The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-07

len on Easter. In Saxony the peasants
also bring their horses into the water
| to ward off sickness from them. The Eas-
ter water, however, has virtue only when,
while drawing 1t, the wind is due east.
So far is this carried in the northern parts
of Europe that, when the spring is back
ward and the Easter waters still Ice
bound, the pious folk break through the
! ice In order to battle in the streams. Of
ten great numbers gather on the banks
and encourage the bathers with shouts
and cheers. 1t would seem tolerably
certain that man sturdy enough TO re-
sist the shock and exposure of this icy
bath would not be likely to die from
pneumonia or heart disease, at least for
several years.
In Hungary at every cottage whose
roof shelters a manageable girl are to
! be seen on Easter morning branches OF
| pine gaiy decorated with clusters OF rib
bon. They have been placed there over
night by the young men returning from
! the fields The peasant lover, accompa-
MED by several friends, enters the house,
carrying a pail. and says to its owner:
II have heard that there Is a flower in
your garden, and / crave for your per-
mission to water it." The father replies:
II thank you for the honor you have
done me In visiting my roof have
flower, but 1t grows without being water
ed" But the lover watches outside the
house with his pail of water, and on the
appearance of the girl he pours some over
her until he gets a ransom from her In
the shape of a certain number OF Easter
eggs This custom is varied among the
better classes perfume being used instead
of water.
The appearance of a symbolical Easter
King was. until lately, frequent in Eng
land and Continental Europe. He rode
gaily attired with the scepter in his hand
and a tin crown on his head In solemn
state to the church. Cuba celebrates
Easter by a sort of a sacred street drama,
in which the figures of Christ, the Vir-
gin Mary and Mary Magdelene, borne by
priests. take part. In the mountain dis
tricts of Venezuela there are nightly pro-
cessions during the holy week showing
the various events, closing with the reSuT-
rection Here, also, life size wax figures
impersonate the holy characters. MID
night mass is said in churches of the
Greek faith. Just at midnight LOUD
knocking commences at the door, wnicn
is repeated several times. On the gates
| being opened the priests and choir hurry
| in, crying out again and again: Christ
| is risen" 1t takes but minute to change
| the entire scene by the lighting of many
| tapers.
In Warwickshire, England, If the young
men can catch a hare and bring 1t TO
| the parson in the morning OF Easter Mon
| day, re is bound to give them 100 eggs
and other presents. AS hares are uncom-
mon at that time of the year, the prize Is
| seldom claimed. In Bulgaria young men
| and women meet only on Easter Monday,
when they all congregate in the church
yard, attired in picturesques holiday dress
| and indulge in social games. If, during
| these games, a girl allows her handker-
| chief to be taken away. by a young man.
| this is n sign of proposal and accept
ance. TIE next day her parents send
| biz jug of wine to him as token of their
| approval
In the Austrian Tyrol Easter pranks,
| like our April fool day jokes, are per-
petrated. Hospitality is universal at thus
time and nobody asking for shelter Is
refused A Hungarian Easter custom Is
the Kalaka. 1t consists In the farmers
| gathering together the corn or hay am
doing a day or two of labor gratis for
their poorer neighbors who cannot en-
ploy hands The wife of the peasant for
whom the work has been done awaits
tn I'm with an excellent supper. This Is
generally followed by a dance, AMI the
festlvit es arc kept up until morning