The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-04-08
EASTER.
The Great Feast OF the Christian
Year.

endom is regarded as the greatest feast
in the Christian year. Indeed, from
the earliest period Of Christianity, down
to the present day, Easter has always
been celebrated with exuberant JOY, and
accounted the Queen Of Festivals, be-
cause it celebrated the resurrection Of
Christ from the dead, the greatest tri-
umph in his mission.
Though there has never been any diff
ference Of opinion as TO why Easter is
kept, there has been a good deal as to
when it ought to bekept. The paschal
controversy which for time divided
Christendon, originated in diversity
OF custom. The churches Of Asia
Minor kept their festival on the same
day as the Jews kept their passover, the
l4th of Nison or March, but the
churches of the West celebrated the
festival on the Sunday following the
18th of Nison. For time this differ
epce was borne with mutual forbear-
ance and charity; but gradually dissen-
sions were orig inate'l. Bishops quar-
relied with each other respecting the
vexed question. One authority quoted
the practice OF St. Phillip and St. John,
another replied by quoting the custom
of st. Peter and st. Paul. The matter
was finally set at rest at the Council OF
Nice and a bone of theological contro-
versv forever removed.
As regards the celebration of Easter,
we have in this republic, in a modified
and subdued form, most Of the customs
practiced in Europe. On Easter, just
as there, our boys and girls have their
hard-boiled dyed eggs, and engage in
cracking contests; and in outlying dis.
tricts, and notably in some sections OF
New England, hand-ball, football, lift
ing and shoe.snatching are practiced;
while the simnel cake and tansy pud-
ding are still regarded as the only cor
rect preparations to be eaten at the
festive Easter-tide.
In ancient times, however, much more
enthusiasm was manifested Then, in
deed, might be seen Mayors and corpo-
rations setting forth, in all their pa.
geantry, to indulge in rough-and-tum-
Bile game OF football Even the women
were not excluded from their share Of
the sport, but had their own football
match in a quiet sort Of way. The
practice was, after all, not bad one
The fair danes would no doubt be i'm
proved in wind, muscle and temper, by
the exhilerating participation in such
very agreeable muscular Christianity.
The Pace, Pask, Paste, or Easter eggs,
were of course never forgotten in an
cient times at Easter. Eggs were in
such demand at that season that they
always rose considerably in price. They
were boiled very hard in water colored
with red, blue or violet dyes, with in
scriptions or landscapes traced upon
them. Others had suitable notices
written on the shells and made inetiace-
able by rustic process OF chemistry.
They were thus handed round and ex-
changed, and became in many in
stances quite important auxiliaries
of St. Valentine. That they were
used in the sense of religious cere-
monial as well, is evident from the fol-
lowing Extract from the Ritual Of
Pope Paul the Fifth, made for the use
of England, Ireland and Scotland :
BLESS, o Lord, we beseech Thee, this,
Thy creature of eggs" etc. But the
strength of shell constituted then, as
now, the chief glory of the pace or
paste egg. Conquest OF rivals is the
only ambition Of the owner Holding
his egg warily but deity in his hand,
he challenges his companion to give
blow for blow. One of the eggs is sure
to be broken, and its shattered remains
are the spoil Of the conqueror, who is
instantly invested with the title Of a
cock OF one, two, three, ETC., in proper
ton as he may have fractured his an
tagonist's eggs in the conflict In the
north of Eng land it is customary for boys
to 20 round to farmers houses paste
egging." The good wife preserves the
product Of the hennery for days previ-
Gus, and no boy who presents himself
is sent away without his egg. The fol-
lowing song is still heard on the
borders of Scotland on Easter Monday
Here's two or three jolly boys, all of one
mind,
We have come pace egging, and hope
you'll prove kind;
hope you'll prove kind with your eggs
and strong beer,
And we'll come no more near you until
the next year."
At Rome, as might be expected, Eas-
ter Sunday is celebrated with elaborate
ceremonials. Preparations are in pro
gress for tie imposing pageant during
the entire Holy week. The day is
ushered in by the firing Of cannon
from the Castle of St. Angelo; and
about I A. NJ. carriages with gayly-
dressed ladies and gentlemen begin to
pour toward St. Peters. That magnifi-
cent basilica is richly decorated for the
occasion. The affairs are freshly
ornamental, aud the lights around
the tomb and figure Of St. Peter
blaze splendidly after their temporary
extinction during Passion week. Ac-
cording to usage, the Pope officlates
this day at mass in st. Peters; and he
does so with every imposing accessory
that ingenuity can devise. From hall
in the adjoining palace Of the Vatican,
he is borne into the church under cir
cumstances Of the utmost splendor.
Seated in his Soda Gestatoria, his vest.
ments blaze with gold. On his head
he wears the tiara, or tri pie crown. Be-
side him are borne the flabelli, or large
fans, composed Of ostrich feathers, in
which are set the eye-like parts OF
peacocks' feathers, to signify the eyes or
vigilance Of the Church. Over him is
borne a silk canopy, richly fringed.
After officiating at mass at the high al
ter, the Pope is, with the same cere-