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i' 1 Thursday, December 21, 1950 THE CLINTON CHRONICLE Pafe Thre# s 1 0 WISH you o very Merry Christmos ond to express the hope thot our present cordiol relations moy continue for many years to come. It is our desire thot you will enjoy the Sfeoson of Christmas, its fine ! _ # ' friendly associations and its thouahtful tokens of esteem. You hove been consid erate ond generous with your patronage ond we ore truly grate ful for these courtesies. Merry Christmos to one ond oil. Sunshine Gleaners H. F. Blalock — Gary Holcombe o T * I 1 t *♦ UR SINCERE At the Christines bells ring out to herald the op* prooch of another Yule- tide, we are reminded of the many pleasant associa tions enjoyed during the past year. In appreciation of your friendships may we extend our very best Christinas Wishes. Eastside Greenhouse J!jucia ~bay Starts Christmas Season Jn Swedish Custom Celebration of Lucia day on De cember 13 inaugurates the Christ' mas season in Sweden. It takes its name from St. Lucia, or Lucy, martyred for her faith and virgini ty in Syracuse in 304, A. D., and venerated by the church each De cember 13. The prettiest blonde in every home, office, factory, village and town is elected a “Lucia” and visits the sick, leads carnivals and processions and attends banquets and balls accompanied by her “handmaidens.” The ancient custom coincides with the winter solstice, when the sun swings toward the earth once more and the days begin to length en. In addition to beauty, other qualifications for “Lucias” or “light queens” are fair hair, a nice disposition and high charac ter. Dressed in long white robes, wearing crowns of lighted candles (the traditional costume for “Lu cias”) the girls present gifts and the traditional Lucy day coffee and rolls to hospital patients, etc. The queen and her maidens, en throned in a star spangled horse- drawn chariot lead festive proces sions around the village squares and through city streets. Parade participants depict alter nate scenes from Sweden’s pic turesque Lapland and the Wild West of the United States, while musicians in multi-colored cos tume alternate playing northern folk tunes and American jazz. Cnfland'd PutUasU BaHHtid CltAidtmaA' Ai fyUooIosU lim* Christmas was outlawed in Eng land by the Puritan government of England in 1643 and, although the restoration of the Stuarts brought a revival of Christmas customs and traditions, Christmas never re gained its former prestige in Eng land. It is observed religiously in the churches and as a day for family reunions and social gatherings, in contrast to the lavish feasting and boisterous merry-making of olden times. Merry-making and gift-giving come in for their share, however, on December 26 which is Boxing Day. The origin of Boxing Day ante dates Christmas and can be traced to the custom of gift-giving during the Roman festival of Saturnalia. In Christian liturgy December A6 is observed as the feast of ST Stephen, the first Christian naactyr, and during the centuries when jour neymen and apprenctites were in the habit of levying upon their mas ters’ customers, ‘Christmas Boxes’ were collected on St. Stephen’s day. Thus, the children receive their presents, in boxes, as do old serv ants, the postman, and everyone else. And reminiscent of the Roman Saturnalia, householders dance with the servants' ar.d, toward evening, there is revelling in the streets as groups of merry-makers gather on street corners or ride about London-town dancing on the ‘flats’ of trucks. Soap Flake Snow Trimming the Christmas tree with fluffy snow is easy if you use soap flakes. It won’t melt either. Here’s how it’s done: Use three or four cups of soap flakes to one cup of warm water. Beat wit£ elec tric beater or hand beater until smooth and fluffy. Then spread im mediately over branches of tree, scattering it on with hands. For sparkle, spread on some arti ficial glistening snow. CurriM’ and Ivts Cards Commercial production of Christmas cards In the United States began about 1835 with the founding and developing of the partnership of Currier and Ives In New Turk. For more than a century American painters have aided the Industry by painting Christ mas themes oo order or by sell ing reproduction rights to the art which Is now conservatively estimated as worth S16,M0,M0 annually. The favorite Nativity theme is represented by hundreds of interpretations. Winter scenes are next In popularity, some of them dating back to the Puri tans of New England, the Ger man fordsts whence SL Nicho las emerged, and even to the Inxids of pre-Christian Eng 'k * That the approach of 'L another Christmas season y will bring with it . 1,v loads of good cheer and happiness for each of you / our friends and customers: Maxwell Bros. & Wilkes Inc. Phone 257 • • •« Clinton, S. C. ECAUSC ore proud to eofl y*u our friend, we extend to you ond yours every good with we con think of for the Christmos seoson. It Is good to hove known you ond to serve you. We ore groteful, not only from the stond* point of the good business we hove enjoyed, but from the knowledge thot our greotest osset is the host of friends who remoin with us yeor otter year. We wish you o most pleasant ond i - L memorable Christmos. Giles Chevrolet Co., Inc. .1 * l-