The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1889-04-19
miscellaneous.
A WORD ON EASTER EGGS

| 'bO5u gracious exclaimed hen one
morning, rs she observed the China egg in
her nest, some OF these days | shall turn into
q brickAyer."
But IT'S not of Cnina eggs, such as may
well set hens to thinking that we propose TO
write, but of those which have been used
tremendously since the Jews began to COM
memorate their deliverance from the house
| of their bondage.
The Pashka, or paste egg, is literally an
| egg used at the Passover, and wns very like
| ly an idea borrowed from the Egyptians,
who, in common with other nations of anti
guilty, regarded the egg as an emblem of
creative power.
There ia no difficulty either in tracing the
| hold the Jewish name for the Easter eggs
has obtained through so many centuries in
our common English tongue. Passover and
| Easter occur about the same time Of year
Formerly the two feasts began on the same
day, ard when there was an alteration
made in the dates there were number of
Christians strong enough to form sect
known as Paschitcs, who held fixedIy to the
opinion that Easter should be kept on the
fourteenth day of the moon, no matter what
might be.
The position taken by the Paschites gave
rise to long disputes. One of the pOpes
about the end of the second century, tried TO
settle the affair by communicating all whe
celebrated Easter on any other day than Sun
day. But papal anathemas were of no avail
and it was not until the decree of the Nicene
Council that the matter was settled by the
acceptance of Sunday, and the additional ar.
rangement that when the fourteenth day OF
the moon fell on the first day of the week,
Easter was not to lie observed until the fol.
| lowing week.
These DEGREES did not affect the question
of eggs, however. They had been used by
European nations, in connection with the
| new year, as symbozng fresh start in
| life, and when the date of the new year was
put back from the vernal equinox TO the
winter solstice, the Feast of Eggs was not
shifted with it, but remained part of the
unwritteu rites OF Easter.
Tne Greek Church attaches great deal Of
meaning to the egg at Eastcrtide. The Gus
tom in Russia has varied very little from
what is said of it in book published in Lon.
don, in 1899, where 1t Is stated that the Rus
SLAMS, "every yeere, against Easter, die or
color red with Brazzel Brazil wood a great
number of eggs, of which every man and
woman givelh one unto the priest of the
parish Easter Day in the morning. And
moreover, the common people carry in their
hands one of the red eggs, not only upon
Easter Day, but also three or four days after,
and gentlemen and gente-women have gild-
ed eggs, which they carry in like manner.
| They use this custom, they say, for great
lore and in token OF the resurrection, where
OF they rejoice. For when two friends meet
during the Easter holidays they take one an.
other by the hand the one of them saith g:
'Ths Lord is risen,' and the other answereth
1T is so of truth ! and then they kiss and ex-
change eggs, both men and woman continu-
ing in kissing four days together"
Kissing in the Russian dominions is not
so general now as three hundred years ago,
but the eggs are still handed about aud the
words of greeting are unaltered, "ChIist is
risen" being met with the response, at is
so of truth"
Eggs are also exchanged tremendously in
Greece at Easter and throughout Germany,
where, however Easter cards are more used
among grown-up folk, the hunting of eggs
through house and garden being a delight es-
pecially reserved for the children. The cards
have been in use among the Germans for a
long time. There is one in the British
Museum which represents basket in which
are three eggs, decorated with pictures illus
tratve of the Resurrection, all being upheld
by three hens. Over the centre egg is the
Agnus Del with q chalice representing faith
over the others are emblems of hope and
charity. Beneath is legend,
"All good things are three.
Therefore present you three Easter eggs.
Faith and hope together with Charity,
Never lose from the heart
Faith to to the church, Hope in God,
And love Him to thy death"
The precise date the Easter egg found its
way into England cannot be determined, but
certainly before the time Of Edward l., for in
the household expense book of that monarch
there is this item in Latin for Easter Sunday
-Four hundred and half of eggs, eighteen
pence" cheap enough certainly, and con-
trast to the price at the present time.
Some of the supersttious rites pertaining
to the egg at this season are retained in va
rious parts OF the country, but Invested, of
course, of the peculiar significance which
was attached to them in the days prior 10
these days of compulsory education. Egg
rolling, which was formerly INDUCED in IN.
der the notion that the farm land on which it
WINS practiced would be sure to yield abund-
antly at harvest time, has now become a
sport.
The very coloring of the eggs has now an
artistic meaning only; formerly it was a sa-
cred sign. Easter eggs are no longer thought
to be good for ailments; nobody preserves
them as charms it is no longer supposed
that eggs laid on Easter Day will keep fresh
longer or will result in fowls of the choicest
kind. Yet it cannot be said that the inter-
est has diminished with the more prac,-
cal view we now take of old customs.
Eggs continue to be stained very much as
they were centuries ago, and the gliding,
which is as ancient, at least as mythology, is
also kept up while, though the sacred and
mysterious meaning which formerly invest
ed them belong to an age when the common
people had no literature, and peasant who
could read was prodigy, yet the Christian
heart with the coming of that day Of days
which commentaries the resurrection of the
Lord Of Lords and King of Kings.-Demoresfs
Monthly Magazine
Householder Ito tramp mo, you can't
have anything to eat here Go right away II
| TramD-"Thats what thew told me over