Answers to Go

Q.I want to make gifts for my friends for the holidays. Someone suggested natural cosmetics or bath powder/ salts. I want to get a recipe from a book because I don’t trust all the stuff out there on the internet. Can you make some suggestions?

A. Here are some suggested books available at your library:

• “Ecobeauty: Scrubs, Rubs, Masks, and Bath Bombs for You and Your Friends” by Lauren Cox.

• “Face Creams, Hair Rinses, and Body Lotions: Recipes for Natural Beauty” by Gill Farrer- Halls.

• “Last-minute Christmas Gifts: Crafting Quick & Classy Presents for Everyone on Your List” by Carol Taylor.

• “Natural Beauty Basics: Create Your Own Cosmetics and Body Care Products” by Dorie Byers.

• “Natural Beauty for All Seasons: More Than 250 Simple Recipes and Gift-Giving Ideas For Year-Round Beauty” by Janice Cox.

• “Soap and Scent: Recipes for Natural Beauty” by Gill Farrer-Halls.

• “The Ultimate Natural Beauty Book: 100 Organic Beauty Products to Make and Use Easily at Home” by Josephine Fairley.

While the internet does not always have reliable information, an information source you can trust and use on your computer is the TexShare Database Hobbies and Crafts Reference Center, available through the library. This database, which is password protected through the TexShare Database collection, can be located at texshare.net/ subjects.php. To get the password and more information, just call the library at 512-393-8200 or email us at SMPL@sanmarcostx.gov . There are more books, craft instructions and magazine articles available like the books listed, above.

Q.Why is Christmas sometimes referred to as Xmas? Also, what does the word “yule” mean?

A.In the book “The Christmas Almanack” (p. 162) by Gerald and Patricia Del Re, the authors write: “Xmas is simply an abbreviation of Christmas. There are some who have taken offense at the term, considering it a secular attempt to take Christ out of Christmas. That misconception arises out of the modern use of the letter X as a means of crossing out unwanted information. The X in Xmas, however, is actually the Greek letter Chi. Chi is the first letter of Christ’s name written in Greek and has always stood in that language as a symbol for Christ without any bad connotations at all. The use of “Xmas” as a simple abbreviation for Christmas dates back to at least the 12th century and has been in continuous usage ever since.”

According to the “American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language” (4th ed.) the word “yule” is an archaic term for Christmas [Middle English yole, from Old English geōl.] The word Christmas comes from Middle English Cristemasse, which in turn comes from Old English Cristes-messe, literally meaning Christ's Mass.

Suzanne Sanders is the columnist for the library. She is the Community Services Manager for the San Marcos Public Library and came from the Austin Public Library in 2015 after having served there as a librarian for over 20 years. She gratefully accepts your questions for this column.

Hello, Readers! If you have any traditions, memories or cultural practices SPECIFIC TO SAN MARCOS, please email me at ssanders@sanmarcostx.gov or call me at 512-3938202. All stories and submissions should be given to me by Dec. 12.