The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-02-16
THE HOLY LENTEN SEASON
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FAS
BEGINNING WEDNESDAY,


The Ancient Traditions Conneo'e" "'''
Its Observance-TheP Present Cnsto" >"
MateriaIistlc America Notes A"""'
Easter and other Holy Days.
"Aud Iesus was led by the spirit INTO tne
wilderness. being forty days tcnple9 Oh ,ne
devil. And la those days he uiu eat no'"-
ing"
Lent begins next Wednesday
In it, name It is the old English leynte,
sbrinc. and perhaps the Anglo-saxon
Ionc0an-tide or longthenihg time 0fthe year
Search for IFS origin as a Season OF fasting
and humiliation will carry one back TO the
forty DAYS deluge. the forty years tramp oil
the Hebrews in the Wilderness Moses fast
on the mountain. and Eliiah's abstinence
i'm the woods. Careful analysis Of the code
Of Moses will demonstrate that be was one
of the wisest law givers the world has ever
known. lie knew that cleanliness was
next 10 rodlness. especially in such
country as that Travelled by his followers,
and consequently when they settled down
i'm Canaan they had code with am excel
innt hyglonic basis. which. however, was
gradually Oh.curod in the ceremonial ana
ritual b0ln of the rich Imagination of the
rast. But the remembrance of the forty
DAYS and years remained.
IL THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
As many OF the Hebrew customs were
ongraned upon the Christian Church. it
was natural that when some time Of self
denial was set apart as preparation Of the
feast 0i Easter. tho period of forty days
should have been selected. and ms Easter
came M the spring. c0ntemporanc0us with
the feast of the Passover. tho time IN which
the annual nslng was observed. gave tne
name t0 70 in England. so first Lent began
On what is now the first >unday i'm Lent
! forty DAYS before Easter But as Sunday is
never fast day. the six sundays being de-
Quoted from the six week, Ten hut thirty
six DAYS Of fasting. TO remedy TINS
deficiency. 90 the slN weeks were
added four days OF the week preceding at
some time before the beginning of the
eighth century. and this originated Ash
/ Wednesday. AZ first the season was rigidly
Observed Dos outward marks of humiliation
aud by fasting. AS the church grew in
power and extended her influence 90 the
utterm0si parts of Europe, adapting herself
tO circumstances. and i'm many instances
p 1T NII-IN- N|A A"NtNNN'Io NW "NAN'I'NfN'HN 'A
incorporate those of the pagan nations She
c0nqueied, MANY curious practices grew up
about the Lenten fast.
is ENGLAND.
ln England this was particularly the case.
There from the nature of the country and
/ from the overlapping character of the SET
Element. local customs grew and were with
difficulty uUrOOted. pom some English
men fell the shadow of the spring fast bee
/ fore Ash W Cdnesday. Many made Dr. %
point On fine preceding Monday iotake leave
for ihe season Of cnliOps0 th.n slices OFF meat
usually dried. and hence arose the phrase
/ COllOp Monday This season was typical
OF fasting and was recognized ly tlc
butchers of New Castlc-upon-lyn Who, Do
+ 1921. entered into au agreement neither to-
seek nor accept opportunities for killing
cattle during Lent without the consent of
the brotherhood.
ASH WEDNESDAY.
Among the Primitive Christians it was
/ customary tO spend Ash Wednesday boo
sack-clOth and ashes. cmblems Of humility
b nnd grief Nifh prosperity much of the
austerity Of tine mst WIS done Away win.
though the priest continued the custom Dy
signing with ashes cross ON the forehead
of his flock. and repeating the formula.
I Do Remember man. though art dust and shalt
return t0 DUST
Good Friday was the great fast Of the
year, he custom of hlllOWlng rings and
Of their distribution by ihe King long held
sway. and the safe 0f cross buns Ou that day
ls still feature of English town life. The
hall0wel rings were supposed to shield tie
+ Wearers 0i them from the "ial.ing sickness
and from cramps. hence the name "cramp
rings" some times given them. THE old Pa-
|I |.II 10 H| ID. DO
logged island, used 90 exchange buns DO
/ honor '0f the feast of their deity, tOstre.
f The Christian missionaries, though they
managed tO change the life Of the early
/ Christian people in many respects, could
not persuade them 10 do away with their
E0stre buns.
IN AMERICA.
sowadaps. in realistic America people
nave lost sight of many of the ola ideas con-
uectcd with Lent. but its influence has not
departed. After "a lapse of centuries the
value of fasting, as q hygeenic measure, is
/ still recognized. and the restrictions of the
spring abstinence are welcomed hy many
high liyers who cannot voluntarily place
themselves ON low diet for any great length
0f time 10 has become quite fashionable
because convenient t0 observe Lent with
more on less .triciuess. Few persons i'm 500
NIfIf |0IIN "NNIIA N"I|N|N NAi" NNNN NH I'NN'N'
of tLo Sis or seven weeks ushered 100 by
Christmas. The continued round of pleas
ure. fthe german. reception. tea or theatre
party. with the consequent loss Oi rest and
exposure tO the winter weather. are wear
inguU0u the constitution. and the forty day.
~ fashionable fasting are great relief o.
the social li0ncss ana lion. For them Lent
means % change from musc.e-makIng meat
f1 brain n0ursling food. with the accepted
prOYis0 that for the time being the terrapIn
us "a i,h.
an DO not keep Lent alike, however. The
method depends upon the rgldiiy in The in-
difdual and very few give up entirely all
pleasures and amu-oments. one promises
herself hot t0 20 90 the theatre another says
She won't eat butter or dance the german.
and so 0n. Women observe the season more
faithfully than men.
I'm the churches special services are held
all during the lenten seasOn--in Richmond
in the morning. afternoon and evening. The
schedule is So arranged, SO far as afternoon
services are concerned. as t0 give one after
moan fn each eh nrrn