The answer is: Rudolph, Blitzen, Comet, Cupid, Dancer, Dasher, Donder, Prancer and Vixen. ‘Tis the season for holiday questions at the library. A popular theme is "Christmas Around the World." Grade school students write reports about what Christmas is like in different countries. They research crafts, recipes and customs. They have a celebration meal. To help you find information about Christmas, there is a display of books in the adult section too. You can learn about holiday traditions, craft projects, recipes and more.

One enduring tradition is the Christmas tree. According to the website http://www.didyouknow.cd/xmas/xmastrees.htm, Saint Boniface, a 7^th century monk, used the triangular shape of the fir tree to describe the Holy Trinity of God. People began to revere the fir tree as God’s tree. By the 12^th century, trees were hung from ceilings as a symbol of Christianity. The first decorated tree was at Riga in Latvia in 1510. In the early 16^th century, Martin Luther decorated a tree with candles to show his children how the stars twinkled through the night.

Through the generosity of the Lions Club, the library has the festival of lights on the lawn. Community groups have decorated the trees with a variety of themes. It’s worth a moment of your time to view the lighted trees collectively and then enjoy the unique decorations of each tree. This year the library staff decorated a tree with "seasons readings."

If you come into the library, you will see other trees. Recently, hospice had a Christmas party with their own tree. Kent Farms donated a beautiful tree for the annual Friends’ Tree Trim. Children brought ornaments and decorated it. They also enjoyed a visit from Santa, had refreshments and sang holiday songs. In the children’s section, there is a special tree with photographs of the preschoolers who attend the library story times.

If you are looking for more information on Christmas, try these websites. Search for meaning in Christmas at http://www.techdirect.com/christmas. This site has links to poetry, literature, celebrations and traditions. Want the lyrics and the music to your favorite song? Try http://christmassongbook.net. This site provides the piano arrangements to over 100 classic songs. For Christmas, a family member requested that I make the dried beef dip served in a pumpernickel bread bowl. The searchable database of recipes at http://christmas.allrecipes.com made it easy to find. It even printed it on a recipe-sized card.

This "Spotlight on the Library" article was written by Mary Jacobs, library director. Articles are written and published monthly in the Wellsville Daily Reporter.

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