The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1961-12-21
Church, Home
DeVOtiOns Show
Holy Meaning

More than a holiday, Christmas
is a holy day. In church services
and private devotions, Christians
commemorate a night of awe and
wonder nearly 1000 years ago,
when a Star shonc above a Child
in a mangcr, when angels sang
and shepherds watched
December 25-as even the young
est children knows the date. AND
yet in the first centuries of the
Christias church, there was no cello
bration of the birth of Christ no
Christmas.
There were festivals in the De-
cembcrs Of those times, but they
were pagan festivals.
Celebrate the Sun
December Is was the date Of the
Nllthraic rites of the birth of the
sun-Mthras, the Persian god Of
light Teutonic tribes in Northern
Europe celebrated the rebirth Of
the sun at the winter solstice with
q Yuletide season of Teasing arc
rejoicing. while the Romans win
ter festival, the Saturnalia, was
ncld at about the time that is now
the Christmas season
How then did December 25 come
tC be. not a day of pagan festivals.
Da a day dedicated to Christian.
dcvotions?
Some scholars believe that the
Christian church may have set De
ccmber 25 as Christs birth date i'll
order that the traditions of winter
festivals might be hallOWed by as
sGciation with the Nativity. When
the date was established in the
fourth century A d., other dates
that were considered included
January /, March p, March %.
April 8 and September 20.
SdlIl lNCW MGdTllIl9
Christmas began to be generally
celebrated on Dccombc 25 in the
fifth century A. D. People con-
tiEued the familiar merry making
customs of the winter festivals.
hut they linked them to Christmas
instead Of to paean revelry
Where formerly pagan people
had looked to NEUROLOGICAL gods
Of the sun as source of the rebirth
Of light. now they gradually
changed to religious observanccs
of he Saviour's birth. with its
symbols OF faith. hope and life
eternal.
From the winter festivals come
many of the traditions that are
GOV part of Christmas. The Ro~
man Saturna,ia provided a model
for Christmas fcas ing, the giving
of gifts and the burning of candles
Christmas lighting also derives
from winter solstice rites. where
light played an important part
Garland jenkins and daughter at
Blooming Rose on Friday
Mrs. Emmerson Fike and infant
daughter returned to their home
here, Tuesday afternoon. from
Price hospital, Confluence Pa.
Mr. and Mrs. E. w. Shoemaker
and Mrs r. r. Fike spent We'd
nesday in UniontoWn and visited
with MIR and Mrs. A. B Kennedy,
Braddock's Inn, Pa
Willard Frazee. near Blooming
Rose, was a recent overnight guest
of Paul Richter
Clyde VanSickle underwent ma
jor surgery at Monongalia hos
pital, MOrgantOWn, w. Va, Mon
day, December 49, He remains in
fair condition Friends may send
cards to room 258 His sister, Mrs.
Flora WEIGH, Baltimore: Mrs. Rich
ard COddington and daughter SUI
sic, Dennis Dumire, James Kahl,
Ray NanSickle. Kenneth Savage
and Mrs Van Sickle and children
visited him during the past week.
Mrs. Flora Welch, Baltimore.
spent the weekend with Mrs.
Clyde VanSickle and family.
Mrs. Edna Deal Addison, Pa,
visited Mrs. r. H. SchIosnagle,
Monday.
Bonnie Baker was an overnight
guest of Miss Sue Richter
Miss Lucille Fike and Tony Bal
somo. Pittsburgh, Pa, were Sunday
visitors of her mother, Mrs. d. l..
Fike.
Mrs Wade Schroyer and daugh-
ter Kimmy, and Mrs Robert Sines
were recent visitors of MIR. and
Mrs. James Barnes