Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-04-07
Easter Customs in Many Lands.

In other days curious customs We're
connected with the celebration Of E1s-
| ter. In England all the fires were put
out and relighted on Easter from con
secrated tlints obtained from the
| churches. holy fire got in this way be
ing believed to be potent against the
| raVaSes Of storms ana other disasters.
| Also, fall it late or early, Easter was
| the signal for doing the tyre out Of
the hall, and the black Wyntcr hrandes
and all thyngs that is foulc with fumc
| and smoke shall be done awaye ana
where the tyre was shall be gayly
arayed With fayre llourcs ana strcWcd
| with creme rysshes all aboute-'
The common people. as they still ID
in Ireland, rose early on Easter morn
ing Ito see the sun dance"
Lifting" or 'hcaVinr." was an Oh
servance which is thought to have
been a rude representation of the Re
surrection. The men lifted the women
on Easter Monday. the women the
men on the following day. this being
accomplished by two persons joining
! hands across each Others wrists. the
person To BE- heaved sitting thereon
| and being lifted three times. after
which he was kissed by the lifters and
a forfeit claimed. Sometimes a chair
was used instead of the hands.
y superstition that affects the mod
| ern observance Of Easter apparently
| held that il was unlucky not to wear
something new on that day. To look
out Of your window on Easter morn
| ing and see 4 lamb was thought to be
| lucky, especially if it had its head to-
ward You, this probably being derived.
| in part at least from the belief that
| to see lamb is always more Of lcss
lucky. since that is 4 form thar thu
devil can never assume. Many par-
sons believe that it is good plan to
draw water ana wash in it On Easter
Day if the wind is east. as that will
counteract i'll effects from east winds
for the rest Of the year.
If 1t rains on Easter it Will rain for
seven Sundays is a widely accepted
proverb. some 20 further ana say if
it rains on Easter it viii rain mt least
few drops every day in the year.
In many parts Of England Il PaschaI
monarch was chosen to ride in pomp t.
church, and after service to repair
with his rctinuc to a hall where a Gel
ebration was held.
y good old university custom at OK
ford was ''chiprinE the block Tho
cook and his assistants waited for the
students to come out for dinner. As
each passed he took 4 blunt choppiny
AK and struck the block. following the
act by dropping 4 fee in pewter dish
held by one of the assistants There
was tradition that any one able to
chop the block in two would have a
right to lay claim to the college cs-
tatcs.
Easter Sunday in Rome is ushcrcd
in with the firing Of cannon from the
castle Of st. Angelo. Soon artorward
there is a great outpouring Of pcdcs-
| trians and cGuipagcs in the direction
of st. Peters. where the affairs arc
decorated beautifully and the lights
ablaze around st. Peters tomb. For
merly the Pope. in the splendid vest
mcnts Of his office. was borne hither
in the Sedia Gestatoria and escorted
with great pomp to the Papal throne
| The Noble Guards and many other Of
ficials We're present in full uniform.
and the whole pageant was strikingIv
| impressive. At night there We're civic
festivities and an Illumination that
| lighted up the Eternal City with Won
| derful brilliancy.
In these days the cardinal arch
priest says mass in st. Peters. the
| Pope officiating in the Consistory.
within the Vatican palace. Only Il
favored few are present.
| In the Greek churches Easter is begun
with midnight mass. Tho richly-robcI
priests and the choir Of men ana boys are
scarcely visible in the prevailing dusk
until. a rocket announcing midnight. the
priests and choir. who had left, tn"
church a few minutes before. begin
| knocking Mt the door. ana rs soon rs IT
| is opened hurry in shouting Christ is
| risen Christ is risen, Each bears q
| lighted taper, from which every one in
! the audience lights his candle until the
church II ablazc with thousands NJ lights.
Most American children think the CO..
| orcl eggs ore Of Inc most important
| features Of Easter celebration. but they
40 Hot know Sp much about the hare that
| lays them as their German cousins. The
white hare is the delightful animal that
prOVidcs the beautiful blue. red, pink.
| Dur0Ic ana spotted eggs for good chill
! lren. according to the nursery doctrines.
| Students have traced the introduction Of
the hare into Easter traditions from the
| fact that this is. in a sense. lunar hol-
| iday ana the hare was in ancient Il ines
| a symbol for the moon. Also the hare
| being born with its eyes open was asSo-
ciated with the opening Of the new year
! at Easter.
In many parts of England hare hunting
| was originally an important part of the
| Easter sports. one of the most famous
customs is the Hallaton hare scramble
| and bottle kicking on Easter Monday. AT
| some remote time piece OF land WAS DC
| uue1thcd to the rector on condition that
| he should provide annually two hare pies.
! n quantity Of ale and two dozen penny
/ loaVes to he scrambled for on each sue
| cecding Easter Monday al the ground