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Trading Post
Lillian and Jess Woodward
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Mty Peace and the Inspiration of
tf-e Bethlehem Star be with yoo
Christmas Day
MODERN
PAINT SHOP
Arid theWord
was made flesh arid
dwelt among us...
ST.JOHN 1:14
Mazonna’s Store
TAKE THE FAMILY
TO CHURCH ON
CHRIST S BIRTHDAY
Christmas is a day for family
worship at church.
Parents who decry juvenile
ways should take advantage of
the opportunity to encourage
youthful devotion on this Holy
Day.
Families with the largest Yule
— costliest gifts ana largest Yule
tide celebrations sometimes are
the ones who have lost sight of
the true meaning of Christmas.
They celebrate Christ’s birthday
in pagan fashion.
Many families get great satis
faction out of the day, more so
because the entire family attends
church services together. Early in
the morning after the gifts are
opened, a Christmas breakfast
takes place and the family is off
to church — youngsters prepared
to thank the Lord for a new bi
cycle or doll, the elders praying
that perhaps they will find the
way clear to meet the bills.
Little tots could be taught early
that Christmas *s the birthday of
Christ, that He was born in a
stable on a straw mattress. Every
small child should be familiar with
this scene, and if there is a creche
at church, the youngster and fam
ily might visit it together before
or after services. Little ones will
want to know about the Wise Men,
a good opportunity to explain that
frankincense and myrrh were
perhaps the first gifts offered on
this holy day.
Time too, to explain Christmas
symbols — how the star repre
sents the one that shone in the
East, illuminating the shepherd’s
pastures with its strange, bright
Why Christmas Comes
On December 25th
It took the Christian Church
more than 400 years to decide on
a date for Christmas. Three dates
seemed to be in the running —
March 25, December 25 and Jan
uary 6.
Theophilus of Antioch was
supposed to have written around
180 A.D. that the Gauls were cele
brating the birth of Christ on De
cember 25, so they could celebrate
the resurrection on March 25. This
preference spread because Decem
ber 25 was the winter solstice and
a Roman feast day celebrating the
victory of light over darkness.
The Eastern church still clings
to January 6.
IRISH LEAVE FOOD
ON TABLE ALL NIGHT
In many country areas of Ire
land, the peasants hold fast to a
traditional Christmas ceremony —
the placing of food on the table
before bedtime with the cottage
door left unlocked.
The good, simple folk say Mary
and Joseph might again pass their
way, and it wouldn’t do at all in
hospitable Ireland if, once again,
there was neither food nor shel
ter at the inn.
light. And how it beckoned them
to the stable.
Much confusion originates in
children’s minds about gifts and
Christmas. Many poorly endowed
children feel they are cheated.
If the spiritual angle is stressed
to them, with the beauty of the
creche played up, and the loveli
ness of church flowers and decora
tions, theirs will not seem such
a hopeless Christmas.
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POLErS STORE
Jimmy Sirloak, Meta Muller, Margaret Russell
Jennie Oksoktaruk, Helen Senungetuk
Emily Boucher
hear tiijs
All hands extend warm wishes to
you and yours, to have the merriest
Christmas ever and the best of
everything in the New Year ahead.
ALASKA STEAMSHIP COMPANY
Serving all Alaska for more than half a century