CHRISTMAS SECTION
^Ylew* - journal
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1976
BOXING DAY
The day after Christmas
is still celebrated as Box
ing Day in both England,
where it originated, and
Australia.
The holiday goes back to
early England, when land
lords and employers would
set aside gifts that they
didn't want, to give to the
needy and to tradespeople.
Today in England and
Australia, Boxing Day is
observed as a holiday from
work, giving weary parents
a chance to rest from the
rigors of shopping and pre
paring Christmas feasts,
and giving youngsters a
chance to play with their
new toys.
How nice it is to be able to thank all
of our wonderful customers and wish
them a happy holiday season!
Holland Fence and
Landscaping Company
We would like to wish all of our wonderful patrons a joy
ful Christmas holiday. We have enjoyed working with youj
and we hope that you will return to us in the future. We
value your friendship and your patronage. We hope that
you enjoy your holidays during this wonderful, festive
season.
RAEFORD
OIL COMPANY
W? Will B? Closed Mon. D?c. 27
I
Evangelical Methodist Church
fiumi the
A Christmas made richer
by the legends and cus
toms, both religious and
secular, of all the peoples
of the world, has become
a beautiful heritage from
the past.
The tree as a symbol of
Christmas comes to us from
Germany where it is said
that Martin Luther first cut
a fir tree to bring into his
home. But the association
of trees at Christmas began
in the tenth century. A leg
end recounts the night that
Christ was born wherein all
the trees in all the forests,
even those in frozen coun
tries, blossomed and bore
fruit.
From lands separated by
water from the Holy Land,
such as Holland and Eng
land, ships are revered in
song and legend for it was
on Christmas morn that a
ship arrived bearing Jesus,
Mary and Joseph and a car
go of gifts.
In Northern and Middle
Europe, cattle are given
special attention on Christ
mas Eve, because it is
thought that the cow in the
stable breathed on the Ba
by Jesus to keep him warm.
Music in honor of the
birth of Jesus has been part
of church festivals from the
beginning of the Christmas
era. Some of our most be
loved carols were written
so long ago that their ori
gins are lost in history. Car
oling has been enjoyed by
so many people in so many
lands that it has become a
universally loved tradition.
There is no other cele
bration on earth like Christ
mas and the meaning and
joy and beauty of it sur
vives today through these
treasured rituals and cus
toms and legends.
a 9m
Muiltla* MftU
From Scandinavian my
thology comes a sad tale of
a god's envy of the be
loved son of the goddess of
love. Although seeking the
promises of earth, air, fire
and water to protect her
son, he was slain by the
jealous god from a dart of
mistletoe, a parasitic plant
which attaches itself to
trees and does not grow
from any of the four ele
ments. The tears of sorrow
from the god's mother be
came the white berries of
the plant and she decreed
that mistletoe would never
again be used as a weapon,
but as a symbol of love,
and that she would place a
kiss on anyone who passed
under it!
The legend of kissing
under the mistletoe during
the Christmas season came
from an ancient custom
which deemed that the girl
who received no kisses un
der the mistletoe by the
end of the year would not
marry in the new year!
lis a time to rejoice
and honor the Xativity
of our Saviour and to
reflect and remember
//is teachings.
/.et us give thanks
for the great
gift of I /is birth.
Raeford Lumber Company