around with "Kiss Me I'm Irish" buttons, and I know a few of my friends who dye their beards green. Big cities celebrate by turning their rivers and harbors green (see the picture of Chicago). Local pubs serve green beer and hold Oh Danny Boy singing contests. All in all, it is a day of fun, and a day to reflect on one man's commitment to his faith.

St Patrick's Day is only two weeks away. For some fun activities for the family check out this website.

The Secrets of Mistletoe

Last weekend as I was decorating my house for the Christmas holidays, I was looking for just the right place to hang my fake mistletoe ball for maximum kisses and began to wonder about its place of tradition during the Christmas season. Being a reference librarian, the need to know sent me off to the stacks looking for holiday traditions, and this is some of what I found out.

We are all familiar with at least a portion of the mysterious mistletoe's story: namely, that a lot of kissing under the mistletoe has been going on for ages. Few, however, realize that mistletoe's botanical story earns it the classification of parasite. Fewer still are privy to the convoluted history behind the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe.

The kissing under the mistletoe myth comes from Norse mythology. Baldur’s mother, Frigga, Goddess of Beauty and Love, went to all plants and animals asking them to protect her son and cause him no harm, since he was the God of the Summer Sun. She overlooked one, mistletoe. Loki, God of Evil, found this out and got another to kill Baldur with a spear laced with mistletoe. Baldur was eventually brought back to life. Frigga cried tears of little white berries, like the ones found on mistletoe. Out of admiration, Frigga vowed to kiss anyone who walked under the mistletoe, so beginning the kissing under the mistletoe myth.

Washington Irving, in Christmas Eve, relates the typical festivities surrounding the Twelve Days of Christmas, including kissing under the mistletoe. Irving continues his Christmas passage with:
We have conveniently forgotten the part about plucking the berries (which, incidentally, are poisonous), and then desisting from kissing under the mistletoe when the berries run out!

“The mistletoe is still hung up in farm houses and kitchens at Christmas, and the young men have the privilege of kissing the girls under it, plucking each time a berry from the bush. When the berries are all plucked the privilege ceases.”

At Christmas time, a young lady standing under a ball of mistletoe, brightly trimmed with evergreens, ribbons, and ornaments, cannot refuse to be kissed. Such a kiss could mean deep romance or lasting friendship and goodwill. If the girl remained unkissed, she cannot expect to marry the following year. In some parts of England, the Christmas mistletoe is burned on the twelfth night lest all the boys and girls who have kissed under it never marry. Whether we believe the myths or not, mistletoe always makes for fun and frolic at Christmas celebrations.

Along with the Christmas holly, laurel, rosemary, yews, boxwood bushes and, of course, the Christmas tree, mistletoe is an evergreen displayed during the Christmas season and symbolic of the eventual rebirth of vegetation that will occur in spring. But perhaps more than any other of the Christmas evergreens, it is a plant of which we are conscious only during the holidays. One day we're kissing under the mistletoe, and next day we've forgotten all about it (the plant, that is, not the kisses).

When the Christmas decorations come down, mistletoe fades from our minds for another year. Particularly in regions where the plant is not native (or is rare), most people do not even realize that mistletoe does not grow on the ground, but rather on trees as a parasitic shrub. That's right: as unromantic as it sounds, kissing under the mistletoe means embracing under a parasite. Most types of mistletoe are classified as hemi parasitical (i.e., partial parasites). They are not full parasites, since the plants are capable of photosynthesis. But these mistletoe plants are parasitic in the sense that they send a special kind of root system (called haustoria) down into their hosts, the trees upon which they grow, in order to extract nutrients from the trees.

Mistletoe’s popularity has not waned in present times, and its pretty leaves and berries are one of the most fun and endearing parts of our Christmas celebrations today.

It's Time for the Christmas Tour of Homes

On the first Sunday of every December, the Friends of the Library sponsor the Christmas Tour of Homes - an extremely popular event. Why is it so popular? You get to tour four homes that are not included in other tours. These homes are not necessarily the typical antebellum homes seen on other tours. Instead they are homes that are unusual or beautiful for any reason. These are homes owned and lived in by local Natchezians. And the best part is that they are gorgeously decorated for Christmas.

This year's Christmas Tour of Homes will be on December 6, 2 - 5 pm. Tickets are $15 for one ticket and $25 for two and can be purchased at the Armstrong Library or at any home on the day of the event. Four houses will be on the tour this year.

Riverview, 47 New Street

Home of John Miller

(Refreshment Center)

Hess House, 314 Linton Avenue

Home of Richard Hess

Coyle House, 207 Wall Street

Home of Marcia & Lem Adams

Benoist-Stier House, 410 South Union Street

Home of Ginny & Paul Benoist

For more information, including descriptions.

Christmas Tour of Homes is Soon!

On the first Sunday of December of every year, the Friends of the Library sponsor the Christmas Tour of Homes. Everybody loves this tour. The tickets are only $15 for one or $25 for two tickets, and you get to tour four beautiful homes not usually open to the public. Tour the homes in order you wish - and remember that one is always a refreshment center. Plus, they are all decorated for Christmas.

You can buy your tickets at the Library anytime we're open - or at any of the homes on the day of the event. Listed below are the homes on the tour this year. In later posts, I'll feature each house including a picture.

Maywood

1 Elm Street

Home of Barbara & Ed Colwell

(Refreshment Center)

Myrtle Bank

408 North Pearl Street

Home of Barbara & David Haigh

Van Court Town House

510 Washington Street

Home of Benny Riddle & Cliff Davis

White Wings

311 North Wall Street

Home of Sallie Ballard

Hope to see you there!