The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, December 24, 1948, Image 10
THE NEWBERRY SUN
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1948
with all good wishes
for a glorious Holiday Season
Laird Radiator Works
m:
n,
" c (5hank %u”
is the most sincere expression we
know of to convey our apprecia
tion for the friendships which
have been *o important to our
mutual benefit during the past
twelve months.
May we extend to yon and
yours our best wishes for a joy
ous Christmas Season.
L. A. Wilson & Son
dlO'We'tA'
\/lANY unusual and picturesque
tales have been told about the
modern usage of Christmas flowers,
although they are legendary, the
carefully spun bits of folklore pro
vide a colorful background for pres
ent day flower decorations which
»re used during the Christmas sea-
ion.
Holly, with its red berries, dark
green leaves and needle-like spikes
(s a light-hearted symbol of friend-
ihip and good will when December
irrives. According to legend, though,
dolly originally was used as an in
strument of cruelty. The crown of
.horns which Christ wore was fash
ioned from holly. Prior to the Cruci
fixion the plant bore white berries
out after the Crucifixion the berries
turned a bloody crimson. Mistletoe,
s close associate of holly, is said to
have been the wood from which
Christ’s cross was made.
One of the most beautiful legends
woven around Christmas flowers
their recent introduction. In the
beginning of the last century the
poinsettia was introduced by J. R.
Poinsett, an American politician and
diplomat.
For years evergreens have flour
ished in homes at Christmastide to
create a woodsy, outdoor atmos
phere. In the aged line “hang up the
holly, the box and the bay” it is
significant to note that two of the
plants mentioned, box and bay, are
mentioned in Holy Scriptures as
thriving on the mountains of Le
banon in the Holy Land.
Because of its symmetrical leaves,
bay has been used for design
throughout the ages. The Greeks
used it on their coins and the Ro
mans, too, favored it as a beautiful
show piecg. Today bay shrubbery
graces the entrances to many Amer
ican homes at yuletide.
Cedar, which furnishes greens for
Christmas, likewise existed in Le
banon. The people of Lebanon re-
concerns the Christmas rose. While
en route to Bethlehem the Wise Men
crossed*the path of a little shep
herdess named Madelon. Enrap
tured at the wondrous tale about
the birth of Christ which they re
lated, she was heartbroken because
she had no gift to offer.
While she was crying she detected
a sweet-smelling aroma and looked
up. Standing next to her was an
angel who inquired the reason for
her sadness. Madelon explained that
while she wanted to pay homage
to the newly-born Babe, she didn’t
even have a single, beautiful flower
such as grew in the fields in the
summer to give Him. The angel
waved her arm and a stunning bunch
of gorgeous, snowy white Christmas
roses appeared.
Madelon gathered her precious
gift in her arms and hurried off to
Bethlehem where the Wise Men had
gone. After the Wise Men’s offerings
of gold, frankincense and myrrh,
she humbly preferred her flowers to
the tiny Infant, who stretched out
a hand to touch the roses. His
fingers lightly brushed the immacu
late petals and immediately they
changed to a delicate pink.
Poinsettias which head the popu
larity list of Christmas flowers, iron
ically enough do not have any leg
ends attached to them because of
garded cedJr as a symbol of endur
ance, strength, life and eternity.
Recognized by its characterirtic,
pleasant aroma, cedar also was an
emblem of purity because its tree-
tops were frequently covered with
snow during a large part of the year.
An old-time favorite of sailors
who visited Mediterranean ports was
Rosemary because of the aromatic
perfume the plant yielded. Familiar
to most Americans as a st'aggling
hedge plant, Rosemary droops in
massive festoons 12 feet long in its
native Italy.
Legend has it that the flowers were
colorless until the Blessed Virgin,
during the flight into Egypt, hung
the clothes of Jesus on Rosemary
bushes to dry. Thereafter, Rose
mary bushes blossomed forth with
their sparkling blue flowers.
The Hawthorn bush with its white
or red flowers originally was the
May tree of the Old World. Pecu
liarly, the bush never blooms in
May. According to historians, Jos
eph of Arimathea went to England
and on the completion of his pil
grimage at the Abbey of Glaston
bury he pushed his staff into the
ground where it burst forth leaves
and flowers. Since then the Haw
thorn bush always flowers at Christ
mastide, which is out of its regu
lar season.
THE*'*';
I<£|
£ V;
Think the early Amcricm Puri
tan pioneers for your Christmas
turkey and cranberries. It was
they who discovered what could,
be done to nice, fat turkey and
cranberries to make a delicious
December 25th feast. Since then
turkey and cranberries have been
the basis of the American Christ
mas dinner. Santa Claus, holly,
mistletoe and the custom of
giving gifts were also brought
from the Puritan homeland.
Christmas dinner tables are load
ed with food • and old supersti
tions, too. If a guest refuses mince
pie, there’s bad luck in store for
him; cat apples at midnight for
good health; be-surc to have plum
pudding leSt you lose a friend
during th?year. The feeding of
animals, sending cards, singing
carols and paying Christmas gifts
are all in superstitious tradition of
things to do for good luck..
/
omA U)iaIui6
* I •
' ,
tf! -Tu,
I > ,< , 1 •,
f
V, - ' \\'<
l • , '
^oliolcitj Sjiabon.
y
SMITH MOTOR COMPANY
DODGE & PLYMOUTH DEALER
G E APPLIANCES
■JMm SEASOH OF C000 Wil WKCOMEO HOF!
A SPtClAL M.IVMV
j/i#'
rS the aKodouH of Ifco
'UlETIDf
A'
VI
THE KEYNOTE
OF CHR#TMAS
mmz
V tfcr W •*
Wok Our
SUctrt Bern *uhri]
W'ExuU
-.Sr *
taton
/ ‘CH—
J ^ ^ '
accept a-re with .Be *ee«n 9
‘ i wtth wHcK U U
American Legion Post 24