Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1882-04-08
EASTER.
! FIRST 0 BsEsvANCE OF THE
FESTIVAL
.,ms q. prescribed BY sAe
.,, Of Nine on Whion
cu nav shall falI-DlTer.
~ ways Of CeiebI s'ins
event. &C.

,..r Is the doy on wh en- M su'
ann as's' church commemorates oul
Fistiah hrosnrrecticn. 1t is called by
FioI i ..sks Pssga, and in Latin pasona ls,, ~
GiesnS or essisnifying passage, and applied
fora as,sish s,sih feast of the passover. IL
(hs oeT Tsster in English, from the
sl.'s NJ Goddess Eostre. whose festival
ECn "A in April. Fart of the ar ncieni
liaa hela - churches kept their Easter
ps'lahh .hs same day that the Jews
s,vsd pa sd their passover and others .,.', on
eIvea W., Sunday after the first full
nis' the new year. This led to a
pn .sv u sn, which was finally deter
t,SIslIyh, gaS Nr the C,uncil of Nice, which
eea y 4 that i" Easter should be KEEP on
a,n'u and The he's same day which Is always
anu anu SUNDAY after the full moon
nt'e M 'hea,,cens upon, or next after the
nty.Srst ~ D day of March; anc II the
IVY yonn happens upon Sunday
m9ou u ia The next Sunday after.
sel ,hs srI spripg of 1876 there was con.
VII. shH ' disCrssion regarding the
lso'S Sav =, he observed ss Easter.
~ srst M full moon after the 2lst OF
n h'I, fsll i that year on Saturday the
" W. Anri', M and to adhere strictly to
oi AP.i I,sr day should have been
e1h u which was the first sunday
M mt the 10th was observed.
avoid being misled by this rule, II
10 Nv hornei ia mind that the words
moon ~ as used by the Council OF
% rsfar TO fictitious ful. moon,
= has about the same relation to
sc,nal full moon, that mean noon
|to apparent neon. The 1uil moon
c.irndar is the fourteenth day
imaginary lunar month, "ltho u
.afsrsuce to the condition OF the
h at that time.
,e Council however contrivea the
ca ric,ly, that in a long series OF
sands OF years its fictitious full
\ can never be more than two or
1 days out Of the way:
IA question Is often asked why eggs
,ssd at Easter, and by referring
bis,ory We find that the custom is
ancient. Hutchinson in his His
Of umberland" says, Eggs
held by the Egyptians as a sacred
lsm Of tho renovation of mankind
the deluge. The jews adopted
ppp to suit the circumstances OF
history, as type of their depar-
from the land OF Egypt; and it was
in the feast of the passover as a
of the furniture of the table, with
Paschal Lamb. The Christians
certainly used it on Easter as con
|pg the elements of future life, foi
b,blem of the Resurrection Alter
hing still further on the uses of the
b that time and of the custom OF
hing them, he goes on to say: ut
as II the eg, was thus decorated
religious trophy after the days OF
ifcatian and abstinence were over,
sstiyity had taken their place; and
emblem of the resurrection of life,
ti6ed to us by the Resurrection OF
h from the regions OF death and the
y
Germany instead of eggs at Easter
hblemati cal picture is sometimes
hted, aud from this custom came
Easter cards which are yearly
Ing more in favor.
italy even to the present day 1t is
mary on Easter eve, and Easter
for all the heads of families to
great chargers full of hard boiled
~ the church to have them bless
se eggs so blessed, they believe
the virtue of sancifying the en-.
of the body, and therefore are the
punishment ordered to be taken
p strict observance of Lent.
ter day which in Russia is con
d one Of the most joyour days in
lehder is set apart for visiting.
men 60 from house to house, in
Ping themselves by saying; "Jt.
hriss is risen!" and upon receivi,l,
hswer Eyes He has risen," the,
pee, exchange eggs and pI -lgr
elves In hearty drinks of sIrong
y.
m what we can learn of the early
ians Of Mesopotamia and other
fn countries, we find not only
Pnt for the custom of dyeing and
lting eggs at Easter, but also for
Pecies of gambling that is still
ced by the boys OF the present day. |
hd that in Mesopotamia and ad
countries protesting the Chris.
eligion, that on Easter day, and
~ days afterward 1T was the Gus.
the children to buy as many
they could get, aud stain them
color In memory Of the blood of
soed at the time of his crucifx-
one OF the sports OF the season
ted in the picking of one egg
another-tha egg broken by the
On beingsurrendered to the owner
egg making the fracture in
her e e.
le north of England it is the Gus.
tne children TO exchange eggs
antilles where an intimacy exists.
peer these eggs more attractive
pcSeptable,al the resources of color
ornamentation are brought in
uisitlon, while not unfreQuently |
lue OF tho pen-knife is resorted to |
kravlng some complimentary in.
oh or message Of love.
Eggs ornamented in this manner |
qasntly kept for a length OF time |
'lhlng is more common in some |
ern States than to see a number |
preserved very carefully in the |
cupboard. each egg being the
nv ~ OF long stemmed deep ale
through which tie inscription
read without removing it.
are eggs which would afford as
vlaence in a court of Justice, |
hpstonsor an old family Bible
nese .s several descriptions of an
us.oms' ss and the accepted signi-
vi the egg as mblematic of the
sCtlon 1t is not difficult to under
~ adoption for the Easter tide,
"a, as an object to please the fami
aiso as an article of food.
curious and wonderful however
: 'le persistence in customs, the
! uown Of practices which have
no more than abstract signiti
.ne fancies and habits that
centuries and nations, the one
IN r'Gm IN The other, and widely diff
u vi language, thought ard affec-
!. ,e descended to US, and are OBJ
!. nv. sne y present time just as they
The Rnp,~ n l