The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

POCO OOCU OOOO U UGG LL 2000 05 9,4,900,9,,0,0,4,0 4 KY ala ata a a a aa a ar ar \ Cheery Greetings vfor a very Merry Christmas andy " ' § the Happiest of New Years $ 3 DON SKINNER 3 Prince Albert SE It is our warmest wish that your holiday be filled with peace of mind, good health, and much joy. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATRONAGE ISLAND MARINA CLIFF CROWELL & STAFF Merny Chordinas Here's hoping everyone, everywhere enjoys a very happy holiday! ROSS DUFF LTD. BLACKSTOCK of Christ, may we know in our hearts the holy joy and wonder of the Wise Men long ago. Swain Seed Cleaners BLACKSTOCK Christmas Dinners in The Good Old Days How many people today could manage such a menu as this one? Here it is, right out of the diary of a Dixie plantation owner: "We had for dinner oyster soup, besides boiled mutton, ham, boned turkey, wild ducks, partridges, plum pudding, sauterne, burgun- dy, sherry, and Madeira." And what gourmet cook would care to cope with this one? It was served to hearty-eating miners in the Rockies in 1858, After oys- ters and pork, which were conventional "openers," the menu went on to elk, ante- lope, buffalo "smothered" and grizzly bear a la mode In addition, there was Black Mountain squirrel, prairie dog, and mountain rats followed with swans, cranes, and quail the whole lot accompanied by wines, Giving Gifs Since the Wise Men gave ol their treasures to the Christ Child, giving has been part ol the tradition of Christma: The idea of gifts as homage dates from even carhier times, when kings demanded special tribute from their subjects during holiday scasons. Thus the Wise Men, in offering pre- cious gifts of gold, frankin- cense and myrrh, expressed their reverence for the new- born King of mankind Giving to celebrate a happy time was a familiar part of many pagan festivals. The Romans honored Sat- urn, their god of agriculture, with a winter festival called the Saturnalia. During this joyous feast, they exchanged gifts - - wax candles, clay dolls and various trinkets When these pagan customs of exchanging gifts were trans- ferred to the celebration of the birth of Christ, church leaders added a new dead selfless giving: Through the ages, giving to help the less fortunate has been aw special tradition ot Christma: In Switzerland A Swiss custom that dates back to the Middle Ages is to start the New Year free of debts. December 6th, the feast of St. Nicholas of Myra, the first Santa Claus, is the day set to meet all monetary obligations such as rents and mortgages. - Play Delights A hybrid Spanish-lndian play, called "Los Pastores," introduced by Spanish monks, may still take place in the backyards of San An- tonio, Tex., at Christmastime. With no props, curtains and a cast of amateurs, it yearly delights with its spiritual in- novations. for youn, palionage. RALPH TAYLOR Agent for Supertest Petroleum Products 17 Sleigh bells, Carols. ¢ Holly wreaths. Snowflakes. p And goodwill to men. to all our customers MISTER TV TOWERS Hi! Merry May you have a wonderful Christmas, bright with happiness and joy. EARL WALLACE Lo May the spirit of Christmas remain in your hearts all through the holidays. MURRAY BURNFIELD ° Plumbing and Heating