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Show Understanding traditions brings deeper meaning to holidays traditions can be overwhelmKeeping up with cultural, religious and family the but of the understanding history and reathe holidays, frenzy ing during will put a deeper meaning into and traditions those legends behind soning this most joyous of seasons. Everyone knows the basic Christmas truth: the world celebrates the birth some 2000 years ago of a baby in a Bethlehem stable. Yet why is that celebration held on Dec. 25? December 25 was originally a pagan Roman holiday known as Saturnalia," explains Dr. Charles Aling, professor of history and chair of the history department at Northwestern College in Saint Paul, Minn. According to the Roman legend, Saturn, the god of harvests, held a festival culminating on Dec. 25 during which gifts were exchanged, schools and courts were closed, wars were outlawed and slaves and masters ate at the same table. During the 14th century the Roman Church decided to eliminate the pagan holiday," Aling continues. Since Church leaders were sure Christ was born in the winter, they designated Dec. 25 as Christs birthday, in a way killing two birds with one stone by eliminating a pagan holiday and replacing it with a religious observance." B.C. based on the reign Biblical historians date Christs birth to around of Herod, the evil king who feared the birth of a Messiah and issued the decree to kill all infants two years and younger, Aling adds. Mary and Joseph journeyed to Josephs birthplace of Bethlehem for the census, conducted every 14 years and used for taxation purposes. One of the common misunderstandings of the English translations of the Bible is that Mary and Joseph were not married, but were engaged or espoused," Aling propoints out. But the Jewish marriage was a complex and multiple-stecess and they were indeed married. The point of contention was that the child Mary was carrying was not Josephs." The winter birth is based on the biblical account of the shepherds tending their 6heep, which were pasturing close to the walls of Bethlehem instead of farther out in the fields as during the summer months. With the city full due to the census, the only refuge Mary and Joseph could find was a stable. The stable is best described as a cave where animals were kept, not a structure. The manger, probably made of wood, was where straw and food CBgrJisflGinnp t IM.t 5-- 6 p (GHQBQECnmi tVZP-Mms- t, ' ' man-mad- e fjCT '.T BpTTrrry Kagwiaasizri mit T.S'r' rmnmeTmrr rtezficzr, (&umd i - u i Gifts 10 r Page Sarongs Silver Jewelry Ji CiTjcvxtti Buddhas, 2001 SOUTHEASTERN Gift -- center APPLIANCE t 1040 South Highway 191 Moab 435-259-44- Saturday f , flvst River brand clothing ?4jnd, of art hand-batike- d ; 39 N. Main, Moab Monday - Friday 10-- 1 The p y Art d 5frifALirwlNTER! 37 Store Hours: 9-5:- 30 r jT. Hand-Carve- immui ; 'iWnirliii' j 259-27- 22 |