The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1878-04-23
EASTER.

EASIER.
Something About the Day and its
Origin.
How it Has Been and il Observed.
Last Sunday was Easter, the Christian
passover and festival of the resurrection Of
Christ.
St. Paul calls Christ 'our Pasch," and
both the eastern and western churches from
the beginning distinguished q twotold event
in the Easter commemoration, the slaying
of the "Lamb Of God" and his resource
ton; hence they term in their liturgies.
pascha cruci6rionis and pasoha resarreaionis.
And the distinction between the day on
which Christ died and that on which he
rose again had not little to do with the
Easter controversy in the early church,
originating in . difference of custom with
regard to the day of the week and the day
of the month on which Easter should be
celebrated. As the Christians held that
Christ, the true paschal lamb. had been
slain on the very day when the Jews in
celebration of their passover inundated
the fugitive lamb, 30, both in the West and
in the East, those who believed the Christ
ian passover to be . commemoration OF
Christs death adhered to the custom of hold
ing the Easter festivities on the day pre-
scribed for the Jewish pasch. Now, as the
Jews celebrated their passover on the 18th
day of the first month, that is to say, the
lunar month of which the 1ith day either
falls on or next follows the day of the YER
nal equinox, all Christians who persist in
following this custom in the celebration Of
Easter came to be quartodecimans or "four-
teen-day men," or, still more opprobriously,
Judaizing Christians. The great majority
of Christian churches, attaching most i'm
portance to the day of Christ's resurrection.
which vas the first day Of the week thence
called the Lords day, or 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 discipline in the begin
n,ns, had given so much trouble that about
15S Polycarp, disciple o: St. John the Evan
gellst and bishop of Smyrna, 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
or present manner Of celebrating Easter
was affirmed; but Polycarp departed with
the full friendship OF the pope and IN the
communion Of the church of Rome. Grad
ualiy, however, the question Of the Easter
celebration from one of discipline became
one of dogma. In lS2 a priest called
B.as,us made himself very obnoxious in
Rome by en- deavoring to have the Jewish
rule of celebrating Eater on the l4rh day
of the moon of March adopted as a rule of
faith. The discussion throughout the
Christian world had become so angry that
Polycrates, bishop of Ephesus. appealed to
Victar, bishop Of Rome, asking to haye
this matter decided at once and for all.
Councils were at once assembled in Gaul,
Pontus, Osrene, Achaia, and other coun-
tries. as we'll as Rome. The result was a
decision fixing the feast of Easter, or the
resurrection, on the Sunday Immediately
following the 18th day of the March moon.
Po!ycrates refused to acquiesce in this de-
cision, because It involved an abandonment
of accommodation pronounced against
the quartodecimans by the council of Rome
was held in allegiance, at the prayer of Ire
nseus of LYONS, and a schism was thus
averted. After this the contending parties
agreed to MAINTAIN their respective GUS
toms and practices in this respect without
censuriuR one another Constantine had
the subject brought before the council of
Nice, i'm 325. The question was fully dis
cussed, and finally settled for the whole
church BY adopting the rule which makes
Easter day to be always the fret Sunday
after the full moon which happens upon or
next after March q, and If the full moon
happen on . Sunday, Easter day is the
Sunday after. By this arrangement Easter
may come Is early as March q, or as late
~ April Is. In France the year began
with Easter from the 18th century till
1864, for which year Charles IX, fixed Jan.
as the first day. This sacred festival has
been termed the queen of festivals; it has
been observed from the very beginning and
is celebrated in every part of the Christian
world with great solemnity and devotion.
Formerly the churches were ornamented
with large wax candles, and Christians sa-
luted each other with kiss and the words,
'Christ is riser" to which the response was
made, "He has risen indeed" This custom
is still retained in the Greek church, par.
ticularly in Russia. The day before Easter
Sunday, or Holy Saturday. has ever been
set apart ~ day for specially solemnizing
Baptism. Courts of justice were closed,
aims were distributed, slaves were freed,
and the people gave themselves up to en-
joyment and feasting. In nearly all
Christian countries the recurrence of East
er has been celebrated with various ceremo-
mics and popular sports and observances.
Among the best known Is the custom of
making presents of colored eggs, called
pasch or pace eggs, which we're often elab-
Orately ornamented, and in a royal roll of
the time of Edward l.. preserved in the tow.
er, appears an entry of ISd for 400 eggs to be
used for this purpose. Colored eggs were
used by children at Easter In . sort OF game
which consists in testing the strength of the
egg shells, and this practice il still con-
tinued in most Christian countries. In
some parts of Ireland the legend is current
that the sun dances in the sky on Easter
Sunday morning. The game of ball vas
favorite Easter sport IN which municipal
corporations formerly engaged with due
parade and dignity. and at Bury st. Ed
mund's within few wears the game was
kept up with great spirit by twelve old wo-
men. In the northern counties of England
the men parade the streets on Esster Sun
day, end claim the privilege of lifting
every woman three times from the ground,
receiving in payment a kiss or a silver six
pence. The same is done by the women to
the men on the next day.
Mrs. A. Il. French.
This talented lady will give public
reading at Smiths Hall, on Thursday
night, April 25th. Mrs. French is gifted
with rare elOcutiOnary talents and has been