The Wilmington daily Republican., 1902-03-31
MONDAY. MARCH 81. 1909.
EASTER is OF Pagan origin. The

Egg, the MY aud the bounel are
svmbolc OF Easter. Many Of the
popular observations cotnec.cd
with Easter were clearly OF pagan
origin and with hei usual policy,
the church caaeayoryed TO Civ.
Christian stgpl!ieauce 20 such
heathenish rites as could not he
eullrely routed out from the aticc-
lious Of the people. The sprIng
season OF Lieut. aud the spring les
lival OF Faster became perioAs tor
concentrating the universal Joy
Of the Christian church a. to- rIs-
ing OF the sun OF Righteousness
aud the resurre ctiop ot Car i rom
The grave In the early churct the
Asiatics kept TIE least CD The day
ri the Jewish Passover. Wut,A tie
Western Christians observed ii %
The first Sunday alter the Passover,
The Lourcil ot Nice III the wear y.
d. SIS, decreed that Lastet dav
Ihouid be kept on the Sunlay .oi-
lowing the Jewish least OF the Pass
pver, which Passover is Kept on
lhe lourteenth dav OF the Jewish
month Nissan. Accordingly the
2lst day ai March was set, Consc-
lucntly Easter day is always the
sunday following the tuii mcon
which falls or is ueNt after the ,lst
aav OF March.
The day Is still known as Pascha
IN the Easter Church as well us in
The various churches IN europe.
The English tell OF Easier being
probably derived from the old saxon
word Oster, meanius sprias. Just
Is the word Lent is derived IRON
The old Teutonc word Leuz, spring,
simply because the iorty days last
occurs ia the sprin. OF the year.
In olden times the day was OBJ
served with great festivities. In
medlaeval times Easter eggs were
solemny blessed bv the priests and
distributed anon. the people. The
sgg was boiled very hard in Wa
Ter, coored VITA red, blue or v!o'ct
hyes. with Inscriptions or land
scapes traced upon and they were
offered as Easter gifts
A curious old Easter custom was
The ''liItlns as typcal Of the res
3rrectlon. Calls were made on
Easier Monday aud it was custom
hry for crowd OF young aud gay
gallants 10 carry about a chair
lined with rich white silk, from
which sarlaulo OF flowers and
streamers OF rIbbous depended, ana
md to invite eacn tAlr young dam
tel OF the household TO seat herself
10 the chair The char WAS then
lifted as high as the yonng men
could poise It IN the air and oo It's
hescen, Il kiss was demanded by
zach Of the youn. m-n as lee Tor
The Easter hitting. In Eng land
his c4s.om was followed until re-
Eently,
The practice o. archery was a
special recreation on Easter Mon-
dap and it WAS a peculiar pr act,ce
in England Il century ago Tor TIE
prizes given 10 the best shot 10 be
provided 10y the neN'J married
bridegroom Easter iIOnldy Oeiay
ppeciaiy Sc cctri for weddings.
In the valley oi The NnlH. lhc
Ty!olese observe Easter wltheyeI y
ceremony, 1t has bsen truIg said
that CIVILIZATION has passed Dy the
Tyrols and not lett upon II trace
pf its unUehGHlO- 'oAch. Ihelr
wide trimmed has arc trimmc,!
with flowers ana crowds d chill
hren accompany thcn and As nigh
come on bear .i.hte torches htct
EAST strange shadows over tht
scene.
In Russia there has been l'tie OF
no change II the religious chArac'
ter O. Easter ior centuries They
Enjoy their Easter dinner Iielorl
Il is cooked t IS brought IN baskets
10 the chur:hss where priests NOV
lns up anil towl spr.ul,e It "lli
holy water.
In Poland b. preparations are
made or the t.as'er !east
IN the United NIA'e> and NOR
particularly 10 " a,htn.lon the dr
has Il specially significance 10 lh
children who to-day vii, indulge 4
au egg rolling contest 10 the WHIT
House grounds Tn. PreSden
receives his guests al III" back doc
ot the House which number scvcra
thousands. Ike CHI. lrcn are {
all agcs AMI co'ors, quality or Goa
dition. Eggs are rolled back anl
forth upon The groLnis and II on
10 is OF very practical turn {
mind he woadGIs hoy the .lrdnc
is ever 10 como out the result.
And this $ how young Amcrtc
observers Easter.
THE sensational murder strial {
Mrs. Mabel FCnlor. Ilaines at VI
Holly, y H., for several days pas
IA not ended vet, Witnesses tor til
defense were put on SATURDAY
They gave the woman an eXceIIen
reputation ard testified that sh
treated her little stepdlug hte
with cons Iteration aud kiudnes
There must be some tall Iyins c
someb bocy ; part The husband
standing by his vile. The chrl
said TO have been brutaiiy beatc
and poisoned was by his hrst wit
EGoTiSM IS born 10 soma peopl
others acquire It from their ass
ciates, while others ike 10 thin
they are better than the ordlnai
common clay. But sone men III
animals, get out oil their heads whe
they strike the city atmospner
The air is so different that everl