Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-04-02

AM Au ANflhNNu lNuua Today fhOrn Dr.
service commemorative " the arsf res
direction Il Is Of little moment Whether
tradition end history agree us 10 the or.
igin Of Easter; centuries Of observation
are sufficient warrants Easter ante
dates an authentic history and there h
little doubt that tho SiHons brought thc
pagan feast aud he name from their
German home 20 Britain. Ages before
that The Angles did honor 10 Ostnra
and the Saxon easily converted the name
OF the heather goddess into that Of Eas-
ter and perpetuatcd her peculiar rites
iu their new island home. When Chris.
tianity Invaded Britain the Roman
priests found that the waking OF spring
was celebrated with feasiing and dnuc-
ing hy the use OF fire and the eating nnd
coloriug of crgA Il was comparatively
easy 20 convince these w0rshppers Of
false gods that the SIM Of Righteous.
uoss was more GO object Of alteration
than q material sun whose llfpgivihr
was subject 20 Limitation aud TO teach
the pagan that while the egg contained
life germ, the Christ they preached
was lie, with that policy. which was
/ common 20 these early missionaries. they
/ liked the time for the commemoratlon
OF the great event 10 the Christian re
iigions at the time Of year when the
Auglo-Sarons observed the spring fest-
val, and many Of the pagan ohsergances
( were retained.
Some hold thar Easter Is a Christian.
king Of the feast Of the passover. but
The history Of its estahlishmcnt shows
that much care was taken by early
churchmeu 10 prevent this festival flom
/ falling at the same time as the Jewish
/ fcast The day set for is Observance
IN the church Is the Sunday which fol-
lows tie paschal full moon aud 4 ran.
not be- earlier than March -. nor later
than April %
During the first centuries 10 the church
Easter rites still retained Lehthcalsh
flavor On Faster eve IL VAS customary
TO light Immense tapers N Ecu OF Hind.
ling bonhres, us was practlcoi Ia Ger.
many. There Ia little doubt that the
prominence given 10 eggs "a the celebra.
zion Of Faster - symbolic ~ the re.
yiyidcatlon at springtlme, aud long pre-
valling custom sanctions tho colOring
and hunting OF eggs. Colorel eggs were
presented 10 frisils end kept 10y them
as amulcts, aud IN Sc0.ltGd parties ol
young people wca, out early llaNci
noraing in search Of me eggs Of wnj
fowls to eat Tor good luck, This Gus.
tom Is preserved hy ac children via Va
out before Sunrise on tina. moruirs IN
search Of rabbits egss
Spring Is o season ~ loy nnd Easter
ohsoryances are evarTwaere AImaist
by a spirit Of gladaess. II "a not ,ssy
IN this bouofcent climate. whore flower,
bloom an the year. % appreciate fuly
the happiness springs awakel.ny hr..e.
10 those less favored than ourselves
lae reign Of frost IS over; each tin,
leaf and budding twiE becomes heral,
Of glad lldlngs and Il Is little marvel thai
the stern dweller In unfriendly climes
where 20 live through the severity o.
winter was question Of endurance
hailed with delight with song ana dance
with rites social and religious. the 10
turn Of a benign season, when out-of-dooI
life became possible aud hope OF con
tlnnod existence revived.
Surrounded by the many appliances 70
banishing discomfort It Is not possibl.
for moderns TO enter fully into the 30,
over material resurrection Ia ia annua
recurrence. but the event which Chris
tians commemorate as Easter Is caus
for rejoicing among the faithful o. al
nations, kindreds and tongues until thel
hope Is changed 10 glad fruitiop.