Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-05-07
OIjaINT CUSTOMS AND STRANGE SU
PERSTITIONS.

PEHS llllONS.
The Easter fire is not universal custom.
It's chief home appears TO be in North and
Middle Germany, but it also takes place 10 Ty'
roI and Bavaria 1n some places the TyroleSe
nsasapts call it Burning Judas. The ashes aud
chsrred logs are taken bone aud buried under
the stable door to keep the c,ws in good health
and TO drive away witches; they also serve to
make the fields fruitful. There are no fires in
Swabia at Easter, but boD6res are lighted on the
6r.t Sunday 10 Lent, which therefore goes by
the oame of Fuuken-Sonntag, or Spark Sun
day.
10 parts of Westphala. resurrection hymn
IS sung while the flames rise. and the people
walk round 10 solemn procession, bearing
torches of brentwood. The practice of having
bon6res was nowhere more general than 10 the
Harz Mountains In 1853 fifteen we're seen
biazlng on the mouutau crags 10 the Delghbor
hcod of Osterode. The preparations begin SIX
weeks b, fore Easter, aud everyone contributes
either wood or else money 10 buy it. lu the
Hslberstadt district, bronms ou which the
witches are supposed to ride to the Brockeu)
and ,ar-barre!s are preferred for the purpose.
AT Oserode everybody tries fuay to snatch
brand from the embers, aud then leaps about
With it the longer it burns, the better omen
is. An old woman at Oserhagen declared
that anyone who gazed at the sun through y
black silk handkerchief Oh Easter Day could
behold the Paschal Lamb dancing. lu West
pbalia and Swabia, the Lamb is said to be re-
a4cted 10 pail of water.
The belief that the sun dances on Easter
morning appears to be very general. Some
sxty wears ago, the w estpha peasants were
wont to ascend the highest mountain IN the
neigh borhood at sunrise to behold this specta-
Gle. apG similar custom existed 10 Swa ba.
AT Langenel, 10 Westphaia, pancakes we're
baked on Easter Day; after which the egg
shells were filled with holy water, and carried to
the fields to protect the crops from being IN
iured by storms. Consecrated palms are still
act solemnly in the meadows at Easter tor the
same reason.
On Easter Day it was customary tor the 10
babitants of Velmeda, Oh the Ruhr, to visit
cavern which is situated above the town. The
maidens then called down the almost perpen-
dicuar descent to the cave, ''Velleda, glib mir
eu Manu-" ("Velleda, give me husband y
TO which the echo responded, HAM (Shalt
have'') The peasants also Inspected the ln-
terror of the cave, which contained wells, tor
the hight of the water foretod whether the en-
suing year would be fruitful or the reverse. lu
HesSe the village youth perform like pilgrim
aye, with the addition CT placing bunch of
wthin the cavern. The also drink of the wa
ter, and take some home. This custom evi-
IDENTIFY refers to former sacrifices to Ostara
We now come to the universal custom of
Easter eggs, which exists all over Germany.
To Swabia and Hesse the Easter hare is pOpu-
larly supposed to lay them, and the Swabian
mothers, when they prepare the eggs tor their
children, generally place stuffed hare on the
nest. The Carlnthlan peasautry say that the
church bells 20 to Rome ou Maunday Thursday
to fetch them. 1t is generally considered the
duty of sponsors to provide their god-children
With the brightly. culored eggs. Red is the
tavorite hue, preference derived from heatl-
enism, as red was sacred to Donar, and the
Easter eggs are always if possible, taken from
those laid on Maurday Thursday.
1t is known that eggs were employed as a
sacrifice at the ancient Spring festivals, and
this is very likely the reason why 80 much
magical power has always been ascribed to
them. The writer's of the Middle Ages such
as Cesarius Won Heisterbach, relate numerous
stories OF bewitohed eggs; they were said to fly
toward the sun of their Own accord, they NOV
ed, and on being opened were found to contain
toads, snakes or lizards which were the we'll
known transformations of the heather delties.
Moreover there was the celebrated egg laid
by seven years old cock, which, when hatch
ed, produced a basllisk. A curious sigDi6ca-
ton is attached to eggs in Westphalia, when
young reasant comes woong If he is regaled
with coffee or porridge, it is reckoned friend
ly honorable reception, but he thereby under.
stands that be is only admitted as friend and
not as suitor Should turuips or other vege-
tables he set before him, they signify that ne
Is totally unacceptable; but an omelette With
green herbs, or eggs alone, IS sure token OF
welcome, and he need then fear no refusal.
Easter eggs are believed to have peculiar
properties, aud maiden can awaken love IN
mans S heart by sending him an egg which she
has boiled on Easter Eve. The Tyroese peas,
an, casts an egg, laid 90 Holy Thursday and
tie then buries it where it falls, and this will
preserve his house from fire aod iight thing.
There are also Easter games, called Elerklau-
ben, or Gathering the Eggs. They exist in
North aud South Germany, but they are held
on the grandest scale 10 Tyrol.
LITTLE SINs.-There are two ways OF coming
down trom church steepe-oue is to jump
down, and the other is to come down by the
steps, but both will lead you to the bottom.
80 thercare TWO ways leading to perdition, one
Is to walk into it with your eyes opeo-tew peo-
pie do that; the other is to 60 down by the
steps OF little sins, aud that way We fear Its too
common. Put up with few little slns. and
you will soon want few more, even heather
could say: Whoever is content with one sln
aud your course will be regularly worse aud
worse every year. Well did Jeremy Taylor
describe the progress of sin in a man. First 1t
stsrtles him, then it becomes pleasing, then rosy
theu delightful, then frequent, then habltual,
then confirmed. Then the man is impenltent,
l0eQ obstinate then ha 10 damned OuDp
reader the devil only wants to get wedge OF
siltte allowed sin into your heart, and you will
soou be all his own. Never play with the fire,
oe'er triae with little sins. Dare to do right;
osre to be true; you have work that 10 other
can do.
NUN UMBRELLAS