Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-03-24

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Some Account OF the Day and lts OhssFvaaos
-Cersmonies IN vaRseas Charchss
Relative to the Season.
Tomorrow will bo Easter Sunday, the
festival of the resurrection Of Jesus Christ,
or the Christian passover. It is the festi'
val upon which all other movable feasts
depend. After much discussion in the
council of Nice "a. D. $3.50 rule was
adopted which makes Easter day to be
always the first Sunday after the full
moon, which happens upon or next after
the 21st Of March. and if full moon
happen on Sunday, Easter day is the
first Sunday after. BY this arrangement
Easter may come as early as March
% or as late as April 25. This year
the first full moon after the 21st of March
was yesterday, March 23j, so that Easter
this year occurs within one day as early as
it is possible for it to occur. Some one
who has made an examination of the mat
ter, states that no man living has seen
Easter fall on the 25th of March. Its last
recurrence on that day was in 1742, and
for more than two hundred years it has
occurred but four times, namely in 1868,
1874, 1871 and 1742.
From the earliest history of the church
the day has been celebrated with great
formality and devotion. The altars which
have been stripped Of their ornaments
during Lent, are rehabilitated and gor-
geously decorated, and the music, which
has been sad and sombre, is succeeded BY
the liveliest and most triumphant strains.
In Catholic and Episcopal churches the
services are more elaborate than in any
others, though the Lutheran, Reformed,
Moravian and some Other denominations
also celebrate the day with considerable
formality.
In all ages the festival has been marked
by many singular ceremonies, customs
aud popular sports. Most Of these have
fallen into diszse in this country, except
the religious observances in the churches,
tho feasting upon eggs at home, and the
presentation to friends Of prettily colored
or elaborately engraved eggs. Children
are provided with all the cOlOred eggs
they want. and amuse themselves by
testing the strength of the shells by strik-
ing the smaller ends of the eggs together,
it being a rule among the youngsters that
the egg that is broken falls o
prize to the one that breaks it..
Besides the natural eggs that play such a
prominent part in Easter feasting, the
confectioners reap a rich harvest in the
manuIacCur0 ana SaIo Oh candy eggs OF
various kinds and cOlors. Of late years,
the rabbit appears as an innovation IN the
Easter customs, and to " bunny" is at
tributed the laying Of the many beautiful
eggs which fill the nests that good little
boys and girls are ap5 to find on Easter
morning. Some of these little rabbits are
real works of art and look very natural
indeed.
In Lancaster county and in many other
sections of the country Easter Monday is
celebrated as holiday, though it is not
one of Our'' legal" holidays. The pub.
lie schools are closed, the churches are
open, and when the weather is fine grea!
crowds of country people, in holiday
attire, come to town to have a good time
Easier Day at st. James.
The chancel of St. James to morrow will
be decked with a profusion of flowers.
The first celebration will be at a. m. AT
1880 the second service will open with a
grand professional hymn by the large sur
pliced choir of men and boys, under direc
tion of Prof. Matz. The remaining music
will be as follows: