The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1898-04-01
HISTORY OF EASTER.
Features OF Festival ana what 1

Erings To All.
OF all the festivals celebrated by the
Christian Church none is more Joyful
than that commemorating the resur-
rection of the Son of Man, Easter!
That means light out of darkness;
civilization over barbarism. 1t is sig
nificant OF the triumph of humanity,
of the new world of brighter sunshine
and happier lives, which began upon
the message and meaning Of the first
Easter morning, sweeping away the
old world-the world of Pagan gods,
Of darkness, Of hopeless sin. Above
all it means Christ; the resurrection
and the life.
The history of the observance of
Easter is in a measure the history Of
the Church.
Among the early Christians the res
direction was an idea for which men
and women gave up their bodies, but
the sanctity of special places or sea-
sons was wholly alien to their lives
and methods Of thought. In the writ
ings of the New Testament or of the
Apostolic fathers there is to be found
no trace of the celebration of Easter
as a Christian festival. Early in the
second century the observance of the
period began among the Christians.
The diversity of usage between the
Jewish Christians and the Gentle
Christians was gradually brought to
an end by the Church of Rome, and
the point was finally settled at the
Council of Nice in 1926.
Discrepancies in the time of observ-
ing Easter existed, however, until the
eighth century. During the latter
part of the fourth century the
churches of Gaul kept Easter on March
81, those of Italy four weeks later, on
April Is, while those of Egypt did not
celebrate the festival until April 25.
In the ancient church the celebration
of Easter lasted eight days. After the
eleventh century, however, it was liT-
tied to three days and after ward to
two.
The origin Of the Easter egg, one
of the most delightful of the customs
of the season, is of great antiquity.
1t is supposed to typify the bursting
Of the spring into life. A peculiar
custom, for many years in vogue in
certain rural districts of Scotland was
that of seeking the eggs of wild fowl
on Eastern morning. Success in the
search was a good omen.
Spring is bursting into life. There
Is an added blueness to the ether; a
greener tint to the grass.
The cold earth is thawing under the
hot glare of the midday sun. And
this is another of the numberless
meanings of the Eastertide. Easter is
the Resurrection; and the Resurrec-
ton is life And she who above all
others is guilty of Easter bonnets is
Dame Nature. The mountain freshets
far from the throngs of men are
breaking forth. The early flowers are
raising their heads. The branches Of
the trees are taking on tint of fresh
ness ard vigor.
The poetry of Easter: Let not your
heart he troubled; ye believe in God
believe also in me. In my fathers
house there are many mansions If it
were not so, would have told you.
go to prepare place for you"
From the mystery of the Crucifixion
and the Resurrection the greatest
painters and musicians of all times
have drawn their loftiest inspirations
Blot out from art and music all per-
tanning to the divine significance OF
the Eastertide and the highest works
Of human genius will be lost to tbs
world Easter is music. But in the
solemn chants of the earlier centuries
there was something incongruous.
The strains which issued from with
in the gray cold walls of the monas-
terry to greet the world, and to rouse it
to thoughts of the Resurrection were
at best ill-fitting. They loved well
and worshiped well, no doubt those
early zealots. But men behind gray
! walls cannot we'll know the real signi-
licance of the Eastertide. For 1t is a
| message of great joy.
| See, the chains of death are broken
Earth below and Heaven above,
JOY in each amazing token
OF his rising. Lord of love.