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I Thursday, December 23 # 1948 THE CLINTON CHRONICLE- Page Seven JheM mm BEST WISHES TO ALL OF YOU FROM ALL OF US We here at Joanna Stores would like nothing better than to be able to extend to each of you in person our best wishes of the season. Since this is not possible, we take this means of expressing to all of you our hearti est thanks for your patronage and kindly friendship through the past year. May Christmas be for you and yours a time of great joy and the New Year bring for you a full measure of health, happiness and wealth. The Management and Employees of Joanna Stores c r On this, another Christmas season, ue desire to express, to you our sincere apprecia tion of our pleasant relation ships and extend our best wishes for a very Merry Christmas. McMillan service station SINCLAIR PRODUCTS Billy McMillan, Prop. SEASON GKETIN FOR OUR FRIENDS AND PATRONS ,, SINEATH’S BARBER SHOP GE6RGE J. SINEATH JOANNA, S. C. T Magi Were Priests Of Persian Religion * £? Along about this time of the year j there’s a lot written, said and sung about the Magi. Just who were the Magi, anyway? The Magi were priests of an ancient Persian religion called Zoroastrianism. The Greek histor ian Herodotus gives a very favor able account of them and their influence in a society which existed four hundred years before Christ's birth. According to Herodotus the Magi were powerful in public and private affairs.^ They conducted the educa tion of the young princes, and were in constant attendance upon the king as counselors. This description of a Magi ap pears in the sacred .writing of Zoro aster: “Thou shouldst call him priest, who sits the whole night thru and yearns for holy wisdow that enables rpaij to stand upon death’s bridge fearless and with happy heart, the wisdom whereby he at tains the holy and glorious world of paradise.’’ The three Magi, or Wise Men, who followed the Star of Bethlehem and, .brought gifts of gold, frank incense and myrrh to the Christ child remain nameless, but they were the first to recognize the importance of the birth of the Prince of Peace. Birthday of Jesus An Uncertain Date It is not surprising that the day and year of the birth of Jesus are uncertain, for methods of keeping track of dates during the era when Christ was born were not very reli able. For years, eminant scholars have been searching thl scriptures, and all possible records, to try to establish an exact date. So far, they have not succeeded. Matthew states that Jesus was born during the reign of King Herod which helps to establish the period of His birth and this is the starting point from w’hich the scholars at tempt to reckon the year. The statement by Matthew that the wise men from the east, in in quiring “Where is He that is born King of the Jews?” aroused Herod so that he ordered the massacre of all children two years old or less, is very significant. It is taken as proof that Jesus must have been born about two years before this infamous decree was issued. . No less an authority that the Catholic encyclopedia places the birth of Christ in the year which, by our modern methods of keeping track of dates, would be 7 B.C. Thus, Christ’s birth does not exactly determine the difference between B.C. and A.D. date. Most people, however, do not care if the exact day and year of Christ’s birth are unknown. What matters most is the deathless vigor of the Christmas Spirit throughout the world. Christmas Quiz How much do you and your family really know about Christmas? Try this one on them when there’s a lull in the fun. Both children and adults will enjoy matching wits and | everybody will learn something more about Christmas. 1. The Christmas custom of kiss ing under the mistletoe started in (a) Norway, (b) Russia, (c) Hol- L land. 2. The story of the birth of Jesus is described in which two books of the New Testament (a) St. John, (b) St. Matthew, (c) St. Luke, (d) St. Mark. 3. The national Christmas tree of America is located in (a) Indiana (bj) New York, (c) Washington, D. C., (d) California. 4. Who wrote “The Night Before Christmas”? (a) Longfellow, (b) Guest, (c) Moore. 5. There is only one town in the world named Santa Claus. It is lo cated in (a) Holland, (b) England, (c) Indiana. 6. Tuberculosis Christmas seals originated in (ai America, (b) Ger many, (c) Denmark. 7. The custom of hanging holly in' the window on Christmas was originally started (a) to keep witches away, (b) decorate the win dow (c) as an invitation to passers- by to come in. 8. Christmas boxes for the poor originated in (a) France in 1887, (b) | ancient Rome, (c) America in 1763. | 9. - The* children of what country get Christmas gifts from a kindly old witch by the name of Befano instead of from Santa Claus? (a) Russia, (b) China, (c) France, (d) Italy. ■ •10. The word “Noel” means (a) new, (b) holiday, (c) born. Christmas Quiz Answers: 1. a • 6. c 2. b-c 7. a 3. d 8. b 4. c 9. d 5. c 10. c HRISTMAS ‘MOTHER’S DAY’ In Yugoslavia, the second Sunday jefore Chiistmas is celebrated as Vlother’s day. While mother pre- .ends not to notice, one of the chil dren slips in cautiously and ties her feet to the chair. The other chil dren rush in shouting, “Mother's day! Mother's day! What will you pay to get away!” The mother then buys her release with Christmas gifts. V HERE’S A GREAT RIG WISH FOR YOU And a word of appreciation to you for your thoughtful friend ships. May all the joys of a good Christmas he yours! I Giles Chevrolet Co., Inc. PHONE 26 — WEST MAIN ST. — CLINTON, S. C. In the spirit of friendliness ond good cheer we express our compliments of the season to all. Thank you for your many favors. Our sincerest good wishes for on old-fashioned Yuletide ond o full season of happiness. BELK’S CLINTON, S. C. ■i : V - ■ C\ \ V f ' i amm