St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-05-22

All "a nan. LII mad Its or
>W \ igin in Europe. The
Moravians in Ger.
many were the most prominent observers
of this pretty festival, in which children
and flowers play their important parts
In Switzerland Children's day has
gained the poetical sobriquet "Der
Weisse Sontag, " or White Sunday. This
day has long been commemorated, not.
ably by the Catholic church, throughout
Switzerland. The Sunday schools Of Lu-
cerne, Bern, Zurich, Geneva, Neuf-
chatel, Grsons and other cantons of
Switzerland all observe it Oh the same
date and with similar exercises. The
time set apart for this celebration is al
ways the first Sunday after Easter, or
the Sunday known in the church calen-
dar as Low Sunday.
On White Sunday from far and near
the Swiss children are gathered, each
detachment finally falling into the
grand procession at some given point
not far removed from the church. Two
by two the little girls walk, clad in
pure white, with crowns of flowers on
their heads and bouquets in their hands.
When natures blossoms are not suf-
ficiently plentiful, artificial ones take
their place, many of the little peasants
making their own wreaths or bouquets
out of paper or other material
Following the girls come the boys,
marching two abreast, decorated with
badges and carrying flowers in their
hands. This happy procession, having
marched through some of the principal
streets, on arriving at the church pro-
ceeds up the aisles, and as they pass the
altar the children lay their Offering of
flowers upon it.
Perhaps no city in the United States
pays SO much attention to Children S
day as Brooklyn, and with the dainty
dresses, bright ribbons and new spring
hats of the children, and the profusion
Of flowers, boarded and cared for espe-
cially for that day, the streets are veri-
table garden. On the tree bordered av-
enues the children march in procession,
headed by their Sunday school teachers
and parents, all focking to Prospect
park, or some other green spot, to spend
the time in youthful pleasures and
amusements. And even though mud and
spring showers abound they still have a
glorious time. The butcher and baker
and candlestick maker all deliver their
goods at an early hour on Children s
day, so that they may give up the streets
to the MAY walk" as it is called.
No one knows exactly when the day
began there, but this May festival of
the Sunday schools can be traced back
about 40 years, and the custom goes on
with increasing splendor, as many as
$4,000 children turning out in the vari-
GUS columns of the great procession. 1t
is not Sunday school affair exclusively,
certainly not staid or prim Sabbath
affair, still less common school exer-
else, but emphatically children's day.
Most business places are closed, with
flowers in the windows or flags on the
roof or green wreaths twined about the
doors. One can decorate as he or she
pleases, put out the flag or banner Of
any nation or society. 1t is day of So
cial freedom.
The children are formed in divisions,
as many as ten or a dozen, and in these
each Sunday school is company, SO to
speak. Sometimes they move on many
streets at once, sometimes in parallel
lines in different directions on the same
broad street, and this makes most love-
ly kaleidoscope, each ohild's hands be-
ing full of flowers and many with
wreaths around their necks or banners
festooned with flowers Sometimes each
school marches to the church of some
other school, where cake and fruits are
served.
In some parts Of the country the latter
part Of May or very early June is nearly
always selected for Sunday school gath
erings, for August is generally too hot
and often too dry. OF course the condi-
tions, especially those giving sort of
respite in farm and garden work, are
common to large area; equally, Of
course, all the Sunday schools of that
area select dates near together, and so
we can easily see how the tendency is to
settle on one common day. 1t now APP
pears probable that the first Sunday in
June will soon be the day observed by
oil the churches
In England the bishop of each diocese
fixes a day in the early part Of the sum-
mer, and if it does not rain and there is
no great fog Or strong east wind or chill
ing mist, Or anything else peculiarly
English, the occasion is one of great joy.
The Methodist church was an early
promoter of Children's day. Previous to
1866 this denomination appointed a
committee of six men to investigate and
report upon the various institutions ex-
listing in the church. The committee
was SO much impressed by the absence
of any special day set apart for the chill
dren that they devised plan for the
adoption of Sunday in June to be OBJ
served every year in all their churches