The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1893-03-30

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 Easter is no doubt derived from
'Eastre, " the Saxon goddess. whose festival
of spring was celebrated ages ago, but
whether it is from that or from ''oster," a
rising emblematic of the resurrection-the
festival itself comes direct from the Jewish
passover and is clearly survival of the
'Paschal feast" 1t is, however, different
from the passover and is not, like Christ
mas, a fixed day of the month, but is one
of the movable festivals, regulated by the
full moon and the vernal equinox, though
lying always between March IS and April IS.
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 it in date, it was yet so dis
tinct and so different that in many countries
a necessary part of the celebration was the
eating of bacon, the special adherence of
the Israelites. To the Christian it was
in no degree connected in meaning with the
passover. Its meaning was to him the be-
ginning of 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 ''Surrexit!' Gle is risen)
and the solemn response, We're surrexit,"
Gle 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
many of the customs that have accom-
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 crown Of
thorns, it is scarcely to be wondered at that
their depressed spirits, when released,
bounded from tears to dancing and disor-
derby gatherings, even inside the churches,
and reached such extremes in the 10th CEN
fury that such gatherings, religious though
they were, had to be suppressed.
In Rome the celebrations were sufficiently
decorous. The decorations and ornaments
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 oficiate at mass with imposing &C
cessories, all tended to make the celebrar
| ton a grand and impressive one.
The same impressiveness and seriousness
encompassed the day for nearly 1000 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, ''Vere
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
tours death, burial and resurrection are ~