The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1878-06-12

/ DdCh W duCltilb lfl0GS. 1IS IlUt5 were 10 De
religious and festive. Jews, Egyptians, Ro-
mans, Mohammedans, Chnese--all have hon
ored the New Year. so that literally from the
rising to the setting of the sun the custom is
observed. Formerly different days were kept
by different nations, AS there was no uniforms
ity in the commencement of the year. Christ
mas, Easter, March 1st and other days have
in turn been honored. When Jan. 1 was tax
en- as the day, additional solemnity was be-
slowed from the fact that that day was the
festival of the circumcision of our Saviour
Among us there are various modes Of celebra-
ton; presents are given, bells are rung at
midnight to welcome the new year in some
denominations watch meetings are held. OF
recent years in our cities the day has been de-
voted in fashionable circles to visiting the
gentlemen sally forth about noon and make
as many five minute calls on their friends as
they can accomplish. 1t is the pride of the
men to make aud the ladies to receive the
largest number possible.
CARNIVAL.
Another day, not much known in this i'm
mediate region, but familiar to travellers in
Europe and to those cities in our own coun-
try where the French element abounds, is the
carnival. 1t is celebrated ON the last day be-
fore the opening of the forty days of Lent,
which Immediately precede Easter. Its name
shows the degeneracy of the church. Being
the last day ON which meat could be eaten,
before the fasting of Lent, it became day of
uproarious hilarity. It's name comes to us
from two Latin words-cdrae gate, farewell
to flesh. Masking, dances, and all kinds of
absurdities aud frivolites were INDUCED in to
such an extent that the day seemed more de-
voted to evil spirits than the memory of our
blessed Saviour Its orgies, like those of
many other Catholic festivals, can be traced to
a heather origin--the festivals of the Spring.
Venice for time surpassed other Italian
cities in the spendor of its rites, but Rome
later claimed the leadership in folly. In New
Orleans, Memphis and Mobile, and some 9th
or of our Southern cities, there are grand pro-
cessions by the Mystic Grew" and 9TH
er similar societies. An attempt recently
made to introduce it in New York was q
marked failure 1t has been truly remarked
that the Anglo. Saxon nations cannot take to
such follies gracefully.
ALL FOOLS DAY.
April LIST is the day when it is well for all
people to be skeptics, and trust nothing or
nobody, for it has been dedicated from time
immemorial to practical jokes and tomfooery.
Some have thought that the day was original
ly intended to commemorate the sending of
Christ from one priest or ruler to another be-
fore his crucifAion, from Caiaphas to PLATE,
thence to Herod &C., rs represented in the
Passion Plays at Easter in the Middle Ages.
Others have sought its origin in some ancient
heather festival. Its observance is universal
through Europe, and thence has come to
I America. In France the unfortunate are
called april fishes, in England and with us
April FOOLS and in Scotland gawks. 1t is
peculiar fact that the Hindoos practice SINH
lar tricks at the Hull festival, March 81.
EASTER.
But the greatest of all the Christian festi-
walls is Easter, celebrating the Resurrection
Even this festival borrows from the heather.
Its name is derived from the German goddess,
Ostara, in Anglo Saxon Easter who was wor-
shipped at this season. The Hebrew name of
the Passover. intimately connected with
Christ's death and OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, still
survives. Easter may be traced to the age
Immediately succeeding the Apostles, and is
perhaps the oldest of all the church feasts.--
There was an ancient controversy between the
Greek churches and the Latin churches as to
the day that should be celebrated the Latin
usage prevailed in Western Europe SO that
with us the festival is movable, and may
cur at any time between March % and April
%. In the ancient church Easter was fay-
orite season for baptisms-many were post
poned for months that they might be celebrat-
ed on that day. The day was kept by closing
the courts, almsgiving, liberating slaves, feed
ing the poor frequenting in the churches, &c.
1t was called the Sunday Of Joy, both because
of its speaking of the Resurrection, and it's
closing the long fast of Lent. In the Middle
Ages its rites sadly degenerated and partook
of the barbarsm of the times. Rites were
| borrowed from pagan worship of Ostara who
was the German personication of the East
or the morning, and also of the opening year.
Sports, dances and farces were generally in
troduced. In some places the priests told alb
surd and ridiculous stories in the churches to
excite the laughter of the people-caled risus
paschdIis or Easter laughter The bonfires of
the German heather were exchanged for the
paschal tapers in the churches, some ofwhich
were enormous weighing 300 pounds, and the
worship OF the natural sun to that of the Sun
of Righteousness. The abuses of the day
were abandoned in the age Of Luther Calvin
and other great Reformers. In the Greek
and Roman churches and some branches of
the Protestant church the day still has official
recognition. In some lands the custom pre-
walls of friend greeting friend with excama-
ton g Christ is risen, to which the response
is ." He is risen ndeed.'' The use of Pasch
eggs is still very widely diffuscd, and is the
! best known of all the ancient Easter rites.
These are frequently stained of various col
ors, and given as presents, used for amuets,
or devoted to sport in a manner which the
/ boys can best explain. In the moorland parts
of Scotland the young folks rise early OH Eas-