The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-04-10
EASTERTIDE.

Because Eastertide is as exclusively
Christian in spirit and observation, and
because it has been so for 50 many cen
turtles. the fact that corresponding feasts
really did belong to some one else. and
were kept with Just as much love and
reverence. has almost been lost sight OF.
Like Christmas Day. this festival. that
brings in the Spring, has been celebrated
by nearly every nation. each one giving
1t a different significance. ana each sig
nificance differing widely from this last,
and best idealization OF all creeds. Per-
haps the Jewish feasts of the Passover,
and Maccoth or Easter uhe feast Of I'M
Ieavened bread held as especial days OF
Thanksgiving were the most like ouI
modern Easter.
These feasts were held in the first
month or the ecclesiastical year. when
the festal offerings We're the firsrlings Of
the sheep and oxen. and the first fruits
and grain Of the Spring tide. The Easter
festival is TO commemorate the corn har-
vest. one of the names Of the month be
ing abb. the corn ear, or caring month.
The other name Nissan Is said. by some
to be derived from words meaning the
month OF flight. that Is the Eight of the
Israelites from Egypt. while others hold
that il takes its name from words sign-
flying the month of war. as IT was the
time when campaigns usually began and
the kings went forth to battle.
The Passover, which was held ''in the
fourteenth day Of the first month, at
even" began just seven days before the
feast OF lInIeavened bread. The first ana
last days We're set apart as especially
holy days. on account ii is said, Of the
the first day. while the seventh saw the
destruction Of Pharoah's army, and al
though the feast Of uuleaVened bread is
in reality the MaccOth. or Easter. it l.
the Passover and the Paschal lamb that
have the more significance to US. in the
present time. -Four days before the feast,
the lamb not yet q -yearling, WAS taken
from the flock. but it was not killed until
the evening of the fourteenth.
The old story of Israelites keeping the
feast that now held 2 double significance
FOR them, ready TO start upon their
strange and mysterious journey. staff in
hand as each year rolled by. Just as they
had done on that eventful night long
ago. seems never to loose its beauty or
pathos, however many centuries may
pass.
There are so many traditions and spec
Ulauons regarding the reason for the sac
rifice Of the paschal lamb that one may
choose almost any one, and be quite right
in the opinions of many. One authority
states that the eating Of the lamb was in
opposition to the idOlatry Of the Egypt
ians. and in scorn of their religion. as al
this same season. of the sun entering
the sign Aries, they paid solemn worship
10 the creature by whose name the sign
was distinguished Still another states
that the JehoVistic tradition in exodus
still exhibits the original character of the
Passover with perfect clearness. Jehovah
demands that His people shall go forth
and celebrate His feast in the wilderness
with sacrifices Of sheep and oxen: and
because Pharoah refuses to ALLOW the He.
brews 10 serve their God by offering tn,
nrstlings OF cattle that are His due He
takes from the king the first born of hi:
subjects. The feast, therefore is Older
than the exodus, and the former is this
occasion Of the latter. not vice versa"
At the Easter feast the Distinguishing
ceremony was the presentation Of a shea
OF barley, before which no one was al
lowed TO taste Of the rich harvest of new
corn The night before, each house was
carefully searched and cleansed to SEE
II, by chance, there yet remained any yes
tige Of the old heaven: then, on the next
day, the unleaVened cakes were quickly
baked in very much the same manner a.
Scotch hammock from the new meal OF
the year. From this commencement OF
the corn harvest until Pentecost. Their,
was a continual feast Of gladness. when
at the end Of il, the new wheat -four wa.
made into leavened bread. an Offering tc
correspond with the barley sheaf OF Eas
ter time.
Along with observation Of Easter as ,
holy day, there has always been con
nected a custom as ancient as the daI
itself This is the idea of a special cak'
or bun offered or eaten at the festival
as the cakes Of unleavened bread, and tn
buns OF ancient Egypt. These latte