Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-07-31
THE DANCING PROCESSION.
Sacred Festivities of the Pious Peasants a
H. II,

Sacred Festivities of the Pious Peasants at
Echsternach.
While the Passion play is going on at
Oberammergau there has been going
on in the grand ducty of Luxenburg the
annual dancing procession of Saint Will
brord, writes the Brussels correspondent OF
the New York Tribune. It occurred at the
small town of Echsternach, on the 9th OF
May, the Tuesday after Whitsuntide
SAINT Willibrord, who lived in the seventh
century was to the Netherlands, Flemish,
and lower countries what st. Patrick was
to Ireland. He carried the Christian
faith to tfose regions, civilized them as
much as was possible in those bar.
barian times, and finally sought rest fol
his last days at EchsterDach, where he
founded an abbey. The legend says that
when the saint died the marble tomb pre-
pared for receiving his body was found tt
be too short, but that it was micaculousl,
heightened, so that the sanity corpse coulc
be laid in it. Tradition claims that wher
st. Willibrord returned at last from hi
holy pilgrimage to Echsternach the vii
layers could not restrain their Joy anC
demonstrated it by the sacred dances
which are renewed every year, two days
after Whitsuntide. Only during thu
French revolution was the custom inter
rupted. 1t is now more than ever KEEP
up, ,snd 10000 persons took part In tht
latest ceremony. The peasants believe il
the legend, according to which the sain-
Furnishes the Indifferent and incredulout
by affecting their cattle with an epidemic
the effects of which are like epilepsy.
The pilgrims arrive from all places
within a radius of forty miles. Most O.
them come on foot camping whereve
they can, III open air or In barns. Al
among them who possess and can play up
OF musical instruments bring them along
such as flies, drums, comets, etc, and pla,
on them as accompaniment to the dance
In the morning all this crowd forms itsel
on the German territory, beyond TIL
| bridge which crosses the Sure, the rive
| frontier between the grand duchy ant
4 Germany. A priest, who must have beer
born at Echsternach. addresses the crowd
! places himself at the head. and the p1l
/ grams begin to tramp on the bridge, il
the direction of the old church. Th
advance guard, proceeded by a sexton
! dressed In red clerical robes, sings thu
praises of Etanies of ST. Willibrora In
calm, digaified, religious tone, yhicl
| strangely contrasts with the clamor of tn
/ Thousand instruments which ACCOMPANY
Extraordinary dances of the people form
ing the bulk of the procession. Thos
dances are I-othing but repeated Jumps
and the highest jim ps are considered tb
greatest evidence OF devotion The pill
crime advance slowl y In rows, blocking III
entirely the streets, women holding chill
bred in their arms, old people being sup
ported on both sides by friendly assistants
peasants with satchels on their backs, con
| tanning provisions to last during the pl
1 .grimage. All these people never cease 70
d moment to dance, or rather to jump a
high as they can, until they reach the oil
church, where the priests bless the anan
articles they want to place under st. Will
brord' invocation. Tie pilgrims spen
the remainder Of the day in the streets O
Echsternach, where regular fete, some
what like Flemish Kermesse, is held
They then take up again their tramp t
! their homes