The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-15
PART TWO.
THE FLoGGING OF JUDAS.
a NotabIe Easter Time Custom Fol-
lowed by the Portuguese.

Lowed by the Portuguese.
From the Philadelphia Record.
=, Portugal the people on Good Friday
warming observe peculiar custom. For
.,ntpr,es on this morning the ceremony
- digging Judas Iscariot, the false Apos-
.io 10 carried out with all due formality,
>, dawn a life-sized figure of man,
s.o.sad In sailor costume with long boots,
+ b,,sfe1 in the air and that the identity
- the efigy shall be fully established, a
,Iocard is fastened to the breast, bearing
10 inscription. This is Judas Iscariot."
caveral years ago this custom was carried
,,t on a Portuguese ship which was lying
at an American dock. The eff1gy was
bo,sted to the masthead at dawn, and re-
r,sinAd there for about two hours. Then
+be entire crew assisted in lowering it
n the deck the ships bell meanwhile
leaning up an incessant changing. The
azure is carried three times around the
Aaok and finally dashed TO the capstan
snd the crew belabor 1t with knotted ropes
and spikes amid loud jeers and yells.
Taa clothes are cut away in shreds, and
when the figure is completely denuded,
tbe block Of wood which does duty for the
body Is kicked all over the deck, suspend
"a 10 a line. and thrown overheard and
IN into small bits and when dry is burned
In France during the Middle Ages there
were many curious customs, relative to
Faster eggs. Before Easter-tide began the
rrIests paid a round of visits blessing
and receiving eggs. The largest eggs
were picked out and sent to the king as
tribute After high mass in the chapel
If the Louvre on Easter day huge gaily-
decorated baskets of gilded eggs were car
ried IN to the royal presence; the attend
an; chap plain blessed and distributed them
% those present. Later came the distri-
sutton of the artificial egg of sugar.
pasteboard ivory. etc, as the cover or
case for some daintier gift.
Fireworks on Easter Sunday.
In the Duomo. in Florence, on the morn
ing Of Easter Even. a tall wooden post is
erected at tie entrance of the chencel:
from the tor this a string is run down
through the = and out of the central
door al the western end of the building
10 the Cairo" This Is a large and elab-
crate wooden structure, drawn by four
white oxen. and decorated with paintings
and gliding and garlanded with a good
supply of torpedoes, and other fireworks.
This is placed in the open space between
the facade of the Duomo and the Baptis-
try. The mass is commenced as usual
and Just ut noon as the Gloria Is sung
the fuse Is lit, and away Ii SputterS and
cracks in the post, where ii lights a sort
Of rocket attached to little wooden dove
which with the impetus thus gained flies
fZzing down the string. scattering the
sparks broadcast over the heads Of the
congregation, until it reaches the Caro-
outside, where 1t lights the fireworks. and
then by means of q reversed rocket it re-
turns TO the chancel again amid the noise
Of the explosion of the fireworks and the
ringing Of the church bells all over the
CITY which since Good Friday have been
silent. The Caro- is then drawn to
neighhoring street. the Via Albizzi, where
near the palace of the Pazzi. the remain
ing fireworks are discharged
This curious ceremony seems to have
had its origin in the latter part of the
eleventh century when a Florentine noble
one Pazzlne de Pazzi Oiteraly, little luna
lie of the lunatcs), was the first of the
'rnsaders who scaled the walls Iof Jeru-
salem, for which act he received from his
leader, Godfrey de BouiIon. a mural
crown and some bits broken off the Holy
Sepulchre, with which latter the holy fire
was lit on his return to Florence.
In the early ages when the household
Tres, which We're allowed to smoder all
he year round. We're quenched at this
season they were all lit afresh with the
holT fire, which was distributed from
house 10 house. This privilege was grant
cd to the Pazzi familv,in Florence during
'he Middle Ages. The family still supply
10 Caro- and fireworks. and in this
lore xplOsive manner have for several
'enturies adopted a short aud speedy way
90 dsFibuting or scattering the holy fire