The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-05-30
EASTER KING.

What was denominated the Easter
King was probably the most singular
of these festive ceremonies in England.
We only read of its being practiced at
Lostwithiel, in Cornwall The free |
holders of that town and manor having
elected one among them as their king.
he was gaily attired and gallantly
mounted, with crown on his head and
a scepter in his hand, while sword
was borne before him. Attended by
large retinue of equestrians he rode to
the church in solemn state, where hewas
met at the porch by the priest, and
treated by him with much pomp and rev.
erence. After service was ended, the
King repaired with the same formalitY
to house prepared for his reception,
where a grand banquet was given, in
keeping with the pseudo mQnarch's as
sumed dignity. After dinner he was
disrobed and Immediately descended to
his former level. Probably this Gus
tom was of French origin. 1t is stated
that as the Emperor Charles the Fifth
was once passing through village of
Arragon, on Easter. day, he was ac-
costed by peasant who had been
chosen the Paschal, or Easter King,
decorated with tin crown and spit
in his hand for a scepter. He demand
ed of the Emperor that he should take
off his hat to him, 'for, sir" said he,
sit is who am King" To which his
sovereign wittily replied: much good
may it do you, my friend; you have
chosen an exceedingly troublesome en-
ployment.
EASTER EGGS.
The use of eggs at Easter was uni
versal, and is custom far from being
extinct. What can be more common
place than an egg! And yet the egg in
all ages and in every country has been
the subject of poetical myths and
legends. The ancient finns believed
that mystic bird laid an egg on the
lap of Vaimalnou, who Matched it in
his bosom. He let it fall into the water
and it broke; the lower portion of the
shell formed the earth, the upper the
sky; the liquid white became the sun
and the yolk the moon, while the
little fragments of broken shell
were changed into stars. En-
glsh and Irish nurses in
struct children when they
have eaten heaied egg always to push
the spoon through the bottom of the
shell in order to climber the witches
from making boat of it. " 1t is
difficult to give the precise origin of the
graceful custom, so universal in France
and Germany, and more or less preva-
lent throughout the world, of offering
eggs at the festival of Easter. The
Persians present each other with col
ored eggs on the 20th of March and
following days, when they hold their
great festival of the solar new year,
and the Russians do the same at the
festival of Easter At the feast of
Passover Jewish women are wont to
place hard eggs on table prepared
for that purpose, as emblematical of
their departure from Egypt. To the
philosophy and theology of the Egyp-
tians, Persians and other heather ma
tions, indeed, may perhaps be traced
the practice of distributing and pre-
senting eggs at Easter. Among these
people an egg was regarded as en-
blematical of the universe, as well as
the renovation of man after the deluge.
With Christians it is highly signifi-
cant symbol; in an earthly sense it is
the germ of fecundity and abundance,
and we wish our friends all vhe bless
ings contained within the slender shell
when we offer this gift, whose fragility
represents that of happiness here
below; and, then, in spiritual sense it
within itself the elements of future
life, and therefore is most meet en-
blem of the resurrection of Christ.
The Romans commenced their repast
with an egg, whence the proverbial
phrase, Gb OUO uSqat1 Gd mGtd-'from
the egg to the apples we still
say, to express going back to the very
commencement, beginning alb 900. In
Christian countries, from the Fourth
Century, the church prohibited the use
of eggs during the forty days of Lent
but as the heretical hens did not cease
to lay. a large quantity of eggs was
found to have accumulated at the end
of the period of abstinence. These
were generally given to the children
and in order to render them more at
tractive they were dyed with gay colors
or otherwise ornamented. A favoritt
game was to knock two eggs together
and whichever broke became the prop
CIb1 Vi Hill WIZ IClu bllO OOtlOl' "
course this would not profit much if thu
eggs were in a fluid state, and theme,
came the custom of boiling them hard
In some remote districts of France
is still customary for the priest OF tn
parish to go round to each house a
Easter and bestow on it his blessing
In return he receives eggs, both plan
and painted. In these same regions
belief still fingers that during Passio
week the bells of the churches set on
for Rome in order to get themselve
blessed by the Pope. During tn
period of mourning the bells are sa
and mute in their belfries, and til
peasants firmly believe that they haV
| started on their pious pilgrimage, an
: will return to set forth joyous pes
on the morning of the Resu
rection. People do not come bac
from so long a journey witt
out bringing presents to goo
} children. The JOY bells then alway
? come first and bear with them variou
t beautiful playthings. Easter is like
3 second New Years Day. The peasar
bestows on his child an egg dyed wit
t scarlet, like the cloak of Roman ca
/ | d;,ol onJ cunnOSad In come from Rom,