The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1895-04-18
ORIGIN OF EASTER.
Queer Customs ana Supers, itions In
ali Countries.

ali Countrisa
The Egyptian Osiris was probably
the prototype Of he Lntin goddess
AuroFa-the dawR-Xho was known
TO the Germans aud Saxons a.
Ostara, or E astre. The latter god
dess was often worshiped Eigh fire,
probably rs an en- bleD of tho dawn
-Ostprfeur. When Germany be.
came Christianized, the new church
din its best TO trampie out all the
old pagan customs. But they could
not DO it. The Eastre festivals in
particular had taken a deep hold on
the hearts of the people, ana the
heads Of the new church wisely de.
cided TO make the Lest Of them. So
they turned them into Christian
observances instead of heat hen rites.
The people held fast to their eggs.
Let them z they would not. They
kept on cUloriDg and giving them as
pr-se hts quite as much rs though
they still woi SHIPPED the goddess
Eestre.
Ore must go back to the Persians
for their first Observance Of the egg
| day. Before their conversion to
, Northumberland the Persians reck-
oHed the beginning oil their new year
| from the day in which tie sun enters
| Aries, which is in March. According
| to one OF the ancient cosmoganies,
all things were produced from an
! egg, hence called the mundane egg,
| This cosmogany was received III
| Persia, and on this account there
| obtained among the people Of that
| country Ii custom Of presenting each
| other With an egg, the symbol o.
new beginning OF time on every New
| Years day-that is, on tue day when
| the sun enters Aries.
Among the Jews the season OF the
ancient New Year beca me that OF the
passover, and among the christians
The season OF the passover has be-
| come that OF Easter.
In many parts of Ireland and Eng
land in olden day-ithe belief obtained
that on Easter morning the sun
danced in honor OF the resurrt elton.
On the evening of Holy Saturday
| great preparations were made for tie
| flushing of Lent. Many fat hen
and dainty piece OF bacon were put
| in the pot by the cotters wife, and
woe to the person who should taste
it before the stroke OF u, but at
that hour would be heard the clap
| ping OF hands and cries OF "Out with
the Lent' Ali would be feastipg
and merriment Tor a lew hours, when
the good people would retire, to rise
about 4 O'Clock in order to see the
sun dance.
1t is the custom Of German families
on Easter Eve to place sugar and
| h. = T.,
piums, in n nest, then TO conceal it
with dried leaves in The garden, that
the joyous children may hunt to1
them on Easter morniug
l6 is a super-titlon al over the
world shat oie should wear new
clothes OF, Easter day. Fad luck
will follow if there is not at lea It oGe
article which is new.
1t was an article oil faith with tbs
devOut OF Normandy that with the
earliest chimes of the church bells o
Easter morn celestial visitauts de
scended aud at every house where
there were little children LETT eggs fol
them as tOkena OF their Visits. But
satan, ever I'll; The alert, sometime.
adroitiy slipped in az eggof i'll omen
Many OF the old Easter custom:
have gone ike the wasaaIl bowl anC
yule log of Christmas. but coloreC
eggs. like Santa Claus, have firm
hold on the childish heart.
There is pretty legend to account
for their origin-that a bird sung &
sorrowful lay over Christ's tomb
and as a reward for it's devotion its
eggs were ever after decorated
Another story is that of an exileo
lady who amused herself and childi Ell
by decorating eggs with Easte
notices. One braring the wol ds
''Hope In God fell into the hands
OF soldier, who, by chance, gave il
to the captive husband and father
He recognized the handwriting, an'
at last the fragile train brough
about the reunion OF the family.