Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-05-11
WHITSUNTIDE.
A Famous Festival Celebrated
- by the Christian World.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DAY.
Rich in Quaint Old-Folk Lore. Peculiar
Customs, Sports, SuperstitiOns. Lee
gends and Traditions-The
Ancient Jewish Festival.
For the Gazette.

For The Gazette.
Yesterday was whit Sunday or whit
suntide." which in the calendar OF the
Roman Catholic. Episcopalian and Luther
an churches is proclaimed the greatest,
most important and most JOYOUS religious
festival of the entire year with the eXcep-
ton of Christmas and Easter. Throughout
Great Britain and the whole continent OF
Europe it is quite as generally and elabo-
rately celebrated by all classes and ranks,
from the highest to the lowest, as are those
two other great festivals with which it is
co-equal. In one sense it is even greater
and its celebration even more general than
Efhat of Christmas or Easter, for il is not
only Christian festival but Jewish one
as well. the event which it commentaries
in the Christian church having occurred on
the Hebrew day of Pentecost. That
Christian event was the descent of the
Holy Ghost on the apostles when they
were all with one accord in one place"
after the ascension of our Lord, on which
occasion they received the gift of tongues
or different languages that they might i'm
part the gospel to foreign nations. In our
own country at the present time the day is
generally celebrated by all our citizens Of
foreign birth, the German element of our
population, especially, deyoting great at
tention to it and keeping as a holiday not
only Whit Sunday but the following day,
Whit Monday. In all our Episcopalian,
Catholic and Lutheran churches special
services appropriate to the occasion are
held.
Among the ancient Hebrews our Whit
Sunday, which was their day of Pentecost,
was "a species Of harvest home. 1t was
calculated from the second day of the Pass
over, the sixteenth of Nissan.
General and joyous as is the celebration
of Whit Sunday, among such an immense
majority of the whole Christian world both
in our own and all foreign lands, il is al
most impossible to find anyone outside of
the clergy, who knows or can tell anything
Of its origin, history and true significance,
though il is richer in quaint old folklore,
peculiar customs, sports, superstitions,
legends and traditions than any other day,
be il
FAST OR FESTIVAL,
in the whole twelve months. Jewish chill
dren, Young men and women are much bet
ter posted on this subject than those of the
Christian faith. They will tell you that the
Hebrew law prescribed that reckoning be
kept from the Sabbath of the Passover TO
the morrow after the completion of the sew
enth week, which would, of course, be the
fiftieth day after the Passover.
This period included the Hebrew grain
shHIveSt which commenced with the first
Sheath of barley gathered at the Passover
ana ended with the making on the day of
PentecoSt of two loaveS of leavened bread
from the finest wheat -four of the new crop.
Thus III the Whit Sunday of the Christian
church we see another instance of the sub
stitution Of a Christian for Jewish feSti-
val, as in the case OF the replacing
Of the Hebrew Passover with the
Christian Easter Yet as is the case with
ysaRy holy days of the Christian church, 1t
is generally thought by antiQuarians that
our Whitsuntide was also identified with
one OF the great summer festivals of the
pagans OF Western Europe.
Among the English peaSantry from the
earliest Christian times down to the pres
ent day. the most elaborate folk ceremonies
of the whole year have been performed OH
Whit Sunday. Among the most notable of
these is what is called the WhitSun ale.
Ale was so universal n drink among the
early English that by its association with
various festivals it has added more than one
new word to our language notably
bridal" 4 corruption of bride-ale,"
which was a term applied to ale of pecu-
liar quality and strength, specially brewed
in honor of the bride at a wedding. The ale
used AT Whitsuntide. or the WhitSun ale,
was remarkable for its strength, and was
consumed at an 3SSemblage of the whole
parish, usually held in some barn near the
church. The ale was dispensed to those
present by the church wardens, and the
UtlSlllg lIbul us Ssi4t htIS OCNOltu
TO fund for the repair of the church. Two
persons, previously chosen, were designated
as lord and lady of the ale, sort Of
throne was erected for them at one end of
the barn, and they were attended by their
steward, sword bearer and other officials.
The persons filling these Offices were fire.
Quently paid small sums for their services,
and in the old church wardenS' accounts in
the English parish churches there fire.
ont 10 S1lfh AAp1VHn IN
her that was lady of the ale at Whitsuntide,
by consent. 5S.'
But of all the old English sports OF Whit
suntide the greatest favorite was the Nor
ris dance. This is believed to have been
derived from Spain through the Noors, and
its name is regarded as corruption Of the
Spanish Morisco, a Moor Originally
danced by five performers it at length be-
came customary TO have it performed either
by single individual or as many as cared
to participate in Il. There was finally.
grated on to 1t some features of an old
English country dance performed at GER
tain periods in honor Of Robin Hood and his
outlaws. from which circumstance female
participating in it was called a g Maid
Marian" after one of Robin Hoods sweet
hearts. One of the most distinctive feat
ures of the Morris dance was 4 pair of
carriers hung with bells and
WORN RY EACH OF TIE DANCERS.
In 1899 William Kemp, a celebrated
comedian of the reign OF Queen Elizabeth,
danced the Morris all the way from London
to Norwich. This feat al the time of its
performance was considered one Of the
most remarkable ever attempted. Kemp
published a most interesting and curious
pamphlet giving full account Of his advent
ures en- route and his wonderful exploit
continued to be theme of popular illu-
sion for many years afterward. AL along
the way the country people turned out to-
greet the dancer in such crowds that at times
il was with great difficulty he could make
his way through them. He was entertained
by the nobility and gentry during his pro-
gress. and on his arrival at Norwich was
II. -,