The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-03-23

A-XW
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\~ ID HE Easter season is full
&&S of curious customs In va
NM rious countries. In Ger
" MXVN many Easter nests are
AWH NJ made to hold the eggs
~ and many prepared good
les. These nests are made
sometimes Of twigs and ivy, or gilt
and silver leaves, or lace and artifi-
cial flowers. Sometimes a basket lined
with silk and trimmed with ribbon or
anything bright and pretty is used for
a nest. Besides the eggs, there are can
dies and cakes made in odd shapes Of
people and animals, with marbles, toys
and even books. But whatever else lie
missing, the eggs are always there, and,
strange to say, a rabbit-not a hen-is
set on top Of all. The rabbit is made of
pastry OF sugar.
On Easter morning the children hunt
for the nest, and the first one who finds
it cries out, 'Oster base, oster haser'
meaning Easter rabbit" The finder
then distributes the gifts, which are
marked with the children's m
In Paris thousands Of people go in
holy week to visit ''the tombs'' erected in
the various churches. scene represent
ing the birth and death Of Christ. The
figures in these scenes are made very
Gfelike and are grouped according to the
descriptions of the events in Scripture.
Many candles and beautiful flowers are
used to decorate them.
Eggs play an important part in the
Easter festival in Russia. 1t is estimat-
ed that 10,000.0 900 are used in st. Peters
burg alone at that time. 1t is necessary
for all persons to prepare a good stock of
decorated eggs for every one, and meet
ing and greeting an acquaintance to press
an egg into the hand. All the eggs have
"Christos vosskress," "Christ is risen,"
On them, and generally are decorated.
Besides the eggs, everybody gives a kiss
to all Of his acquaintance he chances to
meet. Not to do so is considered rude.
On Good Friday in each church is
placed a representation of Christ's body
after death, and as people pass by it they
kiss the wounds. Saturday is very quiet.
There are no services and no ringing of
bells. At midnight the priests appear at
their several churches, the song, Christ
is risen from the dead" is heard, the
churches are suddenly lighted, and peo-
pie kneel in groups to receive a blessing.
Then the Easter kissing begins. and ev-
erybody kisses all with whom he has the
slightest acquaintance. In st. Peters
burg there is a grand illumination with
fireworks.
In Siberia people shake hands and
present eggs to each other on Easter
morning. These eggs are exchanged for
other eggs, and SO on ad infnitum until
the day is over. Men go to each others
houses in the morning and utter the
greeting, Jesus Christ is risen" The
reply is, Yes, he is risen," after which
the people embrace, exchange eggs and
drink brandy.
In the Greek church in Asia Minor the
Easter ceremony consists of having g.
small bier, decked with orange and cit
ron buds, jasmine flowers and boughs,
placed in the church, with a crucifed
Christ rudely painted on a board for the
body. Before daybreak a huge bonfire
is lighted, singing and shouting INDUCED
In and every honor paid the efigy, ac-
companied by presents of colored cakes
and Easter eggs.
The observances of Easter are especial
ly interesting at Jerusalem, where the
event which they commemorate took
place. A single mass is celebrated on an
altar erected for the occasion ip front
of the s%epulcher, which is in the Church
Of the Holy Sepulcher. The Patriarch
Of the Holy Land celebrates it, and he
is assisted by members of the Franciscan
order. The friars come in a body, and
many high officials attend with their
retinues. There is always a vast num-
Der of pilgrims In Rome during holy
week, and among the worshipers one
may see Persians, Russians, Albanians,
Assyrians, Kurds. Armenians, Egyp-
tians, Abssynians, Turks, Arabians and
all sorts of Europeans. On Good Friday
thousands attend a service at Golgotha,
which consists mainly of the mailing of
an image to a cross, a sermon on the
cruciixion, the taking down of the image
and its removal to a tomb after being
laid on a slab of marble supposed to be
the same one on which Christ's body was
laid.
In Rome Easter day is the grand
est of the year. The Boston Transcript
gives this brief description Of the cere-
monials: 1.-The pealing Of cannon ush-
ers in the day, and at an early hour thou
sands of men, women and children hasten
to St. Peters. The church is newly dec
GRATED for the occasion, and around the
tomb Of st. Peter Ia a perfect blaze of
Light. The holy father oficiates in per-
son at the high mass. He is borne from
the hall of the Vatican to the church
seated in his chair of state, carried on
the shoulders of his officers. His robes
are most gorgeous, and upon his head is
the triple crown, which signifies the en-
bodiment in his person of temporal and
spiritual power and q union of both. On
each side of him and before and behind
march men bearing huge fans of os-
trich feathers, upon which are painted
eyes to symbolic the eternal vigilance
of the church. In the church he rests un-