Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-18
MEANING OF EASTER.
REAr, SIGNIFICANCE OF CHRISTI
AyITY Is BROUGHT HOME.
OLDEST CT RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS.
IL IL the keystone of the Christian
Fnifh-The PaschaI Candle and
It's Uses-EmbIenis of the Hesur-
recfiOn.
rection.
written for the Disratch.)

written for the DiSndtcn.)
The churchgoer knows the meaning OF
Easter in a way. because in every land
where the Christian faith obtains the
singers carol "Christ is Risen" Tech
nicaily it means the anniversary COM
memorative of the resurrection. Really.
if is an annual reminder TO mankind OF
all the term religion implies, and OF the
duties that really devolve upon every per-
son.
The resurrection IS the ostensible topic
of the majority Of sermons preached on
Easter Sunday but it is not only that
which is meant. The deep religious sig
nihcance Of the occasion is illustrated IN
the most attractive and beautiful form in
the churches, as lesson to the eye, and
through that 90 the heart. Greatest Of
all. however, are the joyful features OF
Easter. the upsprnging Of hope, and the
miracle Of returning life All these in
spire a condition Of joy and happiness in
the lives Of young and old and the most
insensible object becomes part OF the
carnival Of joy. In q. word, Easter Is
a continual pledge TO mankind that life
Is eternal.
It was not until the fifth or sixth
century that Easter was kept as a festi-
val. The first day Of each week was
kent holy by the apostles themselves in
honor Of Christ's resurrection, and with
this weekly Observance there came the
great. annual commemoration. In early
days there was much diversity as 10
the date Of keeping the festival. Some
persons observed it annually on the same
day of the year. Others observed the
fourteenth day of the first moon in the
new year, regardless Of what that day
might be. Still others celebrated the hrst
Sunday after the first full moon, ana
these persons differed widely az to exact
ly what Sunday that was.
Nothing was definitely settled in the
way of a universal agreement until the
question was taken up by the Council or
Nice. That body settled the date as the
first Sunday following the fourteenth day
of the calender moon, which happened
upon or next after the DIST Of March,
so that If this fourteenth day be a sun
day, Easter was not to be on that date,
but on the next following Sunday. Easter
therefore, may be any date within
five weeks, inclusive of March 22d and
April 18th. 1t cannot happen earlier or
later than these two days. In 1888 Easter
occurred March 18th, and again on
the same date in 1884.
PASSOVER AND EASTER.
II was after keeping the Passover with
His disciples that Christs cruclfixion and
resurrection took place. yet the Christian
Easter and the Jewish Passover seldom
fall on the same day. The last time they
did so was In 1875, on the 3rd Of April,
and they will concur again in 1908, on
the 18th of April Easter is, therefore,
called movable festival, and on its date
depends the time of keeping Lent, being
forty days before, and also the Ascension,
forty days after Easter. Besides this,
Easter fixes the date Of the Feast OF
Pentecost with the remaining special Sun
days that go TO make up the Church
year.
one often hears, in reference to Easter.
OF the Paschal candle. This Is used
in Roman Catholic churches, and is con-
nected with the early controversies con-
corning the date of keeping the festival.
At the beginning Of the special obsery-
ances, the evening before the Easter feast,
an immense wax candle is blessed with
great ceremony. This is the Paschal
candle, and II is said TO have been origi-
nally q column Of wax, on which the date
for keeping 1t was written. 1t was first
imprinted at Alexandria, for ia that city
the study OF astronomy especially -four
ished, and TO its church the drawing up
Of the calendar was therefore left The
Patriarch OF Alexandria first sent the
waxen column inscribed with its dates
TO the Pope. at Rome, and the latter
sent copies TO the other churches. Thus
was the general use Of Paschal candles
begun.
German mythology pieturessostara as
the goddess Of Easter and makes her q
most attractive parsonage. This god
dess. says the mythologist. has given her