The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1893-04-06

ks,IJTH - strange TO some TO
s,Skklf:N be told that Easter
HN(VAH - in many countries
tTN'NsI& is more universal
<Q.ffssaf- ly celebrated than
e%.SeR1 Christmas itself,
VIZ but IL Is true. As
J1E Christmas is the
" festival which cell
r. ebrates the birth
day of Jesus
Christ, Easter Is
that which cele-
brates his resurrection and ascension. This
queen Of festivals has lessons wrapped up
in its origin and history almost as inter
esting as those to be found in its customs
and legends.
ORIGIN AND HISTORY.
The name Easteris no doubt derived from
"Eastre, the Saxon goddess, whose festival
Of spring was celebrated ages ago, but
whether IL Is from that or from 'oster, u
rising-emblematico of the resurrection-the
festival itself comes direct from the JeiSish
passover and is clearly survival of the
"Pascbal feost." 1t is, however, different
from the passover and is not, like Christ
mas, q fixed day Of the month, but is one
Of the movable festivals, regulated by the
lying always between March 20 and April 25
From the earliest days of the Christian
era this festival has been celebrated with
the deepest solemnity. To the early Chris.
tians it meant more than any other of the
church's feasts. Occurring at the time Of
the Jewish passover and for centuries
mixed with IL in date, 1t was yet so dis
tinct and so different that in many countries
o necessary part Of the celebration was the
eating Of bacon, the special adherence Of
the Israelites. To the Christian IL was
In no degree connected in meaning with the
passover. It's meaning was to him the be-
ginning of q new life, a new world. 1t was
the constant reminder to him of his Saw
iour's victory over death and the grave.
For hundreds Of years the salutation on
Easter morning of "Surrexitr' Gle is risen)
and the solemn response, We're surrexit,"
(He is risen indeed) cemented and bound
closer together for another revolution Of the
sun the hearts of true believers. For hun
dreds of years the ceremonies have been
kept up. They have passed from one coun-
try to another; they have gone from one
people to different one. With each success
sive step changes have come; with each adj
vance into new territory notifications have
arisen. National and even local character
istics have stamped themselves upon the
ceremonies, causing many changes, and in
some instances new features have been
added. But In all places and at all times it
has been the sunday Of JOY" the bright
day." the queen of festivals.
CUSTOMS AND LEGENDS.
The fact that the joys and delights Of
Easter follow Immediately after the peni.
tential season of Lent Is responsible for
g
panied and the modes of celebration that
have characterized the day. When the
penitents in southern Italy during the last
days of Lent, in solemn procession marched
barefoot over rough roads, and covered with
sackcloth dropped blood from brows which
were encircled and pierced with a crown Of
thorns, it is scarcely to be wondered at that
their depressed spirits, when released,
bounded from tears to dancing and disor.
derly gatherings, even inside the churches,
and reached such extremes in the 10th cen.
tury that such gatherings, religious though
they were, had to be suppressed.
In Rome the celebrations were sufficiently
decorous. The decorations and ornamental
tions were most extensive The pageantry
of armed bodies of men and in later years
salutes of cannons, the carrying of the pope
himself to st. Peters under gilded can
opy to ofliciate Mt mass with imposing ac.
cessories, all tended to make the celebra-
tion grand and impressive one.
The same impressiveness and seriousness
encompassed the day for nearly 2 900 years
among those people who lived among
mountain businesses or away from the
beaten highways of civilization. Among
the Swiss and Tyrolese, and even in parts
Of Russia to-day, the Sunday of Joy" wit
nesses the Easter kiss and the salutation
"Surrexit," with its pious response, We're
surreXit." In these primitive regions the
bells still ring upon Holy Saturday, the
jealous still sing Easter hymns, every cere-
mony is carried out, and to them the Saw
iour's death, burial and resurrection are as
real as they were to the disciples 20 CEN
turies ago.
In other countries, however, it has been
different. The solemn meanings of some
ceremonies have degenerated into puerili-
ties, and religious rejoicings have drifted
into farcical and hilarious exhibitions. The
closing of legal tribunals, the dispensing of
aims, the freeing of slaves and the turning
loose of Gagged birds, all typifying the de-
votion of each to the joys following free
dom from the bondage of sin and the free
dom of Christ from the fetters of the grave,
nave Deen CndTdCJeIlSJlC OF All countries,
but in many have assumed different phases
Liberty became license sometimes, as when
the priests and clergy Joined in the farcical
exhibitions, told jokes and read very ques-
tionable stories from the pulpits, played
handball from the altar and joined in feasts
which became riotous orgies, even inside
the church building.
These were in time suppressed, but many
of the customs which would now no doubt
be considered coarse were then deemed
quite harmless such as the taking of
of shoes" and the lifting" for penalties,
etc. In many countries girls and women
rarely appeared on the streets Easter Mon.
day, because whoever met them might stor
them and take their shoes, to be redeemed
only by fees or kisses. The women could
retaliate upon men and boys the following
day. The origin of this, 1t is thought, was
the ancient custom of removing the shoes
when standing upon holy ground.
Centuries ago the custom of ''lifting" on
Easter morning was universal. Men would
go through the streets in pairs, carrying be
tween them gayly decorated chair, into
which they would seat every woman en-
countered and lift her as high as they could
above their heads. This custom originated
in the ascension or lifting up of the Saviour,
and in later years degenerated into the
lifting" which caused every man to give
up Easter Monday to the sport Dispensing
with chairs, they would enter houses with
out ceremony. Women would retaliate
next day in the most boisterous manner,
all of which finally eliminated In such
scenes as the one in which the ladies and
maids of honor Of the court entered the
bedroom of King Edward I, and lifting
him from his bed carried him around the