The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-04-17

unearthly radiance. They form in
two lines at the doorway and in the
church; and between re.enters the
procession of priests, who are now
clothed in rich, variegated robes Of
satin and CLOTH of gold, and wear
high jeweled caps upon their heads.
Once more the archbishop appears
upon the high steps of the altar; but
this time he announces, "Christ is
risen" Incense is scattered among the
congregation, and the united voices
of the singers burst out in a wondrous
melody.
Nothing can be more striking than
this pageant. There is the Kremlin,
with its high walls of white stone with
battlements cut in the form of Tar
tar arrowheads, it's eighteen green
towers and its fine rose. colored
gates, it's cathedrals, churches, and
palaces.
And there are the crowds of peo-
pie with waving torches, the cathe
drals blazing with radiance, the
splendid costume of the priests, the
wonderful choral music, the pealing
bells, and the intonations of ord
nance,-all telling of the universal
joy of Easter.
After the church service cones the
blessing of the Easter cakes set in
long rows; and each cake carries it's
lighted taper. The crowd exchange
congratulations. Everywhere one
hears the greeting, "Christ is risen,"
and the response, "He is risen in
deed" A certain kind of exhilara-
ton prevails among the half-barba-
rous peasants; and some of the more
excitable devotees rave been known
to discharge their pistols in church,
even smuggling the boards of the
priests.
The Easter joy has hardly begun,
however. The people gradually dis
perse and go home to an Easter
breakfast, at which is usually served
lamb in butter, frizzled and curled,
with currant eyes; shchi, cabbage
soup; pashka, rich curd covered with
sweetened paste, eggs and kulitsch,
bread made of long rolls of dough
twisted together. Other Easter dish
er are bot vinya, vegetable soup;
tdatrki, bread crumbs soaked in kUas,
sour fermented drink. Ham is uni
versal Easter article of diet; and
plenty of vodka, brandy, is drunk.
TIE lower classes, as general thing,
carry their food previously to the
church, where the priests sprinkle it
with holy water.
After breakfast there is a grand
mass in the cathedral, when the
Metropolitan officiates, and the Cos
pei is read in four languages,-Rus-
sian, Slavonic, Greek, and Hebrew.
Everywhere there are joy and glad
ness and exchanging of gifts and the
making of congratulatory visits. The
usual hour for Easter calling is at
ten o'clock; and at that time you see
the gay equipages of the nobility
and the gentry flying about in all di-
rections, and kissing is general among
friends and acquaintance in all
classes of life.
Even the car is obliged to receive
calls; and for an hour and half in
the chapel of the Winter Palace heis
busy in the bestowing of these affec-
tionate salutes on clergy and council,
senators and generals, on his house
hold and navy officers.
The customary gifts are the newt
able Easter eggs. Hundreds of thou
sands of eggs change hands every
Easter season in st. Petersburg alone.
Some of these eggs" are most costly,
being nothing less than gold cases,
egg-shaped, containing beautiful
jewelry. The real eggs are colored,
usually red. Hence the application
of the name to a gift, "a little red
egg"
1t is one long holiday through the
Easter season. Every subject of the
car gives himself up to the gayety
of the occasion. The beautiful
sounding bells of Moscow are rung
almost constantly. In all the public
places there are swings, flying horses,
merry-go-rounds, and Punch and
Judy shows, for the delectat;on of
the crowd. TIE streets are full of
peasants, kissing each other and ex-
changing eggs, many of them in an
intoxicated condition; for the Rus
sian makes the most of his privilege
of getting tipsy on Easter. But,
whether drunk or sober, at sunrise
and at sunset, he never tires OF utter
ing the beautiful greeting, 1.-THE
Lord is risen, to which his neigL Dor
ever responds, "He is risen indeed"