The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1896-05-13
LADY DAY OF MARCH.
IMPORTANT IN BOTH SECULAR AND
RELIGIOUS CALENDARS.

Why the a5th of March Is yenerated In
England.-What Happens If 1t Falls on
Internationally Considered 1t Is the
Reeinnine of One of tho Years Quarters.
The 25th of March is an important
date both in the secular and religious
! calendars 1t is the first quarter day in
the year and as such comes home to
most of us who have before our eyes the
fear of payment of rent or the rarer
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 Both
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 1t has
most Importance, being the anniversary
of the day when the 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, OF the Publication /;
July 2, or the Visitation, to comment
crate the visit paid by the Virgin Mary
to her cousin Elizabeth. INSTITUTED by
Pope Urban VI i'll 1899; 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 1t is
the anniversary, according to st. Au-
gnstine, 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
| the Thursday or Friday of Holy week,
n council convened at Toledo in 656 to
preserve the complete observance of
| Lent and ordered the transference of the
holiday to the week preceding Christ
mas. Some Ct the eastern churches still
follow this decree, but the Syrians have
! fixed it on Dec. l 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 one
| of its canons forbade all servile work
| upon it, and this was afterward con-
firmed by various provincial and dioc-
esan councils in all respects except ag-
ricultural labor.
In Rome, in the early part of the CEN
tury, 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 were patrolled by
the pope's horse guards i'll their splen
did full dress uniforms, all of whom
wore in their caps q sprig of myrtle as
sign of rejoicing. Before the service 9
procession appeared, preceded by anoth
er detachment Of the guards mounted
on black chargers, who rode forward tC
clear the way to the sound of trumpet
and the beating of drums. This martha
array was followed by bareheadet
priest ON white mule, bearing the hos
in gold cup, at the sight of which ev
erybody Frustrated himself. The pops
used formerly to ride ON the white mule
himself, and all the cardinals used tt
follow him i'll their magnificent robe!
of state, but as the eminentissimi were
for the most part not very eminent
horsemen they were generally fastened
on lest they should tumble off.
It is not to be supposed that i'll this
country the day would be without it,
tradition or superstition, so we find thai
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.
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, abbot of Inis
keltra, and two Englishmen, st. ALI
wolf. bishop of Sherborne, and st. Will
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 in this country.
Published in 1851, the book states that
no fewer than 2, 1870 churches were
named in her honor Alone besides los
where she was associated with some
other saint. On the authority of the
same work, pictorially the Virgin il
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 tx
mention the brothers Van Eyck, Loeb
ner of Cologne. Albert Duerer, Andres
del Sarto, Vasari, Louis and Annibal
Carracci, Guido, Charles de la Fosse
Lesueur and Murillo.
In connection with the day it is per
missible, perhaps, to conclude with {
chestnut" that owes its origin to the
postoffice. 1t is said that few years O
go country gentleman wrote a letter
to lady Of rank in town and sent il
through the post with the following ad.
dress: ITO the 25th of March, Duke
street, London. " The postman is said
to have delivered it at the house Of la.
dy Day, for whom it was intended -,
Pail Mall Gazette.
The Noisy New Boarder.
Here is some Trocadero fun:
What was that awful noise in the
room next to mine last night?''
.'Oh that NYns nnlv the new hoa rdar