Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-03-30


" festival which cell
~ ebrates the birth
day of j es
Christ. Easter is
that which cele-
brotps hi, resurrection and ascension. This
oueen OF festivals has lessons wrapped up
in is origin and history almost rs inter
sting As those To be found in its customs
sud legends.
ORIGIN AND HISTORY.
The name East or i no doubt derived from
.Ea,rre the saxon goddess, whose festival
NJ spring was celebrated ages ago, but
wheeler il j. from hat or from "ostcr," a
riSiuc-enb ltnatic OF the resurrection-th
festival itself comes direct from the Jewish
rasoovrr and i clearly survival of the
"PaSrhal fest 1t *. however, different
rom the passover and is not. like Christ
mas. a fixed day of the month, but is one
,f the movable festivals, regulated by tie
tulI moon and the Nernal equinox, though
living always between March III and April %
From the earliest days OF the Christian
.r, rhis festival has been celebrated with
rhr deepest solemnity. TO the early Chris
mans il meant more than any other of the
cburch's feasts. Occurring at the time of
the Jewish passover and for centuries
mixed with it III date, it vet dis
rincU and 80 d ifferent that in many countries
= necessary part of the celebration was the
eating of bacon, the special adherence of
the ISraeliues. To the Christian it
i'm no degree connected in meaning with the
passover Its meaning was to him the be-
ginning of q new life, 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 ''SurreNit.'' Gle i rise0)
and the solemn response, We're surreNit,"
lie is risen indeed, cemented and bound
closer together for anot her revolution of the
sun the hea.,s OF true believers. For hun
dreds of wears the ceremonies have been
kept up. They have passed from one coun-
try To another; they have gone from one
people TO n different one With each success
sive step changes have come; with each ad
vance into paw territory mod itcauionS have
arisen. National and even local character
i.Uics have Stamped themselves upon the
ceremonies. Causing many changes. and in
.oma INSTANCES new features have been
added But III all places and at all times it
has been the sunday of Joy" the bright
day =" the queen of festivals.
CUSTOMS AND IEGEN
The fact that the joys and delights of
Easter follow Immediately after the peni-
teutial season of Lent is responsible for
many of the customs that have accom-
panied and the modes of celebration that
have charact sriZed the day When the
penitents ia southern Italy. during the last
days of Lent in solemn procession marched
barefoot over rough roads, and covered with
.sckclOth dropped blood from brows which
were encircled and pierced with u crown of
th0rns, 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
rury that such gatherings. religious though
they were. had to be suppressed.
Ia Rome tie celebrations We're sufficiently
decorous. The decorations and ornamental
tions were most extensive. The pageantry
" armed b, lies of men and in later years
salutes of cannons the carrying of the pope
himself To st. Peters under gilded can
Opy 70 oticiate at mass with imposing &c
ce-SorieS. all tended to make the celebra-
ton grand and impressive one.
Tie 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 salutaticn
"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-
sour death, burial and resurrection as
real rs they We're to the disciples 20 cen
turtles 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 tarcIcal and hilarious exhibitions. The
Closing of leg ! tribunals. the dispensing of
aims, the tre' ng of slaves and the turniLg
Inns f,t, ,s.I.. u
Fotlon OF eaci to the joys following free
dom from IN bondage of sin and the free
dom OF Chri- from the letters of the grave
nave Deem characteristic of all countries,
Out Ia many ave assumed different phases
Liberty became license eometimeS as when
the priests "a clergy Joined i'll the farcical
exhibitions told Jokes and read very ques-
sionsie stories from the pulpits, played
hahuhaN Houn the altar and Joined. in feas.3
which BEGAN riotous orgies even inside
The church building
these We're IN time suppressed but MANY
OF the customs which would now no doubt
oe considered coarse We're then deemed
quite harmless, such as the taking off
OF shoes" and the lifting " for penalties,
SIC III many countries girls and women
rarely appeared on the streets Easter MOI
Gay, because whoever met them might stop
'heh anu lake their shoes, to be redeemed
oAIS DS ices or kisses The women could
Le'ailaIe upon men and boys the following
Jay The origin of this, it is thought was
the ancient custom of removins. the shoes
"hen standing upon holy ground
centuries ago the custom of lifting" on
Easter morning was universal Men would
80 through the streets i'll pairs carrying be-
tween them u gayiy decorated chair into
when they would seat every woman
eouhtered and lift her as high as they could
aooNe their heads. This custom originated