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Burning The Yule Log Was
Tradition In Early Europe
An important
ceremony of Christmas in
many countries of
Northern Europe was
♦hat of burning the Yule
Log. Logs large enough to
burn for twelve days
were used, and the fire
was tended constantly to
prevent its burning out
before the end of the
twelve days. In
Lithuania, now a part of
Russia, the word for
C.h.r istmas meant
literally "log evening".
It Is quite likely that the
early Christians per
secuted, driven un
derground chose to
mil
As we dispense
greetings of the
season we send a
large portion of warm
wishes your way . lt 9 s our
pleasure to serve you .
Akin Drug Co.
r ——
- That’s Santa Clans
JL.■ ■ • at ’ s
Christmas!
“V f , *|| Our best wishes
1® all.
BECKHAM BROTHERS
@Your Gulf Oil Distributor
celebrate Jesus' birthday
during the Saturnalia so
♦hat the public festival
would conceal their
secret rites.
It is not surprising that
the gaiety and outward
form of the Saturnalia
were Incorporated into
our Christmas customs.
The date of Dec. 25 was
expressly chosen by the
early Christian leaders as
a means of combating
their chief competitor,
the Mithraic religion.
Dec. 25 was the birthday
of Mithras, the Un
conquered Sun, revered
as creator of the world
and upholder of truth and
justice, whose followers
underwent a ceremony of
baptism to attain eternal
life. This highly ethical
and Intellectual religion
was especially favored by
the influential upper
classes and was
therefore deeply rooted in
the life and customs of
Rome.
By the middle of the
fourth century A.D., it
was evident that the
populace was determined
to have a festival at the
time. In 353 Pope
Behavior
‘Good ’ At
Christmas
There are many tender
aspects to Christmas and
one which it is a joy to
watch is the delight It
brings to the young.
It is amazing to observe
how they make special
effort to be on their best
behavior during the
weeks just preceeding
Christmas. And the en
thusiasm with which they
make their requests to
Santa is unmatched in
conscientiousness.
Best of all, their faces
take on a merry glow and
light up like a candle as
they set about opening up
their packages on
Christmas morning.
There is oohlng, ahhing
and screams of delight
and laughter that would
warm any adult's heart,
no matter how laded.
First
Yule
Card
The first American
Christmas card was sent
by R.J. Pease of Albany,
N.Y., in 1853. Pease, a
dry goods merchant,
designed, printed and
mailed this first card
which also served as an
advertisement
I
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1979
Liberius to honor
Saturnus or Mithras, or
just for the sake of having
a rollicking good time.
PAL Program Here
Still Needs Help!
Christmas is drawing
near and Project Agape
Love 1979 is short on
donations of money, toys,
food and linen.
Specific needs at this
time are toys, linen such
as blankets, sheets,
towels and bedspreads,
clothes including boys'
jeans and money.
PAL is a non-sectarian
effort made each
Christmas in Perry to
help as many needy
families as possible gain
assistance In food, toys,
etc. before Christmas
rniesoN supply company
decided to absorb ob
servances by declaring
Dec. 25 the official bir
thday.
Day.
The PAL office in
Perry is now open
for people to bring in
their donations. The
office .is located at the
corner of Jernlgan and
Main in the old Perry
Home Furnishings
Building.
Any request for
families to receive boxes
must be referred by Dec.
15. For more information,
call Family and
Childrens Services at 987-
2373 or Cheri Baize at 987-
5167.
What A Feast!
How many people
today could manage
such a menu as this one?
Here it is, right out of the
diary of a Dixie plan
tation owner;
"We had for dinner
oyster soup, besides
boiled mutton, ham,
boned turkey, wild ducks,
partridges, plum pud
ding, sauterne,
burgundy, sherry, and
Maderia."
And what gourmet cook
would care to cope with
this one? It was served to
hearty-eating miners in
the Rockies in 1858. After
oysters and pork, which
were conventional
"openers”, the menu
went on to elk, antelope,
buffalo "smothered" and
grizzly bear a la mode. In
addition, there was Black
Mountain squirrel,
prairie dog, and moun
tain rats - followed with
swans, cranes, and quail -
- the whole lot ac
companied by wines.
■
f//f GimfynOA
' I tlc>s your holism may
I \ if always he filled with an
Jj |J ahundanee of beautiful
things. Thanks.
f™«F| 1201 ‘QnM 2t. <T>cMq
I HOMES fl
L3SI 987-0763
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