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Page 1 - December 5, 2019 / McHenry County News

www.McHenryCountyNewspaper.com

McHenry County News DISPLAY ADVERTISING & CLASSIFIEDS: 815-877-4044 • CIRCULATION: 815-877-4044 • E-MAIL: McHenryNews@RVPublishing.com

VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 50

7124 WINDSOR LAKE PARKWAY, SUITE 5 • LOVES PARK, IL 61111

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

Have yourself a Medieval Christmas By Anne Eickstadt STAFF EDITOR

The lavish pageantry of the Middle Ages presented at Zion Lutheran Church in Marengo on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 6 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 8, at 2 p.m. can rival that of any renaissance fair. For many people, the Boars Head Festival is the start to their holiday season. For a small town, it’s [the Boar’s Head Festival] a surprisingly beautiful and professional depiction of God’s greatest gift to man. The colorful Boar’s Head ceremony became part of the Christmas celebration in the great manor houses of the Middle Ages but had its roots in pagan times when the boar was the first dish served at a Roman feast. The church endowed the custom with symbolic Christian meaning and elevated it to the service of God, enriching the lives of all it touched. Sponsored by the Lord of the Manor, the ceremony became a Service of Praise to Jesus Christ, Lord of the Universe and Redeemer of the World. In Medieval England the ferocious boar was sovereign of the forest, a menace to man and symbol of evil. The presentation of the boar’s head at Christmas signifies triumph of the Christ Child over sin. No one knows who planned the first Boar’s Procession, but it was in use at Queen’s College, Oxford, England, shortly after that university was founded in 1340 and continues to be presented there today. The ceremonies attending the presentation of the boar’s head grew and became more elaborate over the centuries. The Yule Log lighted at Christmas with embers burning all year symbolizing Christ as the “Light of the World,” the wise men and shepherds, good King Wenceslas and his page, and the Beefeaters—English ceremonial guards—were all added over the years. The festival was first observed in America in colonial New England and became well established through Episcopal churches and schools by the late 19th century, particularly at the Hoosac School in Hoosick, New York.

ANNE EICKSTADT PHOTO McHenry County News

The Boar’s Head Festival traditionally begins with the “Boar’s Head” leading the procession.

The Boar’s Head Christmas Festival spread from early beginnings to be celebrated in many Christian settings throughout the United States. Zion Lutheran Church brings this ancient tradition to Marengo, adding their voices, music, and drama with the prayer that it be an offering of praise to the One who birth we celebrate and a witness to the joy we share in His Salvation. They offer the Christmas message told through the Boar’s Head Festival as a gift through Christ to Marengo and the surrounding communities. Further information can be found online at www.zionmarengo.net.

Conservation district looking for award nominations McHenry County Conservation District is seeking nominations of individuals who are and have been Conservation Champions for the Public Open Space of McHenry County. To nominate a Conservation Champion or Legacy Award, download and submit an electronic nomination form from the district’s website (MCCD.me/ConservationAwards). Nominations will be accepted through Dec. 31, 2019. The Conservation Champion Award recognizes individuals who have made one or more contributions of extraordinary significance or impact to the conservation movement through their continued dedication and support of the mission of the conservation district. Significant contributions can include leadership, innovation, environmental legislation, community building, restoration fieldwork, citizen science and volunteering, donations of money and land. The Conservation Legacy Award

recognizes contributions that transcend time. Whether the award winner dedicated ten or fifty years towards the local environment, their work should live on well past their earthly lifetime. Their legacy should be a gift to their community, as well as the plant life and wildlife within it. Regardless of how many lives they touched, Conservation Legacy Award winners need to have inspired others to become stewards of the land. McHenry County Conservation District looks forward to celebrating the recipients each year who do so much to protect, preserve and promote the wide open spaces, places we like to play, throughout McHenry County now and far into the future. McHenry County Conservation District was created in 1971 with the mission to preserve, restore, and manage McHenry County’s natural areas and open spaces for their intrinsic value and for the benefits to present and future generations.

Museum open house

MCHENRY COUNTY H.S. PHOTO McHenry County News

What would Christmas be without watching “Frosty the Snowman” on our television screens? He has become a holiday tradition. Did you know this December marks the 50th continuous seasonal broadcast of the TV animation special by Rankin and Bass? Frosty’s appearance had a major overhaul for this TV special. Before this, Frosty had another look. Come visit the museum for a glimpse at some first-generation vintage memorabilia of Frosty, plus the original black and white, four-minute cartoon produced in 1953. Veteran Christmas collectors Dave Harms and Lynne Eltrevoog will mark the occasion with a special display of Christmas memorabilia, with a homage to Frosty. Besides Frosty, there will be a Christmas wonderland, complete with animated displays on stage. Harms began collecting Christmas memorabilia in 1980, when he first set out to find a lighted tree stand like the one his grandparents used when he was a child growing up in Morton Grove. MCHS also is once again hosting its popular “Rock Around the Quilted Tree” quilt show. For details visit www.gothistory.org. The exhibit kicks off with the free annual Holiday Open House from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7. Listen to live music, write a letter to Santa or punch up a holiday tune on the jukebox.


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