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SEC. C — PAGE 14 The Newberry Sun, Newberry, S. C., Thursday, December 22, 1966 Caroling - snowmen sing for passers-by the home of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Epting on Johnstone Street. The scene, incomplete when the photograph was made, also fea tures tall red candles and evergreens. (Sunphoto) Outdoor Shrubs For Decorations Many trees and shrubs, per haps some in your own yard, produce attractive foliage suit able for holiday decorations. Some can be brought in the home for trim, others can be decorated for outside. Foliage plants include Mag nolia, pine, hemlock, Chinese fir, cryptomeria, pittosporium and aucuba gold dust. Popular shrubs include Carolberry, Snowberry, vari eties of roses, such as Rose Multifora, also many assort ments of Viburnums and Fuonymus. American holly is best known, but there are others, such as Yaupon, Deciduous holly, Chinese holly and Knglish holly. Try decorating any one of these that you have in your yard. Bring some in your house, perhaps an assortment of branches, or brighten up your yard with lights on shrubs. THE FIRST CABLE The first message was cabled across the Pacific on .January 1, 1903. The cable ship "Sil- verton” arrived in Honolulu on that date after successfully lay ing down 2,600 miles of cable from San Francisco to Hono lulu. MERRY CHRISTMAS W t* lake* great Jay at this time to express our sineere thanks to our nianv friends! CAROL M. HIPP, CONTRACTOR Phone 276-1734—Newberry, S. C. 2522 E. Main Street—Res. 1335 Ebenezer Road New Year Gifts Custom of Old The giving of presents on New Year's Day is an old habit. Some say it started first to propitiate the gods, then the rulers, later the lawmakers. Fi nally, it was practiced for self ish reasons only, in many cases. Some sources claim this started in southern Asia, before the time of Christ, while others attribute the idea to the Ro mans. The practice was men tioned by such writers as Taci tus and Suetonius. Julius Ceasar once declared he had dreamed that Roman senators were presenting him gifts on the first day of the new year. The notorius Caligula used to stand in the hall of his pal ace on New Year’s Day to col lect offerings from his subjects. This became such a "racket" in Italy, that, in 458, Pope Leo the Great abolished thecustom, declaring it a "relic of heathen superstition". Ancient Egyptians had a special New Year’s gift, an earthenware flask (with a neck shaped like a lily ), called a "pilgrim’s bottle." On it was an inscription — a wish that the receiver would have only good fortune in the New Year. The New Year’s greeting card is really a form of gift; this custom is credited to the Chinese, who have sent such cards for over a thousand years. Christmas Cards The volume of Christmas cards we mail today amounts to an estimated 150 million dollars. In addition to that, the mailing amounts to about 50 million. COLONIAL CHRISTMAS Little is recorded in the his tories of Christmas in Colonial Times. This is because the his tory is more often concerned with wars and politics. The col onists in Virginia, Maryland and Georgia brought over the English customs whereas in New York, New Jersey, Pen nsylvania, and Delaware, the customs came from Holland, Sweden, and Germany. The quakers near Philadelphia did not observe holidays, and in. New England, the whole idea of Christmas was frownea upon. CHRISTMAS is a time for As Santa comes to your stocking . . . we hope he stretches it a size or two with good things. Whatever your heart’s desire at this Yuletide . . . may you receive it in abundance! Our special wish is that we may continue to have the pleasure of serv ing you in the days to come. KIRK PONTIAC - CADILLAC CO. 2100 NANCE STREET NEWBERRY, S. C.