The Clinton chronicle. (Clinton, S.C.) 1901-current, December 23, 1970, Image 15
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11
The Meaning
of Christmas
By The Rev. SMITH L. LAIN
Editor, FINDINGS
Author, “Prayer,” in the
NEW BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE
The Episcopal Chureh Center
New York, N. Y.
Cuhristmas is the time when . . .
IFe moke appraximateiy 75 per cent of our yearly profit*.
The time roughly between Thanksgiving and (.hri*tma* it our
busiest season in the store. Easter is busy, too, but nothing like
Christmas.
— a retail merchant
» • «
My wife and I think mostly about the kids. IT'e had lots of fun
when we were growing up, and we want our kids to have fun, too.
Sure, we may go a little overboard on toys and all that sort of
thing, but what the heck? Christmas is for kids, isn’t it?
— a young father
• * *
H e really go all out on music. Last year we hired a brass quar
tet to accompany the boys’ choir. The congregation really loved
it. The only trouble is that this year we’ll have to come up with
something even Isetter or they’ll think we are slipping.
— a church organist
» * •
People think they are celebrating an historical event. But they
really aren’t, you know. ,Yo one knows the exact date of Jesus'
birth. The primitive church didn’t even celebrate (.hristmas.
Eventually the church settled on Decemlser 25th as a war to
baptise an alreailr popular, pagan holiday to celebrate the fact
that the depth of winter leas over and the days were getting
longer again.
— a historian
• • *
Some of us get leave. !Sext Christmas I’ll be home, I hope.
It's a time when everylwwly should be home.
— a serviceman overseas
• * •
I get tired. The kids are on vacation. I have a thousantl and
one things to do — 500 cards to address, a half-dozen parties to
go to. gifts for the children and Rob, a dinner party for Rob’s
boss and his snoots wife, get the tree and decorate it.
— a suburban housewife
People at Christmas time arc kind of funny, kind of sad,
kind of lonesome. Some are really happy no matter what
reasons. Are these people really facing up to what Christmas
is really all about? I wonder.
I have a copy of the Revised Standard V'ersion of the Bible
on my desk, and so I opened it and began to look through it.
remembering what these people had said about Christmas.
Here are some of the passages 1 found.
I found an expression of the wonder and humility of a
mother expecting her first child, but a child unlike others:
And Mary said.
“Mr soul magnifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in Cod mr Savior,
for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.
For behold, henceforth all •_ .
generations wlH cell me blessedt
For he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name . . .” (Luke 1:46-49)
I found the simple, moving story of Christ’s birth:
“And Joseph also went up from Calilee, from the city of !Sasa-
reth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem,
because he seas of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled
with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they
were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave
birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes
and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them
in the inn.” (Luke 2:4-7)
And further on I found the joyous message of the angels
to the shepherds on the hillside outside Bethlehem:
"... I bring you gtxtd news of great joy which will come to all
people; for to rou is born this dar ... A Savior, who is Christ
the lAtrd." (Luke 2:11-12)
But perhaps, most important of all, I found the story of
Christ’s life, a life which changed the history of the world and
of the relationships between men. He said:
“Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."
“Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied.”
“Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh."
“Blessed are you when men hate you. and when they exclude
you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil on account of
the Son of man.' Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for be
hold, your reicard is great in heaven ...” (Luke 6:20-23)
And further on:
“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Mess those
who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To him who strikes
you on the cheek, offer the other also . . .” (Luke 6:27-29)
For the message of Christmas is not just the familiar and
beautiful story of the birth of Christ and of its meaning for
mankind. Christmas is the time when we remember the prom
ise fulfilled by the Man who was bom on Christmas. The
people I have quoted — people not unlike many of us —
have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas because they
have forgotten the promise of Christmas.
The truth of Christmas and the renewal of our belief in
the real message of Christmas lies both in our understanding
of the simple and at the same time awesome fact of Christ’s
birth and in our realization of the intimate and immediate way
the fulfilled life of Christ touched and touches our lives.
As we celebrate His Birth,
we pause to study the true meaning
of Christmas. Best of the
season to you and your family.
Natiomride Mutual las. Co.
SOI N. Brood Bt Mu Hamoa 8SS-M72
When Families Gather, It’s Christmas!
Through the years, the
ways of celebrating Christ
mas have taken on many
different formsv
Today’s Christmas tree is
apt to be plastic or alumi
num, rather than nature’s
own fir, spruce or pine. The
glow of tiny beeswax candles
on a tree is only a memory,
replaced now by strings of
twinkling electric lights.
Jolly Santa, once trans
ported only by reindeer-
drawn sleigh, may now ar
rive by helicopter or Jet plane.
But in spite of changes, the
essence of the season, the
basic spirit of Christmas,
stays the same.
Christmastide is, above all,
a time for togetherness and
rejoicing. And a modern
Christmas, just like an old-
fashioned Christmas, calls
for gatherings of family and
friends, with much merri
ment, fun and feasting.
Right now in this commu
nity, families are celebrating
the holiday with just such
gatherings, such merriment
fun and feasting.
Like families of yesteryear,
they celebrate with gifts and
greens, with the warmth of
a glowing hearth and the
gleam of a lighted tree, with
stockings hung by the chim
ney with care and even with
candles, though these beckon
brightly from candleholders
rather than from the tree.
All these ways of celebrat
ing are part of the legend
and lore of Christmas.
Exchanging Gifts
Exchanging gifts at Christ
mas is one of the most time-
honored of customs, and toys,
dolls and games for the chil
dren have always ranked
high on the gifts list.
In the not-so-long-ago,
however, just one important
present — a doll for a little
girl, perhaps, and a toy ac
cordion for her brother—was
all that youngsters might ex
pect at Christmas.
Though Santa is more
bountiful nowadays, the gifts
he brings are like those of
yesteryear in at least one
way. They reflect the inter
ests and fashions of their
times.
Dolls, yesterday and today,
dress in the favorite styles
of the moment. Toys, too,
show the influence of current
events.
Toy racing cars, for in
stance, came in with the au
tomobile, while today more
complex types of wheel toys
take advantage of modem
technological developments.
Vsinff Greens
Use of greens and garlands
to decorate for a festive sea
son goes back a thousand
years before the birth of
Christ. The custom began
with the ancient Egyptians.
Many of the traditions of
pagan festivals were later
merged with the celebration
of Christmas, and evergreens,
because they stay green
throughout the year, came to
be regarded as the Christmas
symbol of eternal life.
Decorating the Tree
Many ancient legends as
sociate trees with Christmas.
One is that on the first Holy
Night, all the trees of the
forest blossomed and bore
fruit.
The idea of adorning the
Christmas tree with orna
ments may have started with
an attempt to create the ef
fect of snow on the branches.
Strings of popcorn and tufts
of cotton were used.
Lighting the Tree
Martin Luther started the
custom of lighting the tree,
legend says.
To symbolize stars glowing
forth on a snow-filled win
ter’s night, he placed lighted
C
candles on his family’s tra
ditional Christmas tree.
Burning the Log
Today’s fireplaces, though
smaller in scale than those
of yesteryear, symbolize at
Christmas the age-old cus
tom of burning the log.
The Yule log was adapted
to Christmas celebrations
from the Scandinavian prac
tice of building huge bonfires
at the winter solstice. Fire
represented the spring sun,
soon to return.
A PART
OF
TRADITION
Zurich, Switzerland, has long
been noted for its beautiful bells.
Every Christmas Eve, the Zurich
bells ring out loud and clear, call
ing families to church.
Ringing
around the world, bells are a part
of the tradition of Christmas. This
tame tradition is repeated in thous
ands of cities, where chimes and
bells ring out at midnight from the
steeples and spires of the
across the ages and
X r
ite to the sights as
church
■ights
well as the sounds of the holiday
season. They are a popular decora
tion and are used as ornaments on
trees.
Christmas is Love
The age-old Christmas story
is in effect a divine pageant
played to the music of carols
and based on the theme of
supernal love. The theme is
changeless because love is
eternal — the only eternal
quality possessed by mortal
man.
So — Christmas is the one
day in the year when love in
aU its greatness and beauty
and power, and in all its sim
plicity rules the world.
THE CRECHE
The creche is the oldest and
most significant symbol of Christ
mas, first created by St. Francis
in the Middle Ages. The creche,
a tableau of Mary, Joseph and
others around the crib of Jesus
in the stable at Bethlehem, is
often built for display at Christ
mas.
Custom In Austria
A charming Christmas custom
in Austria is to decorate a tree
for birds. Decorations are edible,
consist mostly of suet rings.
all the *
bounty, ^ ,
blessings * n
of Christmas If ^
be vours.
*“<l to*
rr,e/i‘
e<t
BURRIS-
HARRISON
“Your Friendly
Furniture Store”
fisassfisj
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Hanging Stockings
St. Nicholas, so legend says,
secretly gave gifts of gold tor
the dowries of poor spinsters.
He tossed the gold down a
chimney on Christmas Eve,
and on one occasion the gift
landed in a stocking hung by
the fireplace to dry.
A tangerine or an orange
in the toe of a stocking has
come to be symbolic of the
gifts of gold.
ABOUT GREENS
Many Christmas greens
used today were once pagan
symbols. Flowers and leafy
boughs were used in Roman
rites. The Saxons used holly,
ivy and bay in their religious
observances.
TRADITIONALLY, CHRISTMAS IS A FAMILY DAY. An old-
fashioned Christmas, pictured above in an illustration created
especially for the enjoyment of the readers of this newspaper,
had much in common with a modem Christmas — gifts, greens,
trees, flowers and, of course, a happy family gathering.
isX»
BEST WISHES FOR
C^arolers sing, candles gleam,
children laugh. It's Merry
Christmas time...time to greet
our friends with every
good wish for a happy holiday.
May your Christmastide
be filled with many joys
and rich in the
blessings of love and peace.
Z
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•V s "'
I 5
Citizens Federal Savings
And LoafrAssociation
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©id -fashioned ways of warm cordiality
have a special meaning at Christmas. In this old-time
spirit, we wish you holiday joy, ever-new, rich in the
blessings of home, family, friends. Merry Christmas!
OJNTON-NEWBERRY NATURAL CAS AUTHORITY
8SB-1M8
***********