The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-03-21

ater mafs, ana o1suiUuteu hIuonB sn0 VooPios VIM
forthwith carry them in joyous procession; after
which they are burned and the ashes laid aside
until the ensuing Ash Wednesday, then to be
sprinkled on the heads of the congregation with
the priests blessing. q ~
OF the usual elaborate character appear TO have
been the Palm Sunday customs Of England before
the change Of religion. The flowers and branches
to be used by the clergy were laid upon the high
altar those to be used by the laity upon the
south step of the altar. The priest, arrayed In q
red cape, proceeded to consecrate them by
prayer beginning, ~ copjure thee, thou creature
of flowers and branches, in the name Of God the
Father" etc. This was to exercise the devil or
his Influences, should they chance TO Turk in the
branches. he then prayed: We humbly be-
seech Thee that Thy truth may ssnctify this crea
ture of flowers and branches. and slips Of palm
or boughs of trees we Offer" etc. The flowers
and branches were then fumed with incense from
censers, after which there were more prayers and
sprinkliDgs with holy water. Then the whole was
borne In procession with priests bearing cruel
fixes through the town or village, returning to the
church. where mass was celebrated, the sacra-
ment partaken of by the priests, and the branches
Of flowers offered at the altar.
In the extreme desire to celebrate, under the
ancient forms, the particulars of Chrsts passion.
il was customary in some places to introduce in
the procession the wooden figure Of an ass, mount
ed on wheels, with figure, also OF wood, and re-
presenting the Savior, upon it. The Specification
of this the priest explained to the people before
the procession moved, telling them what the Sa-
vior had done for them, how he had entered Je-
rusalem thus mounted, and with the ground strewn
with palm branches before him. The procession
then setting out, with all the pomp, display and
music peculiar to the church, the masses threw
their willow. palm or cedar branches before the
wooden figures as they passed, and in such pro.
fusion as sometimes to impede their progress.
Not less eager were the strewers Of the branches
to gather them up again after the ass had passed
over them, they being deemed an infallible safe.
guard against storms and lightning during the en-
suing year.
Another custom of the. day was to cast cakes
from the steeple Of the Parish Church. the chill
dren scrsmbling for them below, to the great
amusement Of bystsnders. Later, an angel ap-
pears to have been introduced as figure in the
procession, for we find mention in an old London
history of an instance where, in 1920, eight pence
was paid for the hire of an angel, while seven
years later the price of the same was but four
pence, arguing the decadence Of the custom.
Crosses Of palm were made and blessed by the
pr RESTS as protectives against disease. In Corn
wall, the peasantry carried these to "0ur Lsdye
of Nantswell, !" where, bestowing gift upon the
priest they were permitted to throw them into the
well. II cross foated therein, the thrower twas
understood would survive the year il it sank, that
he would not. Twas said, too, that he who car
ried not palm on Palm Sunday would have his
hand cut of.
After the Reformation (l5s6) Henry VIII de.
clared the bearing of palms on this day a custom
not TO be condemned or discountenanced. 1t was
kept up by the clergy until the reign of Edward
the W. when II was left to the peoples voluntary
observance, and is in vogue to the present day in
many parts of England and in the Catholic nations
of Europe, where on the Saturday preceding
Palm Sunday the children may invariably be
found "going 9 palming." and returning with
slips In Their hats or button holes, or q sprg in
their mouths.
The ceremonies of Easter at Rome-of what is
there called Holy Week-commence on Palm Sun
day. To witness these there are thousands of
foreigners annually assembled in the city, large
proportion of them English and American visitors,
and Protestants. During Holy Week, the shops
are kept open, and concerts and other amuse-
ments are given but theatrical performances are
forbidden. The chief external differences are in
the churches where affairs, crucinxes and pictures
are generally put in mourning. The following is
an interesting description of the ceremonies, sp-
parently written by an eyewitness:
About nine on Palm Sunday morning, st.
Peters having received great crowd of people,
all in their best attire, one OF the papal regiments
of Zouaves enters, and form clear passage up
the central isle. Shortly afterwards, the "Noble
Guard,v as it is called, Of the pope-a superior
body Of men-tskes its place, and the corps diplo-
matique and distp gushed ecclesiastics arrive, all
taking their respective seats In rows In the space
near the high altar, which is draped and fitted up
with carpets for the occasion. The pope's chief
sacristan now brings In an armful Of so-called
palms, and places them on the altar. These are
stalks about three feet long, resembling walking
cane. dressed up in scraps OF yellow straw they
are sticks with bleached palm leaves tied on them
in tasteful but quite artificial way. The prepar
alton of these substitutes for the palm is a matter
of heritage, with which q story is connected.
When sextus V (l5S5-90l undertook to erect in
the open space in front of st. Peters, the tall
Egyptian obelisk which formerly adorned Nero's
circus, he forbid any one to speak, on pain OF
death. lest the attention of the workmen should
be diverted from their arduous task. A naval
officer Of st. Reno, who happened to be present,
foreseeng that the ropes would take fire, cried out
70 apply wafer" he was lmmeOlhtely arrested,
and conducted before the pontif As the cry had
saved the ropes 6extus could not enforce the de-
cree, and, TO show his munifcence, he offered the
transgressor the choice of a reward. Those who
have noticed the great abundance of palms which
grow in the neighborhood of st. Reno, between
Nice and Genoa, will not be surprised to hear that
the wish of the officer was to enjoy the privilege
of supplying the pontfcsl ceremonies with palms.
The pope granted him the exclusive right, and it
is still enjoyed by one Of his family.
At $3.50 A. NJ. burst of music Is heard from the
choir the soldiers present arms, all are on the tip
toe of expectation, and q procession enters from
q side chapel near the doorway. All eyes are
turned IN this direction, and the pope is seen
borne up the center of the magnificent baslica in
his sedid gestdtorid. This chair of state Is fixed
on two long poles covered with velvet, and the
bearers are twelve officials six before and six be-
hind. They bear the ends of the poles on their
shoulders, and walk so steadily as not to cause
any uneasy motion. On this occasion, and always
keeping in mind that the church is in mourning.
and without ornament. There are also wanting
the fdbelli or large fans Of feathers, which are
carried on Easter Sunday. Thus slowly sdvanc.
ing and by the movement Of his hand giving his
benediction to the bowling multitude, the pope is
carried to the front of his throne at the furth-
er end of the church. Descending from his sedid
gestdtOrid, his holiness, after some intermediate
ceremonies and singing. proceeds to bless the
I - - II.