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Thursday, December 14, 1939,
HOLIDAY EDITION—UNION PRESS-COURIER.
PAGE NINE
wo
Merry
Christmas!
—P rani
By Helen Morton
Jap Villagers Kneel at Mound =
| They Call Christ’s Burial Place
:
OKYO.—Peasants in a remote
northern Japanese village do not
| celebrate Christmas but they believe
| Jesus Christ died in Japan.
Nor are they Christians, but each
IT WAS enough to make one hate | year they kneel before a strange
Christmas! Betsy was so tired | mound which they believe is Christ's
that she could hardly stand
3 . This
counter in the middle of the aisle |
burial place.
This takes place at the village of
had become a nightmare to her. The | Herai where Buddhists or Shintoists
crowds hurrying by,
pulling the | gather each year around a mound
neckties off as their coats brushed | surmounted by a pillar on which are
against them, fingering them over
and then tossing them back on the
table carelessly.
Still, it was good to have a job, |
For she |
had been without work for a long |
even a temporary one.
enough time so that she had ‘“‘eat-
en” and all her possessions she could
borrow money on.
No time to be standing here think-
ing, though. That fat woman looked
as if she was going to buy several
ties. “These are very nice, madam.
And so reasonable; 35 cents a piece,
or three for $1.00. This is an ex-
ceptionally pretty one,” and Betsy
showed her a navy blue. But the fat
woman dropped the ties and has-
tened away with her friend, leaving
a pile of ties on the floor.
Wearily Betsy leaned over and
began picking them up. ‘Let me
help?” a friendly voice asked. Betsy
looked up into a handsome face,
curly brown hair, deep blue eyes,
.and a mouth that curved into a
‘smile at the surprise in Betsy’s eyes.
. “I want to get some ties for my
family. I've been up here the past
few weeks, and so I don’t know
what the kids want, but I think it'll
be safe to give ’em ties. Socks are
80 commonplace.”
“Your brothers?” Betsy asked as
she held up one or two she liked
‘particularly. .
“Yeah. Three brothers and a sis-
ter. She’s about your age, I reckon.
What does a girl like, anyway, when
you've only a little to spend?’ He
looked imploringly.
“Let's get the brothers fixed up
first, and then see about her. How’s
this for the 17-year-old?’ Betsy in-
quired.
“Fine. You know, I'm tickled pink
to be able to do anything for the
family. I struck a bad spell, was
| three Japanese characters and a
| six-pointed star composed of inter-
| locking triangles, like the Hebrew
emblem.
How this strange tradition arrived
in Japan is not known, but visitors
notice that the village, which is lo-
| cated in Aomori, near the extreme
| tip of Honshu island, is no great
distance south of Mount Yadaijin,
which is pronounced almost like the
modern Japanese word for “Jew.”
The six-pointed star is completely
foreign to the people, yet some peas-
ants are familiar with the Biblical
version of Christ's death. The Ao-
morian story, which they have be-
lieved for 20 centuries, is this:
During the reign of the Emperor
Suinin, the eleventh emperor, a
young white man came to live in
the district. Twelve years later, at
the age of 34, he disappeared. His
name: Soraitaro.
Fifteen years later he returned
and told the people he had been to
the land of his birth tecching reli-
gion and that, because of hic beliefs,
had been sentenced to death by cru-
cifixion.
Soraitaro is then said to have told
AOMORI
WHERE CHRIST
IS ‘BURIED’
the natives that his younger broth-
er, Iskiri, sacrificed his own life
on the cross. Then he traveled for
four years, across Europe and
through Siberia. Finally reaching
Aomori again, he died at the age of
105 in the eleventh year of Keiko
Tenno’'s reign.
Near the alleged burial mound is
the ruin of a stone building which
villagers call ‘‘Tsukino-Tatte,” the
House of the Moon. Many foreign
articles are reported to have been
unearthed from this place. People
say it is the place where Jesus wor-
shiped.
They do not worship His memory
in a religious way, nor is the mound
especially sacred. They describe
Jesus’as a ‘‘Sei-jin,”’ a saint or wise
man.
TRICKY BOX.
Atricky box for a man’s desk is a
{ laquered metal box with sections for
| paper clips, rubber bands and pins.
It is equipped with an adjustable roll
calendar and a roll top.
#
#
#
?
Fs
lost my job. I just got another last |
week. But I'd have hated to have |
the day go by with nothing from the |#®
big boy.” His face was shining. »n
“I'll have them wrapped as gifts. R
Then you go over to the counter
there and select something for your
sister. Here, I'll take you over and
get a girl from my home town to
wait on you. Shell help,” and Betsy
went along with him.
:
:
“You're not a city girl, then? No 2
B®
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BR
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| 9
down with flu for three weeks, and 3
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Corr
|
t
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wonder you were so helpful. I'm
“1 want to get some ties for my
family.”
scared of these sophisticated girls
in most of the shops. That's be-
cause I've been here only a few
months, and in my home town ev-
eryone knew everyone and it was,
well, it was different. Say, you
don’t think I'm getting fresh, do
you? I'm just so homesick.” His
face was red with embarrassment.
It was Betsy’s turn to look trou-
bled. “Sure, I knew how it was.
I don’t chatter away with every cus-
tomer this way, either. I'm like you
new here, and lonesome for my own
people. I was hating Christmas
time, with so much confusion and no
real Christmas spirit. So I'm glad
you told me about your family.”
She turned him over to Marie at
the women’s wear counter, and went
on with her tie selling. They seemed
prettier, fresher and more attrac-
tive, than they had before the curly-
headed fellow had come along to
buy some.
QNLY a half hour off fér supper,
then she’d have to work until
the store closed at nine. Christmas
eve meant lots of last minute gifts
to be bought in this big city. As
she turned away from her counter
to go out to eat, a friendly voice
sounded at her shoulder.
‘If you're going to snatch a sand-
wich, do you mind if I go along and
|
|
|
|
we learn something more about each
other? Your friend told me youd
have just a little while for lunch, |
and I want to get acquainted, if!
you'll let me.” It wasn’t just a
“pick-up.” This was a homesick
boy, wanting to talk with a small-
town girl who knew his language.
There was just a moment’s hesi-
tation before Betsy said. with a grin,
‘‘Sure enough. Lead me to the lunch
counter. You're no more lonely than
I've been. As it is, I really feel like
I can say ‘Merry Christmas’ when
tomorrow comes.’”’
LT
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MEN LIKE THESE.
Ads in the Press-Courier call at-
tention to men’s furnishings as gifts
and if they are suitably chosen there
is nothing more pleasing to the av-
erage man.
in the years ahead.
Like Aladdin’s Lamp, may every joy be yours
have the fullest realization of Health and Prosperity for 1940.
Punxsutawney Beef and
Provision Co.
Manufacturers of
GROUNDHOG BRAND
PRODUCTS OF MERIT
Christmas Comes
But Once a Year—
Almost Any Time!
Merry Christmas is whatever you |
make it,
From December 5, when Saint Nich-
whenever you make it. |
olas arrives for Dutch children, to |
the Aleutian islanders’ Christmas on |
January 7, someone is celebrating
this festive day most of the time.
Holland chooses December 5 as
the eve of the festival day which |
the church has set
o| aside in Saint Nich-
SHETLAND
ISLANDS |
Hungary Santa
Claus pays his first
visit several weeks
ahead of the Yule-
tide, leaving boxes
of candy in prep-
aration for his sec-
ond visit.
Most of the un-
usual celebrations,
however, come after December 25
—indeed, fall after New Year's day.
Remote Shetland islanders north of
Scotland celebrate January 5, still
clinging to the old Julian calendar
and refusing to accept that of Pope
Gregory which most of the world
has used for two centuries.
January 5 is also Christmas day
in at least one part of the United
States proper, isolated and wind-
swept Rodanthe island off North
Carolina. The custom, apparently
a holdover from ‘old Christmas’ —
the Twelfth night, or Epiphany—
the occasion finds all 300 residents
hanging their stockings and await-
ing Santa Claus.
In Alaska, where mid-summer de-
livery of Christmas presents makes
them suitable either for last Christ-
mas or the coming one, part of the
residents celebrate on December 25 |
o| olas’ honor. In|
and the rest, January 7. The latter |
date is observed chiefly by Aleutian |
islanders, which is populated by na- { round for thi§ purpose.
tives who were interbred with Rus-
Have appeared as guests in your homes this past year. 9
visits gave enjoyment and happiness and that we may look for more frequent visits
& One of the Mighty
Fine Things Elbout
IS THE OPPORTUNITY IT GIVES US TO SEND GREETINGS
APPRECIATION TO OUR MANY FRIENDS
Many GROUNDHOG Brand Products
We are hopeful that our
Don’t Marry the Girl
Day After Christmas
If you believe the early monks.
don’t select the day after Christ:
mas to get married, start a new
job or put on that new suit. It's
Childermass day, commemorat-
ing the slaughter of the Holy In-
nocents by Herod, and in the ear-
ly days was considered an occa-
sion of the greatest ill-omen.
Children, according to legend,
were soundly whipped Childer-
mass day te impress on their
minds the story of the baby mar-
tyrs.
So intense was the fear of this
unfortunate festival that the coro-
nation of England’s King Edward
IV was postponed in order to
avoid the fatal date.
sians nundreds of years ago. They
use the Russian calendar, which has
not been changed to conform with
that used by the rest of the world.
By this calendar, New Year's is
celebrated January 14.
Men of Christmas
Postmaster General James A.
Farley receives Christmas cards
at the rate of 1,000 a day during
the Yule season.
Vasco Da Gama, the great Por-
tuguese navigator, was born on
Christmas day in 1469, discovered
Natal, Africa, on Christmas day,
1497, and died on Christmas eve,
1524.
Oscar Phillips, postmaster at
Santa Claus, Ind., cancels a
half-million pieces of mail each
Christmas season.
President Roosevelt gets a
toothbrush and cake of soap in
his stocking each Christmas—an
old family custom.
Edward Keenan, who has en-
acted the role of Santa Claus in
Milwaukee since 1927, keeps a
small herd of reindeer all year
OF
on Christmas Day, and may you
ome ———— p——
PATTON METHODIST :
EPISCOPAL CHURCH
James A. Turner, pastor.
Church school at 10 a. m. Preaching
at 11 a. m. and 7:30 p. m. ,every third
Sunday. Epworth League at 6:30 p. m.
Mid-Week Bible Class Wednesday ev-
ening at 7:30
The Christmas entertainment will
be held on Friday evening, December
22nd, at 7 p. m. The public is wel-
come.
The Christma sCantata will be ren-
dered by the Choir on Sunday even-
ing, the 24th, an dthe public is in-
vited.
The mid-week Bible class held on
Wednesday evening at 7:30 o'clock, is
an occasion of great interest and spir-
itual uplife to all who are attending.
The theme is: “You Can Win,” in life
by giving place to the Spirit of God
in your heart.
The “UPPER ROOM” for the frist
quarter of 1940 is on hand. What a
nice thing it would be if you would
purchase a few extra copies and make
presents of them to your friends. They
make first class Christmas presents.
Wiliam J. Palmer, Judge of the Su-
perior Court, Los Angeles, California,
has this to say: “The Upper Room” is
very helpful in keeping the flame on
the family altar aglow. I regard it as
a very valuable contribution to the
religious life of the nation, and that,
| of course, means to every phase of
| our national tife.
When the worst of a long siege of
illnes sis over and a girl actually be-
gins to think in terms of personal at-
| tractiveness again, she simply can’t
| bear another day in a dull hospital
| gown. A manufacturer of fine linger-
| ie now introduces a convalescent coat
| of pure dye silk crepe in becoming
pastel colors and white trimmed with
fine Val lace, that meets all hospi-
tal requirements, yet is attractive en-
ough to please the most exacting in-
| valid. The coat closes down the back
with non slip ties, is comfortably
roomy, above knee length, flattering-
ly yoked and colored ,and has a
deep, useful and ornamental pocket.
(LEE AKER Bh
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