Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1874-04-05
c A INTELLIGENCE.
r,,r HISTORY OF EASTER.

To-day is Easter Sunday, and
,,phout the civilized world the o.
lon is celebrated with peculiar and
resting ceremonies, and one of es-
k;,l observation. The festival was
nded in honor of the Lords result
ion. and has been observed from
very foundation Of Christianity.
Inference, however, early arose as
kbe day on v hich the actual event of
resurrection should be comnlemOr-
1t was the custom of the .ASiatic
ristians to celebrate Paschal Feast
the day of the Jewish Passover, and
Festival of the Resurrection on the
I'D day afterwards, on whatever day
the week it fell. TO Western
ristians. on the contrary. cOntended
\ the fast o.. he holy week ought moi
he interrupted, and that the Feast of
Resurrection ought always to be
kerycd on a Sunday. The difference
10 the proper time caused the visit
|Polycarp to Rome, n. ID. lbs, to
hfer with .Anicetus on the question.
r.h retained his opinion, but there
: no breach of charity, and Poly
IN @conSccrated the Eucharist in AMI
k,,, Church. In l96, Victor, Bishop
Rome, communicated those who
mild not conform to the Roman us
o. for which act he was reprOVed by
ena.ous and others. The Western
stom grew in favor. but the Eastern
hrcles continued their practice until
Council of Nice, i'll 325, at which
he the usage of keeping the
Inst of the Resurrection on the Lords
4 alone was established, the duly of
linz the proper Sunday being COM
tied to the AleNandrian bishops.
(Dm this time forward the di>sen-
ms were treated Is Schisma les; in
they were cXcomimunicatel by the
uncil of Antioch, and were named
lartolec;mans. For ncarly2N0 years
early Christians depended on the
Wish cycle of 81 Years for the deter
nation of heir own festival. Sub>c-
Emily various cycles adopted.
there was much uncertainty as to
dav of observation of the feast. I'M
DionvSius EXiyuus. Abbot of Rome,
-, introduced the AlcNandrian
mon complete INTO the Roman
hurch. The churches of Great Brit
and Ireland did not uniformly
rec with the Roman Church in the
tual paschal Sunday until 500, when
e Welsh, the most persistent OF the
>iectorS, gave way. The term Pas
u WAS used to denote the Paschal
east, the Pasclal Supper, the whole
iest. or the day of resurrection. The
slival lasted Is days, during which
~ suits were suspended, indulgence
criminals granted. and especial lib
videi into the PaScii of the Cruel
zion and the PaScll of the Re>urrec-
bn, and the week succeeding Easter
BY WIS II of religious solemnity-
bnlav closing the .acred season. In
den time it was common to greet II
n Easter Day with the salutation of
pr>us Christ is risen from the dead"
II answer being, '.IIe is risen, in-a
erl."
Many of the popular o~bscrvances
pnnectcd with Easter of Pagan
ti-in. The goddess O~tara or EaStre
tenls to have been the pcrsonitict.ion
the morning, breast, an ais Of the
pening year or Spring; an in some
pr,ionS of Germany, up to the middle
the present century, the month of
{prll was knpwn as OStcrmonlth. the
l0rsh,p of whom has struck deep
POI among the people. The mos.
Characteristic Easter rite. and the II
)o>t widely ditfu>ed, is the use of
h>ch or Easter eggs. They are usual
4 stained of various colors with dye
200 Is or herbs, AMI people mutually
eey are kept as anllle :, sometimes
pen; games are also played by strik-
p II against the other.
In the moorlandS of scotland i used
he the custom of young people 10
P"ut early on PaSc.lal Sunday and
earch for wild fowls eggs for break
81. ana it was thought lucky to find
Penn. There can be but little doubt
Pa the Use of eggs at this season was
originality symbnlical of the revivitiea-
Pm OF nature-thc S%pringiDg forth of
n in Spring. The practice is not con-
hcd to Christians; the Jews used
81 i'll the Feast of the Passover, and
p Per>ians, when they keep the tr>ti-
nl OF the Solar New Year lin March,
pntuaily present each other with col
e | eggs. From the Christian point
View, this . Fe lst of Eggs has been
lsUally considered as cmblematic OF
Pc resurrection and of Il future lite.
EASTER AT ST. JAMES. Although
Pr ladies' of ST. James Church We're
.psappointed in not receiving the flow
rs ordered from San Francisco, they
finS delayed on the road, they last
EenlnS completed the decorations of
pc church, which will present Il very
es'y and beautiful appearance at the
ffVices to-day. \ large monogram,
l. IL. 81" has been placed over the
E,oininunion table, in white frosted
push. on a ground shield of deep
Erinson, Surmounted by the motto:
Thirst is Risen" White satin BAN
lers trimmed with gold bullion fringe.
ave been received. which, with the
taster emflems of the cross and
'rown, will be used at the celebration
me evening. The flowers will I'M
'',ouotedlN arrive to-day, and will be
'laced III Il pyramid under the mono
AS originally designed. i'll time
VI ne evening service. We noticed
The pulpit cloth of pure linen, the
-a>'er color. decorated with palm
ranches. The services will be of a
Try interesting nature. In the morn
y Jackson's TeDeum will be rendered
r"sSe'iier with several Easter anthems.
ltA fAasa - ~ H.