The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1876-04-16
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Christian Worlh WIN kfehp ueVopioh
and auhlImlty. From recent edition
of the American Encyclopedia we CON
dense the following interesting article
In reference 10 the day. lie origin and
mode OF observance The day IL spe'
cIally observed ~ the Christian PASS
over and festival Of tbs resurrection
Of Christ The name, h,aster, IL de-
rived from that Of the Teutonic god
dess OF spring, ostera or Eostra, whose
festival occurred about the same time
of the year as the celebration
of Easter. Both the east
ern and western churches,
from the beginning distinguished
a two-fold event In the Easter com
memoration, the Staying Of 1.-THE Lamb
of Godp aud his resurrection. And the
distribution between the day on which
Christ died and that on which he rose
again had not q little 70 do with the
Easter controversy In the early church,
originating In a difference OF custom
with regard TO the day ofthe week aud
the day OF the month on which Easter
should DO celebrated. Az the Chris
tians held that Christ, the true pascbal
lamb, had been slain on the very day
when the Jews In celebration Of their
passover inundated tho hgurative
lamb, 80, both In the West aud the
East, those who believed the Christian
passover to be commemoration OF
Christ's death adhered TO the custom Of
holding the Easter festivity on the day
prescribed for the Jewish pasach. AS
the Jews celebrated their passover on
the l4th day OF the first month, that is
to say, the lunar month Of which the
l4th day either falls on or next fol-
lows the day Of the vernal equinox, all
Christians who persisted In following
this custom In the celebration OF
Easter came to be called quartodeci'
mans or "fourteenth.day men," or
Judaizing Christians. The great ma
jority OF Christian churches, attaching
the most Importance to the day oil
Chrlst's resurrection, which was the
first day Of the week (hence called the
Lords day, our Sunday, held to
Casters being celebrated on that day,
and on the Sunday which followed the
l4th day of the moon of March, the
day on which Christ suffered. This
question, one of custom and local dis
cipline In the beginning, had given 30
much trouble that about the year '6S
Polycarp, disciple Of st. John the
Evangelist and Bishop OF Smyr-
ma, went to Rome to consult
with Pope Anicetus ON the
means of healing the difference
In the council held in Rome on this
occasion, the Western and present
manner of celebrating Easter was af-
firmed, but Polycarp departed with
the full friendship of the Pop c and in
r the communion of the church of Rome.
Gradually, however, the question OF
the Easter celebration from one OF dis
cipline became one of dogma. In lS2 a
priest called Blastus made himself very
obnoxious In Rome by endeavorin
to have the Jewish rule Of celebrating
Easter on the l4th day OF Marcl
}, adopted az q rule OF faith. The dis
y cussion throughout the Christian
Y world had become SO angry that Poly
crates, Bishop OF Ephesus, appealed t.
r the Bishop of Rome, asking to hav'
the matter settled ut once and for all
Councils were ut once assembled IL
Gaul, Pontus, Osrorene, Aohaia and
y other countries, as well as In Rome
The result was o decision fixing the
feast of Easter, or the resurrec
ton, OH the Sunday Immediately
3 following the l4th day Of the Marcel
moon. Many dissented from this de
cision, but the contending partie
agreed to maintain their RESPECTIVE
customs and practices witho ut censul
q ing each other. Constantine had TIL
!, subject brought before the Council O
n Nice in 1924, when the question wa
n fully discussed and finally settled fc
IF the whole church by adopting the rul
y which makes Easter day to be Away
the first Sunday after the full moo
y which happens upon or next after tn
2lst of March, and II the full moo
happen on Sunday, Easter day is tn
succeeding Sunday.
3. The modes of observing Easter do.
9 vary with times and customs. For
merly the churches were ornamente
with large wax candles, and the Chrii
in tians saluted each other with kif
III and the words "Christ is risen,"
which the response was made, HE
risen indeed" This custom Is still RI
tanned in the Greek church, particular
i ly In Russia. The day before Easte
Sunday, or Holy Saturday, has eve
been set apart as day for special
solemnizing baptism. Courts @
Justice were closed, aims wer
:. distributed, slaves were freed, an
the people gave themselves up to en-
joyment and feasting. In nearly al
Christian countries the recurrence o
" Easter has been celebrated with vari
= GUS ceremonies and popular sports an
10 observances. Among the best know
y Is the custom Of making presents Q
=, colored eggs, called pasch or pace eggs
= which were often deliberately orna
> mented. In some parts of Ireland tn
:, legend is current that the sun dance
= In the sky on Easter Sunday morning
y This was once a prevailing superstition
= In England also, which Sir Thoma