, 1880-03-28


Awor1 on antiquities gives account Of various
superstitions that crept IN among the rites Of
Easter Even; such as putting out the fires in
churches, and kindling them anew with flint;
blessing the Easter wax, ETC. In England, it was
customary to light the churches with Paschu1
tapers The custom Of watching the scpulchre
ut Easter was ceremony .4sed in churches, in
remembrance of the solp;ers' watching the
sepulchre Of our Savior. Ehe making Of the
sepulcbrp Svns 9Dfthed upon an ancient
tradition that the second coming Of Christ would
be on Easter Eve. The ceremony continued in
England until tho Reformation The rites varied
in different places.
The custom in question is still Kept up in Bal
timore, unless recently abolished, at St Aphon-
SOS German Catholic Church. There arc three
altars at the end OF the church. One Of the side
altars is removed before Good Friday, and the
representation of grotto substituted for it.
The sides, of sanded marbleized paper, give the
effect OF it's being cut from the solid rock Nl-
merous gas-jets burn ut the side of the grotto;
and, as they are shaded with glass Of all colors,
d dazzling effect Of light is produced At the
flowers aud vines, so artistically arranged
that one can easily imagine they grew
there. At the end Of the grotto is a figure rep
nt the feet. On the chancel steps u crucitix is
placed, and there devout "orshipcrs Puy a
small sum for kissing each wound OF Christ.
the altar company Of children chant contin-
ually. This singing is kept up dny and night
When one party Of singers is exhausted another
takes its place. The church is crowded day and
night AS all the ceremonies are observed In u
very sincere AMI roverent manner, it is q touch
ing spectacle even to those who call it "super~
The day before Easter is sometimes called
9'Hoty Saturday." On the evening Of this dny,
in the middle districts Of Ireland, great prepa~
Many fat hen and dainty piece Of bacon is
put into the pot by tho cottcrs wife about or
o'clock; and wo to the person who should taste
it before the cock crows. At II Is heard the
cIapping Of hands, and the Joyous laugh mixed
with an Irish phrs.sc which signifies, ''Out with
Lent" AL is merriment for few hours, when
the people retire: but they arise about o'clock,
to see the sun dance in honor Of the Resurrcc-
ton.
This custom is not confined to the humble H.
borer and bis family, but is observed by many
highly respectable und wealthy families; differ
cnt members of whom / have heard assert that
they had seen the sun dance z on Easter morning.
GUS Head Pieces" l667, find this popular notion
alluded to in an old ballad: ''But Dick she
dances such way, no sun upon an Easter-Day,
is half SO fine sight ....
There was au ancient custom at Twckenham,
according to Lysons, Of dividing among the
young people in the church upon EAster-Day
superstitious relick' it was ordered by Parlfa-
ment "a. D. 1915 that the parishioners should
fOrbear that custom, and, instead thereof, buy
the money that should have bought the cakes.
1t appcnrs that the sum of Fl per annum
is still charged upon the yicarage for the pur-
GsH ed ater Eastes Whn the or
man these lOayes were thrown from the stceplc
to be scrambled for.
ncnt of Europe of abstainfng from eating flesh
upon Eastcrto escape fever for the whole
ycur This custom was condemned BY the Pro-
vincial Council of Rheims in l563 and by that OF
Toulouse in 1880.
There WIS formerly ia superstition that one
must wear something new on yesterday In or
In England, in the early part Of this century,
it was deemed unlucky" for Easter to occur near
Lady-Day tMareh a,5). In 1878 Easter was the I'D
Of March; in November OF that year Queen
Charlotte died. In 1Ss6 Easter came on the 2Sth
of March; that year great distress prevailed In
the commercial world: These condolences
tfOns.
In st. Petersburg Easter-eggs play very im-
portant part It is customary, on meeting an
f IS said fo BE- masng tg s the 5
Eets, where the painted eggs are sold:
They are decorated In q variety Of
or Eat, and think Of Me- The wealthier
classes do not content themselves with veritabe
egg but t6e '1S a 70 ate
rial Is to be mentioned that Is not made 1nto
Easter-eggs. -.....
st the Imperial glass~cutting manufactory
there are two halls filled with w0rkmcn who DO
nothing but cut flowers and figures on crystal
eggs Part Of these are for the Emperor and
EI1press, who give them away to members OF
the Court, and they in turn give them to their
friends the next Easter, SO that these Easter,
eggs often travel amazing distances. 1t Is said
t6nt one which came from the imperial palace
pussed through numoerless hands, high and low,
till ut last its possessor let it fall and broke IT.
and its fragments were pitched into the BLACK
Sea.