The herald., 1897-04-18

therefore left. The patriarch Of Alex
andria first sent the waxen column
inscribed with its date to ln, the R1Pe e az AZ
other churches. Thus was the general
use of Paschal candles begun.
German mythology pictures Ostara
as the Goddess of Easter. and makes her
q most attractive parsonage. This god
6ess, says the mythologist, has given her
name to one of the greatest events in
the Christian era. The name is form
of the modern German "Ostern," ana
of the English Easter" The early
church found it wise to adapt to Chris
tian purposes many institutions and
customo of a pagan nature which had
become established in the affections
of the people. So the observances which
in heather times honored the advent
of Ostara, the goddess offspring, sur
vived to a certain extent in the Chris
tian celebration of the resurrection.
Apart from the religious services,
those observances with which the heath
en- people honored Ostara still linger
In their primitive form in many parts of
Germany and possibly of England. In
New York and other centers of Anglo
Saxon civilization they have assumed
@ more complex character. German my
thology always said that the German
rustic feasting at Easter time repre-
sents the ancient sacrifice of the god
dess. Sacrifice is also ordered by the
urban American in these days in the
form of fine raiment and bonnet.
Ostara is represented in NEUROLOGICAL
art as a dazzling creature, clad with
simplicity but exceeding beauty. She
is surrounded by winged babies, birds,
flowers, rabbits and other things en-
blematical of Easter and the spring
time. The sun, mythology has it, used
to leap three times with joy when Os-
tara appeared on Easter day. Easter
eggs are supposed to be laid by no
common hens, but by Easter hens. The
Goddess Ostara was especially favorable
to hens, which are usually to be seen
in her pictures, surrounded by many
eggs. Easter eggs should be red. be-
cause red was the favorite color of the
thunder god, and the first thunder storm
of spring was sacred to Ostara.
The custom of coloring Easter eggs
is as old as the Use of the egg as a
symbol. Long ago the tender blades
of wheat, which at the Easter season
naQ just peepeu dDoVe TIC col IA . oui
face, were used for coloring. A handful
of the wheat blades thrown into pot
with the eggs turned the shells to a
dark green. Soon after colors were OBJ
tanned from mulberry leaves and the
Persians used their dies with great ef-
feet. The people then learned to write
upon the boiled eggs with a creased
stick. This latter custom is still OBJ
served by the Indian population Of the
United States.
OF all the beautiful emblems of the
resurrection, the emblems of Easter. the
flowers stand first. They are symbolic
because, though they seem to die each
year, every spring they rise again.
Their lives are unending, and though
they disappear from among us for a
time, we know they are sure to return.
So 1t is, say the soothsayers, with the
Son Of Man. He has gone fxom US, they
declare, but the day will surely come
when he will return. This is one Of the
beliefs that cling about Easter To re-
late all that the festival means would
be an unending task. m truth 1t sig
nifies to every person that which they
wish It to. and nothing more.