Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-06-26
LADY DAY OF MARCH.
IMPORTANT ~ EOT- SECULAR AND
RELIGIOUS CALENDARS.

tThy the c5th Of March II Venerated In
England VIVA. Happens ~ 1t Falls on
Easter seculariy Considered 1t Is the
Beginning IF One of the Years Quarters.
The 25th of March is an important
date both in the ; cular and religious
calendlrS. II j the first quarter day in
the year ard - such comes homo 20
most of u who have before our eyes the
fear of payment IF rent or the rarer
pleasura + receiving it The pay days
in England y - J. cn arbitrarily fiycl
on Lady day, NJ. Jcmer day, Michael
mas day aid Christmas day. Why? No
body has bon able 10 explain, unless it
toe thu, arriving, as they DO, near the
end II each quarter, such important
days a~c better G.rcminders of our duty
20 our landlord than any ordinary Both
or 3lst e the month would be likely TO
be-
But il l., of course as one of the
great festivals dedicated to the Virgin
Gas It's name. Lady day, or the old term.
Our Lady'S day implie,) that it has
most Importance bong the anniversary
of the day when the angel Gabriel an
nounced 70 the Vi:gin the mystery of
the incarnation. Four other dates in
! the calendar sharo tho honor Of this IL
| tle-namely. Feb ,, or the Publication;
July ,, OF the Visitation, TO commem-
crate the visit paid by the Virgin Mary
20 her cousin E.':3roth INSTITUTED by
Pope Urban VI IL l5S3); Sept. s, or
/ the Nativity, and y g. g, G. the Con
! ceptio2
Bat the 25th &C Warrh, or Ito An
nunc:ation, is most regarded - il is
! the anniversary, :; c0rding 10 ot. Au-
| guStinC, Of the -. Il event = hich 1t
owes Its or gin. and the institution of
! this fnsti,.i Lies ~ II very early times,
since -. Athsias!us max ; mention Of
it IN cnn f his sermons. An order of
| the Patriarch N.ceohor9s Esv!Gg gwen
permission 70 break the fast g Lent il
the Annunciation happened 10 fall on
the Thursday or Friday If Holy week
a council convened at Toledo IL 500 10
preserve the complete observance OF
Lent and ordered the transfcren3e of the
holiday 10 the week preceding Christ
mas Some If the eastern churches still
follow this decree, but the Syrians have
fixed it Oh Dec. | and the Agmcnians
on the 9th Of January, while in the
/ Latin church il has resumed its old
place in the ecclesiastical calendar, In
the western church, If it should fall in
the Easter fortnight, its celebration i
!. postponed until the second Monday fol
lowing the festival.
nd dow g Nnrrt hos ba0,,
very highly observed in England The
synod of Worcester, 1910 A. D., by one
Of its canons forbade all servile work
upon il, and this was afterward CON
tirmed by various provincial and dioc-
esan councils in all respects except az
ricultural labor.
In Rome, III the early part Of the cen
fury, the day used to be celebrated with
great pomp and splendOr. We read that
the windows were hung with crimson
and yellow silk draperies and occupied
/ by females in most gorgeous attire,
while the churches We're patrOlled by
the pOpes horse guards in their Splen-
/ did full dress uniforms all Of whom
wore in their caps "a sprig Of myrtle as
a sign of rejoicing. Before the service a
! procession appeared preceded by anOth-
er detachment of the guards mounted
on black chargers, who rode forward 20
clear the way TO the sound Of trumpet
/ and the beating Of drums. This martial
array was followed by "A bareheaded
priest on white mule, bearing the host
i'll gold cup, at the sight Of which ev-
erybody Frustrated himself. The pope
used formerly To ride on the white mule
himself, and all the cardinals used 20
follow him in their magnificent robes
Of state, but rs the eminentissimi We're
for the most part not very eminent
hOrsemen theNIyere generally fastened
on lest they should tumble of
II is not to be- supposed that in this
country the day would be without its
tradition Or superstition, SO we find that
it was considered public misfortune
if Lady day fell On Easter day, and the
medieval couplet runs:
When our Lady falls in our Lords lap,
Then England beware Of great mishap.
NJ less than l3 saints figure in the
calendar Oh this day OF these two
were ladies-St. Dula and st Ida; one
Irishman ~. Canmin, adbOt OF IniS.
kcltra, and two Englishm-n, st. Aft
wolf, bishop of Sherborne, ana ST vii.
liam, the child martyr, of Norwich.
In The Calendar of the Anglican
Church we find statement showing
how great in ancient times was the ven
GRAFTON for the Virgin III this country
Published in 1851, the book states that
no fewer than ?, 120 churches were
named in her honor alone, besides lO2
where she was associated with some
other saint. On the authority of the
same work, pictorially the Virgin is
nearly always shown knceling or seated
at table reading
OF the great masters of all countries
and ages whose genius has been lavish
ed on this theme it will be sufficient 70
mention the brothers Van Eyck, Loeb.
her Of Cologne, Albert Duerer, Andrea
del Sarto, Nasari, Louis and Annibal
Carracci, Guido, Charles de la Fosse,