The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1857-02-27


As this is the season kept as a sacred Fast
BY portion of our community, some infor-
nation in regard to it may no, be unaccepta-
bic to many Of our readers who have no very
we'll defined ideas upon the subject.
The word LENT is Saxon. and simply means
Spring. The Roman Catholic Church, how
ever, having set apart forty days of fasting
Mt this season Of the year, appropriated the
word exclusively to designate that period
The fast of forty days was designated in
honor of the example of the forty days fas.
OF our Saviour, while many of the rites and
observanees are supposed by some to have
been borrowed from heather Rome, the
month of February itself having received its
name from Februa, by which term they de-
ceremonials Of purgation in honor Of the
heather divinities.
Lent. by the Cauons of the Church, com
mcnecs forty days before Easter excluding
Sundays. Easter, which is derived from
Oster, and signifies rising, is the day APP
pointed for the celebration OF the resurrec-
ton of Christ, and occurs on the FIRST Sum
day after the full moon which happens on or
after the 2lst Of March, but in case the moon
fails on Sunday then the next Sunday there
after is Easter. Owing to the fact that the
day upon which Easter happens depends up
on the time of the fulling Of the moon, Eas-
ter day varies from the I'D day Of March to
several weeks later.
The Sunday preceding Lent is called Qain-
qnagesima Sunday or Shrove Sunday
Candlemas day is the Monday preceding the
commencement Of Lent, and was instituted
in honor of the purihc alton Of the Virgin
Mary. The Romans had festival in which
candles or lights were borne on this day, and
some writers suppose that the Church incor-
porased this ceremony in the christian fest-
val. There is an ancient notion, still prevail.
Ing 10 some extent, that if Candlemas day
be sunshiny, the winter is lie, half finished
Tuesday before Lent il called -hfove Tues
day, and is the closing day Ct the festivities
OF the Carnival, still kept up in Roman Cath
Ole countries, and IN former days dissin-
guishcd by all manner Of merry makings
throughout Europe. Ash Wednesday, the
FIRST day Of Lent, is SO named from an old
ceremony performed by the priests Of spripk.
ling ashes on the heads Of the people. Wed.
nesaay, Friday and Saturday after the Grst
Sunday In Lent, are called Ember days, from
an old custom Of eating, on those days, bread
baked in the embers. The Sunday before
Easter i called Palm Sunday from an old
custom es the Priests blessing branches Of
palm which were carried in procession b,
the people in imitation Of the Jews, wht
strewed branches Of palm before Christa a,
be made HE sriumphai way TO Jerusalem be.
fore his cruciiSion. The Friday before Eas
scr - cafes. oeoa rriday, and was so named
and commemorate By many solemn rites in
memory or the Sayiour's death. Easter
Sunday il one Of the greatest and most sol.
emu festivals Of the church of Rome in eele.
braiion Of the Resurrection Of our Lord
This festivn! 10 an engraitment On the jew
ish Passover. At Rome this inos, imposing
ceremony Of the day is the carrying the Pope
In State to perform high mass IN ST. Peters.
from the balcony Of which he blesses the
crowds Of peoske assembled below.
The English Church and the Episcopal
Church Of this country keep Lent nominalls
q sacred Fast aud observe all the Holy
days.