Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-06-04
LADY DAY OF MARCH.
IMPORTANT IN BOTH SecU AR AND
RELIGIOUS CALENDARS.

IMPORTANT IN BOTH secU AR AND
RELIGIOUS CALENDARS.
Why tho S1th Of March L. venerssed m
| England-what Happsns II It Fans -
Easter-Secularly Considered It L. tAs
Beginsisg Of One a the Years QuazterA
TIE 2sth Of March is an important
date botA in the secular and religious
calendars 1t is the first quarter day in
the year and as such comes home to
most of rs who have before our eyes the
fear of payment Of rent or the rarcr
pleasure of receiving it The pay days
in England have been arbitrarily fixed
ON Lady day, Midsummer day, Michael,
mas day and Christmas day. Why? No
body has been able to explain, unless it
be that, arriving, as they do, near the
end Of each quarter, such important
days are better as reminders Of our duty
to our landlord than any ordinary 3Oth
or 31st of the month would be likely to
be.
But it is, Of course, as one Of the
great festivals dedicated to the Virgin
(as its name. Lady day, or the old term,
Our Lady's day, implies) that it has
most Importance, being the anniversary
Of the day when tho angel Gabriel an
nounced to the Virgin the mystery Of
the incarnation. Four other dates in
the calendar share the honor of this IT,
tle-namely. Feb. 2, or the Publication;
July 2, or the Visitation. to commera-
crate the visit paid by the Virgin Mary
to her cousin Elizabeth INSTITUTED by
Pope Urban vi in 1881; Sept. 8, or
the Nativity, and Dec. 8, or the Con-
ception.
But the 25th Of March, or the An
| nunciation, is most regarded, as it is
the anniversary, according to ST. Au-
gustine, Of the great event to which it
owes its origin, and the institution of
| this festival dates from very early times,
since St. Athanasius makes mention Of
it in one Of his sermons An order Of
the Patriarch Nicephorus having given
permission to break the fast Of Lent if
the Annunciation happened to fall ON
tho Thursday or Friday Of Holy week,
q council convened at Toledo in 656 to
preserve the complete observance Of
Lent and ordered the transference Of tine
holiday to the week preceding Christ
mas Some of the eastern churches still
follow this decree, but the Syrians have
fixed it on Dec. and the Armenians
on the 9th of January, while in the
Latin church it has resumed its old
place in the ecclesiastical calendar. In
the western church, if it should fall in
the Easter fortnight. its celebration is
postponed until the second Monday fol-
lowing the festival.
Lady day of March has always been
very highly observed in England. The
synod of Worcester, 1910 A. D., by ono
Of its canons forbade all servile work
upon it, and this was afterward con-
| firmed by various provincial and dioo-
esan councils in all respects except ag-
ricultural labor.
In Rome, in tho early part Of the GEN.
fury. the day used to be celebrated with
great pomp and splcndor. We read that
the windows were hung with crimson
and yellow silk draperies and occupied
by females in most gorgeous attire,
while the churches were patrolled by
tho pope's horse guards in their SPLEEN
did full dress uniforms, all of whom
were in their caps sprig Of myrtle as
sign Of rejoicing. Before the service o
procession appeared, preceded by anoth-
er detachment Of the guards mounted
| on black chargers, who rode forward to
| clear the way to the sound Of trumpet
and tho beating Of drums This martial
array was followed by bareheaded
priest on q white mule, bearing the host
in q gold cup, ut the sight Of which ev-
erybody prostrated himself. The pope
used formerly to ride on the white mule
himself, and all the cardinals used to
follow him in their magnificent robes
of state, but as the eminentissimi were
for the most part not very eminent
horsemen they were generally fastened
On lest they should tumble of.
1t 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
II 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.
No less than 13 saints figure in the
calendar on this day. OF these two
were ladies-St. Dula and St Ida; one
Irishman, st. Cammin, abbotof Inis-
keltra, and two Englishmen, St ALI
wolf. bishop Of Sherborne, and ST. Viii.
liam, the child martyr. of Norwich.
In The Calendar OF the Anglican
Church we find u statement showing
how great in ancient times was the ven
Grafton for the Virgin in this country.
Published in 1851, the book states that
no fewer than 2, 100 churches were
named in her honor alone, besides 1O2
where she was associated with some
other saint On the authority of the
same work, pictorially the Virgin is
nearly always shown kneeling 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 to
mention the brothers Van Eyck, Loch-
ner Of Cologne. Albert Duerer, Andrea
del SartO Vasari Louis and Annibal