THE NEWBERRY SUN
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1948
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T’S good to know that Christmas
holds the same old warmth, the same note
of good cheer and good fellowship, that
makes this season the most glorious of
them all T ^
Following a custom of long standing,
we offer this message of good will in the
same old friendliness that comes only i
from associations of long standing* y ^
Newberry Creamery
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Bergen Clothing Co.
Magi Were Priests
Of Persian Religion
Along about this time of the year
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-
i pears in the sacred writing of Zoro
aster: “Thou shouldst call him
; priest, who sits the whole night thru
j and yearns for holy wisdom that
j enables man to stand upon death’s
I 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 bom were not very reli
able. For years, eminent scholars
have been searching the scriptures,
and all possible records, to try to
establish an exact date. So far,
they have not succeeded.
Matthew states that Jesus was
bom during the reign of King Herod
which helps to establish the period
of His birth and this is the starting
point from which 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 ven* 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 than the
Catholic encyclopedia places the
birth of Christ in the year which,
by our modem 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 arc unknown. What
matters most is the deathless vigor
of the Christmas Spirit throughout
the world.
Christmas Quiz
How much do you and your fami
ly 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
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
(b) 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 (a) 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) bom.
Christmas Quizz Answers:
1. a 6. c
2 b-c 7. a
3. d 8. b
4. c 9. d
5. c 10. c
t/
S ANTA CLAUS is one of the most
precious wonders of childhood.
American mothers overwhelmingly
agree that he should be portrayed
as the spirit of generosity, kindli
ness, and gift-giving.
Although the modem conception
of Santa Claus is American, the
Spirit of Santa Claus is neither
modem nor American. The real
Saint Nicholas lived in Asia Minor
and ever since his death in 343
stories concerning him have been
repeated around the firesides of
Europe.
The children of Lapland and
northern climates naturally picture
Santa dressed in fur and dashing
through the snow in a reindeer-
drawn sleigh. But in central
Europe, St. Nicholas first appeared
on his liturgical feast day, Decem
ber 6, and he was a thin, austere
churchman who rode a mule and
carried gifts for good children and
a bundle of birch rods with which
to switch the naughty.
Under Dutch influence St. Nich
olas lost his solemnity. The Dutch
colonists who brought him to Amer
ica were very practical people and
they decided against two gift-giving
days in the same month. Thus,
Sinter Klass started coming around
only at Christmas time.
Santa Gets a Sleigh.
Eventually, ancient legends were
woven into American Christmas
traditions. Washington Irving sent
St. Nicholas flying through Christ
mas skies in a reindeer-drawn sleigh
in 1809; Dr. Clement Moore’s poem
"The Night Before Christmas,”
written in 1822, gave Santa ‘ , . . .
a little round belly that shook when
he laughed, like a bowl full of
jelly;” and a series of drawings in
1868 by Thomas Nast added much
to the traditional pictures and ap
pearance of the Santa we see today.
In every youngster’s life there
comes the time when he begins to
suspect that the various be-
whiskered gentlemen, so numerous
during this season, are not exactly*! |
the real Santa Claus. Wise parents
advance the "helper” theory as soon
as they are asked questions and
teach their children to make the
Christmas dreams of less fortunate
tots and their families come true.
Thus, the real Santa Claus isn’t
Just myth or legend. He is the
Spirit of Christmas who lives in
the sparkling eyes of children and
in the hearts of all grown-ups who
strive for peace and good will
among men.
The minstrels played their Christ
mas tune.
Tonight beneath my cottage eaves;
While, smitten by a lofty moon,
The encircling laurels, thick with
leaves.
Gave back a rich and dazzling sheen.
That overpowered their natural
green.
Through hill and valley everybreeze
Had sunk to rest with folded wings;
Keen was the air, but could not
freeze.
Nor check the music of the strings;
So stout and hardy were the band
That scraped the chords with stren
uous hand.
And who but listened? till was paid
Respect to every inmate’s claim;
The greeting given, the music played
In honor of each household name.
Duly pronounced with lusty call,
j And “merry Christmas” wished to
all!
—William Wordsworth.
CHRISTMAS ‘MOTHER’S DAY’
In Yugoslavia, the second Sunday
>efore Christmas is celebrated as
Mother’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.
Parents Can Spoil
Children’s Play
Here’s a Christmas resolution for
parents. It’s one that ought to be
made before New Year's resolutions
are even considered. It goes, “I
will keep my hands off the chU-
dren’s toys all day on Christmas.”
It’ll be a hard one to keep because
Mother likes to fuss with Ann's doll.
She pretends she is showing Ann
how to put on the bonnet, but she's
actually having a grand time play
ing. And once Father gets his hands
on the train, or the auto that winds
up, the ooys can’t get near them.
It isn’t fair. The children are cry
ing for a little peace and freedom.
After all, adults can play with toys
for the next 364 days if they want to.
CHRISTMAS
About this time every year old Santa
has packed his sleigh full of presents
for everyone, hitched up his reindeer,
and set off for all parts of the world
to distribute a bit of Christmas Cheer
everywhere. Our wish for the season
is that Santa may give you a joyous
Christmas.
PURCELLS
CAROLYN LONG
BEN P. STEWART
E. B. PURCELL
KEITT PURCELL
TROXELLE F„ SENN
SARA B. FRANKLIN
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