The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-04-03
EASTER
The Fact Comm Easter
Customs, Old, New, Sacred
and PrOfane.
Communicated


before the days lectures begin. Some
where about two hundred were gathered to-
gether thus, when the speaker stepped out
upon the stage. In form he was SO far
from imposing as to seem almost a dwarf.
In carriage he was not erect. In front and
presence he was just lean, scant man
with tufted hair and sparse beard and a
thin, Jewish voice, which when he spoke
echoed from every corner of the hearts in
to whose depths it pierced. When his au-
dience had become sufficiently familiar
with his foreign accent to make out clearly
what he was talking about, they under
stood that he was talking about God
who had taken human shape in Asia Mi
nor There was smile of patronizing
condescension. Then, that this God had
died violent and shameful death. There
was a sneer Of incredulity. But that he
had risen again and walked the earth. A
smile began to run about the lecture hall.
Finally that this Goldman before going up
above the clouds had promised a like VIC
tory over death, like physical resurrec-
ton to all who followed his way of life.
This was too much There was roar of
laughter and ridicule which drowned out the
speakers voice, and he left the stage after
a vain effort to secure a further hearing.
1t was thus that Pagan philosophers first
received from the Apostles of the Gentiles
the news of that fact which we commem-
crate on the fifth day of this month.
The commemOration of this event was
made by Christians of very early times.
Two customs prevailed. One sanctioned
and probably prescribed by st. Peter, the
majority of the apostolic colleges and all
Gentle bishops kept holy the Friday and
Sunday after the 14th day of Nissan. The
other custom allowed by st. John, out of
consideration to Jewish converts kept holy
the week it fell, } as the day on which the
Son of God, the Christian Paschal Lamb,
was sacrificed. For the 18th day of the
Jewish month Nissan was the Paschal of the
Jews. By degrees the latter custom died
out and was finally suppressed in the latter
part OF the second or beginning of the
third century, for uniformity as to the cele-
bratiOn of Easter was established by the
year 276 The crudities of the ancient cal
endar caused slight discrepancies from time
to time, as to the exact day, until the Gre
gorian form of calendar fixed the Feast of
the Resurrection on the first Sunday after
the 18th day of the calendar moon, occur
ing on or after March 21st. This was done
by virtue of Bull of Pope Gregory XIII,
dated February oath, 1881, establishing
the new style calendar.
The solemnities of the Christian Pas
chal Time were prescribed and pretigured
for fifteen hundred years by the Jewish
ceremonial of the Passover. They have al
ready exceeded by more than three hum
bred years, the duration of their archetype
Thus some of the rites, for instance the
Canticles of Moses, were repeated in this
years Easter festival for more than the
three thousandth yearly time. Besides the
prescribed ritual consisting OF psalms,
readings from the scriptures and sacred
writings Lamentations of Jeremiah and
the like, together with what may be called
official and symbolic ceremonies, many
beautiful and venerable customs have been
established to celebrate the Easter time,
according to the tastes and needs of various
communities and places. In Rome the
palms for the procession on Palm Sun.
day were for many years supplied
by the lineal descendants of Cap
tain Brisca, the quick witted sailor
who suggested the use of water to shrink
the ropes with which the great Obelisk of
Nero was being swung to its pedestal.
These palms are bleached like celery by
tying the leaves together in folds while
they are growing. In Northern lands the
branches of yew and willow trees were used
as subtitutes for palm, and this may ac-
count for such trees being commonly found
in English churchyards. Even until the
early years of this century the custom pre-
vailed in London of gathering and wearing
q sprig of willow-catkin on Palm-Sunday.
In Seville, professions bearing groups repre-
senting scenes of the passion pass through
the streets during nearly every day in
Holy Week" In Madrid, the ceremonies
are mostly within the churches. When the
gospel is read describing the earthquake
that followed the death of the Son of God,
cannon stationed within the c0rnice of the
cathedral are fired and Q veil hung before
the altar is trent from top to bottom. !"
On Holy Thursday the King of Spain used
to wash the feet Of twelve poor old men
and the Queen performed the service for as
many poor old women.
The joyful celebration OF Easter is marked
in the ritual by the blessing of the new fire,
the font, the ringing of bells and the singing
of the Gloria, with the frequent repetition
Of the alleluia. Among the social festivities
are the giving of Easter eggs, a custom 80
sacred among the Germans. The egg roll
ing practiced by the children Of the city OF
Washington on the White House lawn on
Easter Moudav and in Spain the eating of