St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-04-05
HOSANNAS TO CHRIST
The Great Festival Cele-
brated Throughout
Christendom.
Customs Of the Old-Time
Christians in the Celebra-
ton of Easter.
Feast Of the Passover Com
memorated by the Jew
ish Church.
Elaborate Musical Services
to Be Rendered in City
Churches.


Tennyson's Brook "For men may
come and men may go, but 1 go OH for
ever" The calendar has revolved, and
once again Easter is upon us. Easter!
What thrill of joy the word carries to
the heart of the Christian. To him this
great sacred festival-the queen of fes-
rivals. as it has been called-iS full of
hope and encouragement. His religion
here and his only hope of a hereafter is
based on the story of the death and res
direction Of Jesus Christ. The
birth of the Savior is glo-
riously commemorated at Christ
mas; but Christmas is not the
festival from church point of view
that Easter is. Christmas is strongly
associated with old-time reunions and
jollifcation. But with Easter it is diff
ferent. The people recognize the
strangely sublime story which it SYM
bolizes; the days of Lent which have
preceded it turn their thoughts to the
cross and make Easter the best OBJ
served festival throughout Christen-
dom. The festival is variously observed
in all countries, and the customs attend
ing it are of the most singular char
acter. Christians in Eastern countries
formerly kissed each other on Easter
Sunday and saluted each other with:
"Christ is risen,o to which the response
was made: He is risen indeed.". The
members of the Greek church in Russia
observe this custom to-day; but, from a
close study of the ritual of the Greek
church in Russia. it is difficult to see
how any connection between the Pro-
testant aud Greek church can be
claimed. The worship of the Russians
verges closely on to idolatry. The day
before Easter, OF Holy Saturday. was
set apart as a day for specially sol
emniZing baptism. Courts of justice
were closed. aims were distributed,
slaves were freed, and tile people gave
themselves up to enjoyment and feast
ing. The recurrence of Easter has been
celebrated with various ceremonies
and popular sports and observances.
Among the best known is the custom of
making presents of colored eggs, called
face eggs, which are very often elabO-
rately ornamented. In some parts of
Ireland the legend is current that the
sun dances in the sky on Easter Sun
day morning. The game of ball was
favorite Easter sport in England, in
which municipal corporations formerly
engaged with due parade and dignity,
and at Bury st. Edmunds within few
years the game was kept up with great
spirit by twelve old women.
Feast of the Passover.
While the crucifiXioD and subSe quent
resurrection is being commemorated by
members of the Christian churches, the
,1,ar nf To- riCl, ohr
the same time celebrating the Feast of
the Passover. AS the Christians held
that Christ, as the true paschal lamb.
had been slain on the very day when the
Jews in the celebration of their pass
over inundated the figurative lamb, so,
both in the West and in the East, those
who believed the Christian Passover to
+ be commemoration of Christ's death
adhered to the custom of holding the
Easter festivity on the day prescribed
for the Jewish Passover, instituted by
Moses, in commemoratiOn of the Israel
ties remaining intact Oh the night of the
destruction of the first born III Egypt.
Originally it was observed by sacrific-
ing Passover lambs toward the evenin G
OF the 18th of the first Hebrew spring
month and eating them on the follow
ing nj ght. Since the final destruction
of the temple of Jerusalem, the Pass
over has been celebrated by eating UNI
leavened bread during the seven tout of
Palestine during eight days, by absti-
hence from labor on the first and last
(out of Palestine Oh the first and last
two and by the observance on
the first evening (out of Pales-
tine on the first and second of various
domestic rites commemorative Of the
deliverance from Egyptian bondage, in
Guiding the recital of scriptural and le-
gendary narrative and familiar CONVEX
sation on the same national event. and
the chanting of psalms.
There. was no special attempt outside
the Episcopal and Roman Catholic
terday. All the churches of the de-
nominations named held services,
which were largely attended. A three
hours agony service was held at St.
Peters church, on Dayton's Bluff.
we're er Closed clos "a" and in the G after.
noon, the state OFFICIALS were allowed
to relinquish their labors for the day.
The banks also closed. but generally
there was very little cessation of bust
ness. Large numbers of people left the
city for various local and outside points,
DESTROYS of spending Eastertide with
tnelr IrleIlQS. All the TdllrOauS reported
a heavy passenger traffic. The ar
engagements which have been made for
tO-morrow's service have assumed con-
siderable magnitude. Never before in
the history of the city have services so
elborate in detail been attempted. and
the fact is evidence of the tapid strides
which choral music has made within
the past twelve months. The musical
programmes of the more important
services to be given are pu blished be-
low:
Christ Church.
The morning service at Christ church
will be one of the most elaborate which
has ever been attempted in the Episco-
pal church IN the Northwest. 1t is
questionable if the service. unsteady,
will be equaled in any church through
out the Union, while 1t will bear COM
parison with many superb cathedral
services in England. The sacred edi-
flee will, no doubt, be crowded to the
door. Service will commence at IL
o'clock.