The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1900-04-13
TIE SPRING SEASON.
EASTER SUNDAY THE DAY FOR GEN
ERAL REJOICING.

claimed by many nations and races. |
The English name Of the day Is derived
from that of the Teutonic Goddess Of
Spring-Ostera, whose name signified
+" The Arisen," Il mythical being who
was worshipped before Christianity
was thought of.
The Druds, who seem to have been
the only religious sect in Britain be-
fore the Roman conquest, held yearly
spring celebration in honor Of the
vernal resurrection of the vegetable
world, and religious rites were part
of the ceremony.
Similar observances were general
among the older Asiatic races and the
Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, as
well as the Teutonic tribes of Europe
in pre-Christian times.
The Jewish Feast Of the Passover
had for about thousand years been
celebrated in the early spring, and the
early Christians, most Of whom were
OF the Hebrew race, continued to cele
brate it in token of the saving Of their
race from the tenth great plague
which Immediately preceded the EXC;
dus.
1t was easy, therefore, for the early
Christians when they became or an
lied and began to celebrate certain
ANNIVERSARIES of special meaning to
them to have Easter and its symbolism
adopted by all converts.
The first name by which the church
designated the day was Paska, or Pas
cha, a word the root OF which is found
in both Hebrew and Greek and signi-
flying a sacrifice, and some derivative
Of this word is still used in all Euro
pean countries. The word =" Easter "
is peculiar to English speaking nations
only and shows that the Christian fes.
tival was combined in early days with
the earlier ceremonies Of the heather
Goddess of Spring.
For some time those believers in
Jesus who were also Hebrews and
loyal to their race celebrated the ami.
yersary 0f the resurrection and the
Feast of the Passover on the same day,
finding in the incidents some signltl-
canoes which seemed related to one
another, but the more precise OF
Christian faith and the strictcr adj
herents of the older religion disagreed
as to dates when these Glanced to be
different, as often they are, as both
are determined by pha 'es Of the moon
after the vernal equinox. The differ
ences became so great and earnest that
not until the fourth century OF the
Christian era did the church, which
by that time had become compact
organization, settle upon the present
method of determining the date.
| Like all other holy days, Easter
soon became a holiday. According to
the dictionary, the words have the
same meaning yet, according to the
people, their meaning is very different.
In some countries the people dance
about IA heap of flowers at Easter; in
others they distribute colored eggs
and have great "egg fights" in which
the owner of the hardest egg wins,
and the other egg is eaten by the vic.
tor. So a man or boy with very hard
egg is able to accumulate the basis of
an Easter Monday headache.
In some parts of England it is the
proper or necessary thing for women
to play ball on Easter Sunday. In
other parts of the same island man
has the right to lift three times from
the ground any woman whom he may
meet, and the woman must pay six
pence or Il kiss for the attention, SO
the local Sandows find themselves in
great luck, but on Easter Monday the
women have the right to retaliate In
like manner.
In Ireland and elsewhere some good
. people believe that the sun dances on
Easter morn, and those who stare long
enough at the glowing ball find Their
eyes nervous enough TO see anything
of which they may be thinking.
In Russia many men and women
greet whoever they may meet on Eas
D ter morning with "A kiss and the an
\ nouncement "The Lord is risen" A
. distinguished American civil engineer
. was thus greeted a few years ago b,
! an innocent and sweet faced chamber
< maid at hotel at St. Petersburg, ant
! no explanations would pacify the gen
: tleman's wife.
: One Of the most significant and pic
q turesque celebrations OF the day Is
that OF the Moravan Christians, OF
. whom there are many congregations
in the United States. At Bethlehem
Pa. and other towns where Moravi
ans |, bound some musicians with brass
q instruments go aG earliest dawn to tht
r roof of the church and play music
J. signifying the calling forth Of. th'
|. dead. The people Immediately flocl
Q TO the church and begin the service q
t the day, most of II being musical. A
/. a given signal tile entire congregation
y rise and, preceded by the minister
y and trumpeters, leave the church an
e march to the cemetery, In Moravia
le cemeteries all the gravestones 81