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Show rsK I Page 16 Decenber 25f1959 BLANDIN6 OUTLOOK jsiah and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches celebrate this on Jan- 'Official' Date uary. 6th. of Christmas Set In 4th Century To this day, the festival of Christmas still occurs on many different dates throughout the world. December Gth is the day The history of the Christmas when Christmas is observed in observance is one that has in- most Western European coun-- j trigued clerical and lay schol- tries and marks the beginning ars for countless years. of, a long, happy holiday seaResearchers have found that son I as far back as the fourth cenPlan to make His day, a famthe festival Christmas tury, the Christmas Story was already an established ily day with " once upon a time custom dating back to earlier begins there was a Father, a Mother eras. and a CHILD The word Christmas began as Christs Mass or as in old English Christes Masse or the Mass of Christ, Following the custom of the church in observing the anniversaries of HARVEY BUILDERS SUPPLY deaths, rather than births. It was not until St. Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, set out to affirm one day for a universal observance that Christs Mass was changed from its previous celebration in the spring (as we now observe Easter). The good Bishop was granted permission by Pope Junius I to appoint a group of theologians to determine as accurately as possible, the exact date of Christs nativity. Too many years had elapsed for absolute accuracy, and after discovering various contradictions of calendars, astrological and astronomical calculations, the date for the celebration of Christs Mass was set by the Church for December 25th. So it is that since the year 354 A.D., this date has been observed as the date of the Saviours birth. Members of the Greek, Rus- - May the true meaning of the season come alive in your heart with joy and happiness for a truly Merry Christmas! LYMAN'S teso &jvi33 |