The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-03

Not merely a hating place on the
almanac is the Easter festival. IL is
one Of the festivals concentrating oc-
currences In religious history that are
accompanied by bell ringing. songs OF
Joy and general gladness. By many IL
IS regarded as a more important festi-
val even than Christmas. In the COM
incarceration of Easter day Is crystalized
the Who foundation of the Christian
creed. II is the day when Christ rose
from the dead. and. by breaking the
bonds Of the tomb, completed the mis-
sion of his life; IL is the day when the
two women who came early To the
tomb OF Christ saw two angels in
white sitting. the one at the head n
the other at the feet. where the body
Of Jesus had LAIN" and were told in
Christ had risen.
Science, with it's cold sceptlcism.
measuring everything by gauge and
yardstick. looks doubtfully on the story
of Christ's resurrection. Such a thing
il not In accord with the matter Of fact
teachings of the modern philosopher.
but on one thing nearly all are agreed.
namely, that a doctrine that a bring
ray Of sunshine into the not over
bright lives of the toiling millions ami
q CLEAN of gladness to a world that Is
not overburdened with happiness is to
be welcomed. no matter how its tradi-
lions conflict with scientific axioms.
THE EASTER DATE.
It is interesting to know something
about the historical facts that deter
mine the date of the festival. The book
OF common prayer tells us hat Easter
always came the first Sunday of the
full moo which appears on or after
March q. and IL the full moon comes
on a Sunday. then Easter day is the
Sunday following. This. of course, we
accept. and keep the festival at that
time from year to year. Let us look
a little more closely into the matter
and see how this was determined.
The French Paques, Italian Pasqua.
Swedish Pask. and the names of the
festival In several other languages
come from the Latin pascha, meaning
passover, and originated with the be-
lief that Christ was typiied by the
paschal ami slain at the Feast of the
Passover. which vas ordained by Moses
in remembrance of the passing over of
the Israelites when the first born OF the
Egyptians persisted. The early Christ
ians continued to keep the Jewish feast
for only a short time and then cele-
brated In its place the Christian pass
over Instituted by Christ at the last
supper, the last passover supper before
his c~rucifixion. The Greek and Latir
churches. however. did not agree as e
the exact time of the Easter celebra-
ton, and while some were mourning in
commemoration OF the occasion, Others
were rejoicing in the resurrection of the
Savior. Neither church wished 10 cele-
brate IL at h same time as the Jews
and as there was no Gregorian calendar
to help them, IL was a difficult matter
to settle. and toward the end of thu
second century the dispute on the sub
1ect became warm.
The Jews celebrated their feast or
the 18th of the month Nissan toi
Narch) and the Christians kept Easter
in the same month. but always OF sun.
day: still some years the Christian fes.
tival conceded with the passover OF the
Jews. Finally. at the council OF Nice
A. ID. 325. IL was ordered that from
thai time Easter should be solemnized
on the Sunday following the first full
moon after the vernal equinox, sup
posed to fall on March II. Many cen
furies elapsed before all discrepancies
erased. IL was, however, unquestion-
ably settled when both the English and
Roman churches, having adopted the