The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-03-31

it in the evening, and before daybreak
were suddenly awakened by the blaze and
cracking of a large bonfire, with singing
and shouting in honor of the Rcsurrec
tion. They made us presents of colOred
eggs and cakes Of Easter-bread'
yesterday, which in Russia, is consid-
cred one of the most joyous days in the
calendar, is set apart for visiting. The
men so from house to house, introducing
themselves by saying;-"Jesus Christ i:
risen " Receiving the answer, "Yes he is
risen y they embrace, exchange eggs, and
pledge in hearty potations of strong
brandy.
Hakluyt in "Book of Voyages" Of
very ancient date, shows how little the
custom of observing Easter has varied
with the Russians for several centuries
He says They (the Russians) bave an
order at Easter, which they always observe
and that is this: every yeere against
Easter to dye or color red, with Brazeel
wool, great number of egges, of which
every man and woman giveth one unto the
priest of the parish upon Easter-day in the
morning. And, moreover, the common
people used to carry in their handles one
Of these red egges, not only upon Easter
day, but also three or fourc dayes after
and gentlemen have eggs guided, which
they carry in like manner. They use it
they say, for a great love, and in token OF
the Resurrection, whereof they rejoice
For when two friends meete during the
Easter holidayes, they come and take one
another by the hande the one saith, "ThC
Lord or Christ is risen;' the other an
swereth, at is so Of a trueth." And ther
they kiss and exchange their egges, botl
men and women continuing in kissing
four days together"
DR.. Adam Clarke, in his "Travels il
Russia, ayers that the practice of greet
ing one another with kiss on Easter-day
is still continued at the same time rec
egg is exchanged, with the words Christie
nos Christie and all the servants of the
Imperial household kiss the hand of the
patriarch, receiving at the time gilded OIL
red eggs the highest order, three; the
middle, two and the most inferior, one
In Germany, instead Of eggs at Easter
an emblematical picture is sometimes pre-
sented Upon one of these, in the Print
room in the British Museum, three hen,
are represented as upholding a basket, il
which are placed three eggs, ornamented
with illustrative emblems of the Resur.
rection-the centre egg bearing the 4gau,
Del, with chalcc representing Faith
and the other eggs emblems of Hope and
Charity; while beneath are the following
lines in German:
- Allie CUTE ding seynd drey
| Drum schenk dir drey 0ster Ey
| Glaub und Hotinung sambt der Lieb,
| Niemahls auss dem Herzen schieb
Glaub der Kirch, vertrau auf Gott,
Liebe lhn bliss in den todt."
Which, translated into English, gives u,
the following interesting lines:
All good things are three.
| Therefore present you three Easter.eggs
Faith, and Hope, together with Charity,
! Never lose from the heart
Faith to the Church Hope in God
Aud love Him to thy death.
1t is still the custom in the north o.
England to reciprocate presents of eggs al
Easter, among the children Of families be
tween whom an intimacy exists. TC
render these eggs more attractive and
acceptable, all the resources of coloring
are brought into requisition while not in.
frequently the blade of the penknife i;
resortcd to for craving some complimen.
tary inscription, some aforementioned
circumstance or date; or the ornamental.
tion runs into the significant or faneiful--
the dye being scraped off with the knife
leaving the artists design on the colored
ground, as purely white as the sand on
the onyx, in cameocutting.
Sometimes these pasehe, pasqae, or pdstt
eggs are made the medium of conveying q
story suggested by Cupid lovers employ.
ing them as auxiliaries to the missives Of
st. Valentine--the etching representing
the Boy-god, with his bow and arrows
instead Of the well-known church emblems
Nothing is more common, says a
traveller in reference, "iu some Northern
villages, than to sec a number of these
eggs preserved very carefully in corner
cupboard-each egg being the occupant Of
deep, long.stemmed ale-glass, through
which the inscription could be read with
out removing it. Probably many of these
eggs now remain in Cumberland, which
would afford as good evidence of dates in
court of Justice as a tombstone or the
family Bible"
In Cumberland and WestmoreIand, in
the north Of England boys, we are told,
beg eggs on Easter Eve to play with, pit.
ting them the one against the other, and
carryingon the species of gambling noticed
in connection with the youngsters of the
old Dutch Church in Virginia. going with
their eggs to the fields and bowling them,
or using them in the place of the ordinary
ball aud beggars ask for them to eat
" Mith these several drafts upon ancient
customs, and the accepted significance Of
the egg as emblematic Of the Resurrection
it is not difficult to understand its adop.
tion for the Easter.tide, not only as au
object to please the fancy, but as food. II
is curious and wonderful, however, to note
the persistence of customs the handing
down of practices which have in them nc
more than abstract significance; the fan
cies aud habits that through centuries
and through nations remote the one from
the other, and widely differing in thought
idea, and affection, have descended to, anG
are observed at the present time, just as
they were when earliest instituted.
In our own country, with those Of thC
Roman and English churches, the obser
vance of Easter is considered Of import