The Guardian. Page 9

Which Day Is Christmas Day?

gg Iticirsrd leery

Theoic glans have always been in g Dre; cement over the celebra- tion of Christ's birthday: The New Igslalnelli nowhere says when it

Ierhhe conteuiporury Roman re- gime was not very much concerned. "bout recording births. Even Her-1 Dd. who was furious. -snack I10 l'W' was which have survived;

For a time. it didnt matter much. For at least no years -08 Christ's death, no one ventured ill make Christ's birthday on mail"! 5; religious celebration 'or even to mark it ILY "V - I95.

rt the reason for the re- iuganlile was theological. The sig- nificant event in Christ's life was his crucifixion and to follow St. Matthew or even St. Luke in 3101'- nying his birth seemed Oil! Oil plgilttreover. early Chrlllillliy Will in constant peril of being. wiped out and its devotees law no oc- casion for the sort of celebration which. later. was .to become as- sociated with Christmas.

Nggm-ally, however. there was speculation on the date of Christ s birth.

A book written in 243 and as- cribed to Ilippolytus. then rated a scholar of outstanding repute. purported to lay down the data according to exact scientific prin- ciples. Other writings ascribed to .iulius Airicanuspanotlier divine. loliowed his line.

The general tenor of the argu- ment seems odd to us today. but it was taken with the utmost ser- iousness at the time and for long afterward.

Ilippolyius first calculated that, when the Book of Genesis said God created the world in six days. resting on the seventh. it meant that God created the world in 6.00) years: a 1.000 years being reckon- ed as a day to God.

He then established that the be- ginning oi creation would have been at the spring equinox when all things sprang to life. This. reckon- ed Hippolytus would. in the rel- evant year. have been the as of March.

Now the coming of Christ would have marked the end of a further period of a similar period - it being the final fulfilment of God's plan. Therefore. Christ would have been born on March In in a year which fitted the theory (about 3 8.0

Literalists then took over the ar- gument. The day. they reckoned. could not actually have referred to the physical birth of Christ but to Christ's conceptiun by the Holy Ghost.

By a complex calculation of physiology and theology. they reas- oned that this must have taken place on December 25..

Other divines disputed this con- clusion. The did not. however. ques tion the basic principles. They aa- serted. merely. that the day of the beginning of creation wou.d have been April 8 rather than March 25. That would have brought Christ's birth forward to January 6

This they reckoned in terms oi the traditional dates of Christ's re- surrection after His crucifixion. This event they believed must have, taken place. according to the Div- ine plan. on the same date as the date of the beglnnind of creation.

be December 15 and one which that it must he January

There the matter might have rested with neither side achieving satisfaction. but he s Quite extra- neous tact.

The Church had been to cel- ebrate January it as the date of Christ's baptism. Most people held that Christ's baptism was synony- mous with his birth. but those who held that his birth had taken Place on December 25 did not seriously oblect to January 6 as a date for the baptism.

Then theologians began one of those i " ”' ' w J which, to them, involve questions of salva-

MASTER , H E saw-ts-s CLEANERS A " I '5'""'3Y I-74- 122 IETZBOY Sr.-HIT l T. ( or" 5" FOR PROM" . swan I A . ::::'::':.": 5535 -. nuu.- 5435, F R H E N D NIY nvnsv ....... "”2:c.s:;:m --o-so-w BECOMING TO YOU - - T. P5939 A171 THEY SHOULD'BE - - - Prompt Town-Wide Delivery SERVE E

tion and damnation but which. to the layman and even the ” clergyman. are Virtually prehensible.

some of them thought that Christ was not born the son of God but becamethesonolaoduponbelng baptised. These were called Ad- optlonists. The rest - and the DIO- vglling majority - believed that Christ was born the son of God. The dltference. in essence. was one begwggn. theologians who be- ugyga dlviultylo be a spiritual

I incom-

RICHARDSON SNOW BLOWER NOW IN STOCK

500 I-I" I-illlest little snow blower on the market. Avail. able for all wheel typ. nu crawler tractors. see it in opsation driven by a Cock. shutt "40".

MAKE IT A LINGERIE CHRISTMAS sun oun oournnrn LINE or.. - uousncosrs - GOWNS - PYJAMAS - surs KINNIDVS

LADIES' READY-10-WEAR

Phone D25 18 Queen Street

nuns requiring III!!! P3039” on the part of any hum" Will and between uaeoiosiant who took Christ's divinity literally I: apply- ing to Christ the man and not simply to Christ in His spiritual perfection.

The tact that Bis lentil!!! VII celebrated while His birth was not was therefore repugnant to the ruling majority who had branded Adoptionlsrn a heresy.

Mainly for that reason Pope Lib- erius proclaimed Christmas an of-

SIIIIIII Endless Belting Illllh from 10 to II!) It.

Also selling Wood sleighs.

Ill?

E. D. REID PRODUCE LTD.

Isles sad Service Ier MASSEY IIABMI - FBROUION FARM EQUIPMENT EXPORTERS OF POVIATDEI I TURNIPS Bring your tractors in as new fer Overhauling GUARANTEED IERVICE The potato market is on the move. consult us now and he sure of top prices at all tinies. PHONE: OFFICE I511; R125. 0787

Turner Farm

Equipment CHARLOTTETOWN. P.E.I.

Phone 7845-5715 1 PRINCE STREET

ROBERTS SERVICE STATION Irving Gasoline. Veico Motor Oil, Irving Tires and Tubes Batteries-Accessories Eves-Flow Anti-Freeze Free Picks: and Delivery

e 9213 Car. Prince and Grafton Sis.

Blair C. Swan-ltl Harley St, Parkdsle.

FRANK'S

Service Station (Frank Acorn. Prop.) FINA PRODUCTS Q Minor Repairs

Q A 4..

COSTELIAYS MEAT & FISH MARKET Quality Meats, Vegetables. Canned Goods FREE DELIVERY Phone 7377

Cor. of Spring Park Rd. and Green Street

Q Goodyear Tires Q Lubrication Q Car Washing Q Polishing I limonising FREE PICK-UP DELIVERY Open 5 a.m. to it p.m. Phone 433 115 Elm Avenue

WILSON 8: MOORE

Plumbing-Heating-Sheet Metal Work ltalnless lteel Iabrlcsdoa :4 nova SERVICE as St. Peter's" Road

Parkdale. P.E.l. Phone 9517

WILLIAMS JEWELLERS

LAY-A-WAY NOW A Small Deposit Will Bold Any Article Uatu Xmas

SPECIAL LAST MINUTE GIFTS-LADlEl' WATCHES. RINGS and DRESSED IETE

Phone 9397 187 Great George It.

ficial least and declared it to he

December 15. The sussertion ap- pears to have been regarded as sound by Eastern Orthodox lead- ers and it soon was adopted there.

It does not, however. seem to have caught on immediately a- mong the general public.

In 389 the Emperor Valentisnus published a list of public holidays. A. zoag religous holidays only sun- dsys and Easter appear.

ART LAW!-01! IsAYNs:'s GARAGE Ms.cDONALD Gnocuuls Specialising in Repairs Iumo SERVICE Quality Groceries, Fruits and to all makes of Cars and A Compme Radio send" v"'ubh' Tmcn M Years In Business lmokers' Supplies, School Reasonable Rates Supplies All Work Guaranteed "A satisfied ustomer is our

Open Mon. through Sat. 7:30 a.m. to 10:!) p.m.

Phone 8007 II Elm Ave.

best advertisement" Phone 6915 130 Kent St.

PHONE 8314 II Lincoln Street

VESSEYtS TIRE SHOP New and Used Tires VULCANIZING Silent Traction Winter Tires Rubber Footwear Repaired Phone 9222 1329i Great George St.

McEACHERN'S SERVICE STATION IRVING GAS AND OIL Tires- Batteries -Accessories Ever-Flow Anti-Freese Minor Repairs Open it am. to 12 pm. Daily

Phone 4637 175 Elm Ave.

GAY'S GROCERY

(N. D. Lowther, Prop.) Fresh and Cold Meats Fruits and Vegetables

CROWN IAKERY

Bakers of Delicious Crown Bread On Sale At Your

Confectionery "””lh””'””d G”"”' -rowN.wms'. nnuvznr Phone 5270 131105. 3521

44 Dorchester st. 35 mngwo;-ug Avg.

In part. this refutes the theory that Christmas was timed for De- cember 15 in order to compete with the old pagan holidays which had always marked the day on which days stopped ' shorter and began getting longer.

There seems to have been no im- mediate desire on the part of the public to adopt Ch.” . (Indeed. in some Continental countries. January 8 which is both Epiphany (the day of Christ's baptism and the feast of the Three Wise Men is celebrated rather than Decem- ber 25 - although December 25 is universally acknowledged to be the day of Christ's birth.)

Christmas. indeed. was a late

MAPLE LEAF BAKERY

FREE! 3234.00 IN

ws: use UP -so" A rsnnsnn. NOT now 10 A raics: onnnn You: run!

SHELLS NOW POI THAT LEFT-OVER TURKEY.

4 MERCHANDISE

ORSERVICE FREE! Isss IF YOUR NAME IS IN ONE or THE ADVERTISEMENTS

THIS PAGE ISA WEEKLY FEATURE OF THE GUARDIAN FOR A 26 WEEK PERIOD AND EACH WEEK THERE WILL APPEAR IN THE ADVERTISEMENTS THREE NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF PEOPLE LIVING IN CHARLO'ITE'I'0WN AND DISTRICT. READ THE ADVERTISEMENTS CAREFULLY AND IF YOU FIND YOUR NAME. CLIP OUT THE ADVERTISEMENT AND PRESENT IT AIADNG WITH A SALES SLIP OR LABEL TO THE GUARDIA N OFFICE, SHOWING THAT GOODS OR SERVICES HAVE BEEN PURCHASED FROM ANY ONE OF THE ADVERTISERS 0N'THlS PAGE AND YOU WILL RECEIVE ABSOLUTELY FREE A S3.00

A. I. MICRAE CUSTOM GRINDING suamo cnszcn-It-Mix runs so on THE Moss VALUE our our voun nous crown oaiuns aavs. man Mmrn AT oua

mu. wrru ,r-

There were therefore. two schools of thought: One which be- lieved that Christmas Day must!

Bui Once A Year

"Thank goodness." said Martha Goodwin. bustling about her kit- then. "Christmas comes but once s year.” She whlped back a loose wisp of graying hair with a weary gesture. "But it will be fine seeing you again. Lad." she murmured thinking of her distant son. "Now. let's see. Those star cookies you're so fond of-" She glanced at the hurrying clock.

Loud shrleks ol laughte under her win (I ow interrupted her thoughts. Thou new neighbor chil- dron again. If they were dirty- ing up her freshly swept walk! She strode grimly to the porch. There was a path in the snow from their yard. around hers. and back again to their own. where all four of them had apparently trudged. ushing a snow hell. across her w it in two places. A tussle started suddenly. and they were all tumbling about in the snow. shrieking at the top of their voices.

Martha scolded shrilly at them. and they stood up. an ebeshed lit- tle line oi stair steps. "The idea! on Christmas. too!" Martha chid- ed. "Whatever is the matter with your me, that she lets you make such a racket"

"She's sick" answered the old-I

est girl.

"Sick! Then all the more rea- son why you should keep still. Shame on you." The little group stood like statues. '

Martha tucked in the wisp of hair. "You children come in here and sit still while I work and I'll tell you a story." she invited. "Mind you wipe your feet-"'

"I suppose it should be a Christ- mas story," Martha began. "Do You know about the shepherds and

Idartha asked her. tell you about

Santa

in the Chri u 1 a PURINA

533::'s. "the an: Isi"ihec.I::fo.r'l: WV" ' l"”' ”E”''''" onnnn so an srnm: FOR MERCHANDISE on SERVICE wms ONE or sun ADVERTISERS on nus rsosz. GONG

ma on. was. 0 course. held to T ENTIIA

be highly nus, and a Paplst in- PHONI '93 . ";'t"';;;-d mom . Mm only mum mm" PATRONIZE THE BUSINESS FIRMS ON THIS COMMUNITY PAGE "W3 '5"- lraduaily and no doubt it replaced WINS”);

pagan celebrations just as grad-

I.IlIIg'.aUIl.Ilf,).I'Eul..llf.ICIy, lhlstory thells I&.. as e s a grow! . ,

For that, of cou:s:.ythera is a HASTING'S NELSONS

very good reason: The history of RWCE STATION SEIWICE STATION PHARMACY . ) Ll:::?S..":iJ'.hf.l:l.':'8::;f omsm srnsrcn 5'” impart” 0" "med M. .. ......... ............ DI-I ml ' it --

mss as they had been commanded c TEXACO GA5 AND 0'” pnm, T.-ad, A em i'0D- "'7' ""9 WWI! 0'

to and they were more than a little SIZES A-B-C G 1 11. am to I "WING G55 5"” 0'" Chrmm" '"”h"""

averse to admit on paper that 19.30?" "'9" V gprvicinl Tires-Batteri . Accessories ”l'I"”"- I005" lllm!

their success in persuading the pop OPEN Flu . SA ' ' ' C." ""1 Truck. Greasing Our Specialty "mi 5'57 3"" "C I r . ulace to do likewise was limited. Charlottetown East Area washing and Simonizing ”"d74"P ll "4 I005 1

S Phone 5951 Southport stove and Fumue Phone 3621 Grafton St. East "" T; wisp of hair and went back to the Fm 0" ' mchgn, Meteored Tanks DJ --w.u,-- the cm... sir! w" u. Prompt 24 Hour Service Call in today and see our large display of... - . . TO BODY WORKS - 5 D

,,,,,,,,,,' .,,, ,0" 0, mm , Wk, '0" DAV"; ISLAND AU Automatic Delivery LE s, TRIKES, TOBOGGANS .'CAR1's HCYCLB, g

en. I guess only ever so much big-. UR (JAMES J. SMITH. PROP.) If Requested FOR ALL THE KIDDIES , L ger." The four children looked up Y0 . Bobgoxgssrlgzsgsgangonx PHONE 3533 CAR ROBES 52 95 up you;

as Martha entered. "Why. whatis TEXACO Almma ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' .' '.'.' 1' ',' '.' ' '

the mstteri Mrs. Goodwin” "Emma '” 5"" P Office Cor. of St. Peter's an. - n

-- ..... .. DEALER Free Estimates M O WHITE loss um; I” xx"! comiluzgl upecmm mm ME IN AND GOOD WORK DONE AT PRICES THAT SA-NSFY and Gower Street L I I I 'I' E Di U came a sympathetic C” room: set: so noncunsrnn srnnsr A s 5 0 CIA I s s I o I I; D

chorus. "And you'd fixed every- uGAsvv HALE.

thing so nice and-and Christmas- .

IV-" WITH UI

"I'm not going to have it O WE &

spoiled" Martha decided. "Here". -n,,,..sc.-,.uories DOLLIYER Ex DENNIS AYLWARDS'S LAR-"R mos

she said and draped the holly W"m"'VLubm.m. Furnhur. Exehang. - Q Fuel and lasting Oh w;eath orver tn: yout:sest'stIrm' ,,dMm.s,m,,,.,,,, suanr METAL conrascrons Ipecialising 1. "mu m.

" ou." s e as o e next one. .

"carry the potatoes. and you take Free Pick-up and DellVIl7 WARM AIR HEATING - EAVESTROUGHING W. mm. C. new”. Prom. CONCRETE WORK OF ALL KINDS

the mince pie-careful. it's hot- guvg You on NIRNERS AND FURNACES fog, pgmgpgv nnnlpy W WM" '" "'9 """i' "W" ”" wmnnsssn vars roa voua Mann!-eturtas cosmos mocks

I SERV CED :'he.ge:;b::;."I th nk I can manage Phone .0" sou) - INSTALLED - Ixmxwoon mm” CIHHSTMAS NEEDS comm. 3”," Piwpoo-em. "ht gum. u 5”. "But when are we soins" in Gm! Georso 80- raons: em Phone 9609 K "Over to your house. Weren't O NW Pi” 79'" "'luw' 3"”

you l:'0nI;I.rI'4's miss out on Chriat- Q In-Chairs. Cribs

"'3' .. Kind srten leis

...l”.:.".':. com"; "cw; ISLAND PROPANE ass LIMITED : .,,,,,";, ,,,,.,,,, JAMES TAIT FLORIST me,

all they could hold. they IIUIOVOG , R H Chm.

or II II , h I no de- "1... Enterprise. Mcclary, II. C. A. Gas Ranges Q oc ns - .

?ov'::spi:0doPI9:9"ei all Ii Omwmu co "0. And Combination Ranges Q End Tables ORDER NOV ! AUTO BODY WORKS ""5 ".L"'"" '"'”'””" """"'"' sums: of lies lanes 'i""""” W" M 5"" ”"”"' snor Ann ssvs mm vs POINSETIIA PLANTS

"ll" 8 - (Frank Msclntyre. Prop.)

were those tears in Martha Plus 34 Phone liil Phone I15 (l.oodwin's ea-1... surely not. or mm!" M A"'""'''' 114 Great Geerse st. "l":f"5l'd. Richmond and Prince su. FOR "OWL om” 03 9"” sonr AND saunas .e was an n . um s

k' --'wny. .ug..: .133; ..ui.r.m:;. run Wort ”""”'"”"" um. am as ssrnnoss: sr. Its-zrslas

!'I de vim. Christ. Kitchen steam-nisiss sriuv PAINTING 'maa cause more than once a V A C M

yur-" cabinet was A 05”" I FALIJS AUTO IODY WORKS IERAV:-;1;:oN We wish to thank our customers for their patron- 0 P::::::u'mo"

. Let Us Hols You Plan 1,. 3 d at age in the past year. and take this opportunity to wish Christmas LUCIK y,.,, N”, .Phoee ssu lp Cm”... cnumon Sm." y nev mi... Gas and on, Tires. them . Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous Auvsvs A nun rrucs know that a full mooe Paint Job A Slieclllli Batteries. Accessories N Y , :19,” day is I0 50 "WI "" "t:.'”"”' P""'Gm. wo repair tasbelees tires cw an "' "CC 5 - - - ”""" c”"'"” ssmwa nor ' - 'hss:l"u.h(':hkH”u." 3.? 1:?” O. W W M "1, R", M ' xmt u. 3”. u" S QHONE .1" ea : I Vmmtur. I” am . wig, Ra laeneeeld-Gt legs Paint shop Junction No. I and 2 Highways Mn. Mind. Punmhm Wu" V I7 POWNAI. 81'. iCbriMa:eealnsd.rd . re : M i fne- r . CLAIIC CANTWILIRS deev THE HIRE N CO. LTD. :DlI:l(;”l.'l'A'l'loN) mumm, JABDINE-"8 f thhira. Gralice Lewis. B.I-.l.Sc.:ff Toronto and member . . . Prop. -ngg gggvscg 0 e nna an Associat on . reports ""' "" "o' "' 'u' c""'"M"' W" R" G" W, on aszavics to run SICK Wlmmm mm Mr Mi "Consumers are welcoming Netted Gem potato in 10 Clarified and Passsuiass Mill "I Q Prescriptions Du," rm. ' "' lb. poly containers". We are not surprised. Have you I” while less Anti-rreeee O Drill! Firestone Tires - Town and "led them? lemegli Pltsh and Aceenories Q Tottietriee Caqnh-y g... 11". or same Passes You Deer Dela! one ewe: to is an mu. m, rim. my 1;, 3, wgugg mg, " p-' c P... 1 1-. H1” pup.” '1 V'” VI win!” 1," Gun" mad 11! Great George It. Ill QUEEN IT. Dion! jj

You'll Find The Answer To Many Of Your, . Shopping Problems Through These Firms -

?-.---.r :2 ever-

,...g V ' .9", y,

- we ,.:.-: -v.2