Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-03-29
EASTER.

| Nill llSlldIiS tNcl NllcIc JolCC' lOl LStol
er, the queen of festivals, is here, put
ting new song of thanksgiving int,
the hearts and mouths of those who re
gard the season as a high and no
ly one, and bringing sort of resting
place to the minds of others, who, cling
ing to the sentiment and poetry of re
ligiOn. observe, without attaching any
special sanctity to the same, this ami
versary which touches the sensibility anC
calls a tender, loving picture to the i'm
aginatiOns.
Easter in Christendom, of course
commentaries the resurrection of Christ
though it takes its English name from
the Teutonic goddess of spring, EaStrt
or Ostera, whose feast fell at the same
season, the name being retained though
the character of the celebration was
changed. 1t is one of the movable feast
moving backward and forward between
March % and April 25, according as the
full moon next after the vernal equinox
falls nearer or further from the equinox
Easter day, according to the ecclesiaS-
teal rule, is always the first Sunday af-
ter the full moon which happens upon
or next after the 21st of March, and if
the full moon happens upon Sunday,
Easter day is the Sunday after. This
decidedly complex rule was only arrived
at after long striving and much con-
irving. At the very beginning diff
ference of opinion arose, some of the
Christians keeping their festival on the
same day that the Jews kept their Pass
over, the 14th of Nisan, while others, at
taching more Importance to the day of
the resurrection, and also desiring to
mark more conSpicuOuSly the difference
between themselves and the Jews, kept
! their festival on the Sunday following
the l4th of Nisan. Discussions at first
pacific soon became heated, and threat
ened at the close of the second century
schiSm. This, however, was avoided
by compromise, the Eastern and West
ern churches agreeing to each maintain
its own custom. The situation was fur
ther complicated by the fact that the
ordinary Jewish year consisted of 354
days or twelve lunar months, a thirteenth
of thirty days being intercalated every
third year. Even then, however, the
Passover often fell before the vernal
equinox, and the Western Christians,
who considered the yernal equinox the
beginning of the natural year, objected to
a mode of reckoning which might cause
them to hold two paschal feasts in one
year and none in the next. Constantine
had the matter settled for the whole
church at the council of Nice in 325,
making Sunday the Easter day and lay
ing down the rules which are still fol
lowed.
The MetOnic cycle of nineteen years
was first adopted, Melton having observ-
ed, B. C. 433, that the moon returns to
have her changes on the same month
and day of the month in the solar year
after lapse of nineteen years. But the
new moon, though it happened on that
day, returned an hour earlier, so RO-
man cycle was framed of eighty-four
years, it being thought that in this space !
of time the moons changes would not
only return to the same day of the |
month, but of the week also. In 457 !
the more perfect Victorian period of 532 |
years was drawn up, which was adopted |
by the church at the fourth council of
Orleans, 541.
On Easter day depends all the nova
BILE feasts and fasts throughout the year
Before "the queen of the festivals"
march, like a stately body guard, the
nine preceding Sundays and behind her
the eight succeeding ones. Though since
1864 it has not begun the year in France,
it is very important day, not only in
the church calendar, but hav-
ing much to do with the colleges and
schools.
Many of the old customs of Eastertide
still linger with us. The beautiful one
of singing Easter hymns, remains fea-
ture in the Tyrol. Bands of musicians,
for which the TyrOlese have always been
noted, traverse every valley, singing the
beautiful Easter hymns to their guitars,
calling out the people to their doors,
who join them in their choruses, and to-
gether rejoice over this glad anniversa-
ry Their wide brimmed Spanish hats
are decorated with bouquets of flowers;
!
and, when the darkness of night comes
on, bear lighted torches of the pine
wood, which throw grotesque shadows
over the spectators and picturesque
wooden huts.
With much of the lore and literature
Of Easter day our readers are acquaint-
ed, whether reference be had to the egg,
the hare, or the dancing of the sun. The
Easter egg, however, it may be worth
whether it be hens egg boiled
in piece of colored print, or costly
envelope for bOa-6OnS-is supposed to
the eggs used at the feast of
the Passover, or the colored eggs given
at the solar festival of the New Year by
the old Persians. The egg, a natural
symbol of life, appeared in the Atheni-
an mysteries of Bacchus, in the HindOO
fables, in the japanese worship, in the
religious rites of Egypt The early
Christians were wise as well as ingeni-
1us when they seized upon the imme-
mortal superstitiOns and uSageS of the
world around them and gave them a
and part in the great work of
he church. :
Easter week at Rome is always great
season, being celebrated with elaborate
ceremonies. The Landing of JOY" as
Easter day is designated, is ushered in
~ the firing of cannon and merry peal
If bells. At st. Peters the Pope offici-
ties at high mass and prOnounces ben
,diction with indulgences and absolu-
ion. An unusual number of distin-
guished people will witness the ceremo-
lies this Easter, which will be of unusu-
Il magnificence, owing to the fact of its
,eing the Jubilee year.
BRACE UP.
You are feeling depressed, your appe-
lite is nOOr YOU are bothered with head