Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-05-16
PENTECOsT.
The Jewish Hsg-ha .hsh abusth
and the Christian " hEtsuntIde.
An Universal Holiday.

To-day ia the beginning Of Whitsuntid,
ia the Christian, and Il Hag h4shzha5u
9th or the Feast Of Wssksn 10 the Je wist
calendar. It is also called Peagec0st be-
cause II happened ffty days after the
feast Of U~nieaysned Bread.
This festival which takes place In tbs
Jewish cale1oar DID the sixth day % the
third month (Slvaa}, had originally, no
other significance han that Of eeleoFat-
ing with religious seismnities The coz
eiusion Of the harvest, which generally
lasted fully seven weeks ia Palestine.
During the existence OF the Jewish Ns-
tiouality ia PAlesti1s, two full mea,ures
OF fine -four were to be prepared into sac
rifeial bread, aud thus offered ID ia
the temple. For this reason it was
called the "Fesst OF Weeks" ths. Is,
Feast Of Seven Weeks, which is identi
cal with Feast of the Foil Harvest y
In the Mishnah it is called "Azsrsth,h
Festival OF Conclusion, with reference
TO the conclusion OF the harvest. 10 lat
ter times q historical "reminiscences was
brought into connection with the fssti-
val, q this, too, u OF the highest and
most vital Influence, namely, q mem
DRY OF the revelations Of the Ten Procla-
mstions on M0uat Sinai, which took
place about that time.
It's only interest in the history OF
Christianity arises from the cireum-
stance that il was the day on which the
Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles
and impaired tke gift Of tongues. The
RsdeemeF had frequently before his pas.
sion, promised his disciples some extra
oFdifGEy gifts, and 81 his ascension ex.
preSsly commanded them to tarry st
jerusalem until they should be zen
dOTed with power from on high.n Trey
did so, and on the Jewish Feast OF Pen
tecOst, while the disciples were gathered
together in n plsee, son q sudden
there came q sound frOm Heaven IS Of S
rushing mighty wind, and 1t filled the
house where they were sitting, and there
sppssred unto them cloven tongues, like
IS Of fire, and it sat upon each Of them,
and they were all filed with the Holy
Chest, and began to speak with other
tongues Il. G. IN different ~languages) As
the Spirit gave them uEtsranee."
It is remarkable, a y q writer 10
Chambers Book Of Days, that this day
has no name peculiar to IL in rhe early
languages OF Europe-all its names be-
ing like the German PfHHst, de-
rived from the Greek. WhjtsIaday Is
so called from the color Of the garments
worn by the candidates for baptism or
confirmation. (White.) Il is called In
the calendar Dominica in Albis, or d.
minics Alba. But for sill that is had no
peculiar distinctive name ia these Ian
guages, the literature OF those days
abound In passages which show it to
have been one OF the most Joyous seasons
Of the year. It was the great festival Of
Kings and Chisftsius Ia medieval ro-
msnees. Il was at this season that We are
told in the Mort dArthtT that King Ar
thur moved into Wales and 'tlet erie s
great feast should be holden as Pente-
cost after the coronation Of him
st the cite OF Carlein.n In another
place it is called :" feast sfore sill other
~fessts." In the romance Of Bevis OF
Hampton Whitsunside IS thus spoken Of:
" IN somer at Whytsontyde,
When knighte' moste on horseback ride,
A course made they on a dry, etc"
In tbs present day Whitsunday in Eng.
land is in many parts still kept IS 8 c
son ofgregt rsjJieiDg, and the Whitsun-
ale and Morris dance are still kept up.
In this country, as we stated yesterday,
it is 3 favOrite day in the Catholic and
Protestant churches for confirmation and
babtism.
So PETERS Church hiss been most ele.
gsntly and beautifully arranged for the
ceremony Of confirmation. Flowers and
evergreeEs have been most isvishly sp-
piled, and the altar, font, etc, decorated
in a manner that viii make the interior
OF th!s grand church ed flee look more
beautiful than ever. ThsTs are one hun
bred and forty candidates for eonhrms-
ton. Inc RTE will be administered by
the Right Rsv. Bishop FsehGn, at 104
O'Clock.
At Calvary (EpiscopsD church the
most elaborate floral preparations have
also been made, several young ladies'
Miss FLOreuee Kirk, .Miss Jennie ShRnks,
Miss Tudie White snd others-hsving
spent most OF the day there yesterday.
We are told that there were enormous
quantities Of AOwsrs used, aud the
pyramid in the font ia one OF the
most beautiful things of the sort
aver made in Memphis. We could
not learn the number Of candidates
for confrmstish, but learn there are
quite 8 plumber. fhe music, under the
management OF Mr.. Laugsta6, is also to
be very 5RN Among the selections are
q duo from Don PIsqudle q quArtette,
4" Come Holy Spirit" etc.