The Yale expositor., 1902-03-28
Easter Festival
Of Great AGE.

vi vi SGt HE(
The festival of Easter Is much Older
than the Resurrection OF Jesus. Chris
tianity not only converted the magnifi
cent pagan temples. which IL could not
pull down. into churches. but II also
adopted and adapted as many OF the
rites and ceremonies OF heather an
tiquity as were too deeply rooted In
the habits and affections OF the people
10 be eradIcated. From the Greeks and
the Romans tho early Christians bor'
rowed their emblems OF resurrection
and immortallty-the Peacock and the
Phoenix. The Eastev egg. too. aS a
religious symbol Is as old as tho pyr9
mids OF Egypt and the primer OF Orr
entail philosophy. which taught that
the world was hatched from ar egg
about the time OF the vernal equinox.
We read also that the Romans In early
spring ran races I'm an oval-@su egg
shaped arena. when the winner was
presented with eggs accompanied with
wishes that his noble fami.~ may In
crease and multiply. Christianity col
ored the egg rcd TO remind the people
OF the blood shed for their redemp-
ton.
That ceremonial Christianity Is In q
large measure paganlsm transformed
or rejuvenated Is admitted by the best
scholars in the churen as we'll as out
OF it-by Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman
and Daronius. as we'll as by MaxMul.
Ter and Renan. THE church has Dor
rowed many customs from the religion
OF the Romans and other pagans.
says an ecclosiasls 81 authority. but
IL has meliorated them" Another
writes that the pagan festivals laden
with superstition were changed into
the praiseworthy festivals Of the mar
tyrs." Still another defends tho prac.
tice by saying: 1T was permitted the
church 20 transfer 20 pious uses those
ceremonies which the pagans had
wickedly applied In a Superstltlous
worship"
ostera or Eostre. derived from
cost" meaning East. was Saxon
Goddess who presided over tho lumi'
nous powers which revived tho earth
and resuscitated life out OF the shadow
OF darkness and the mold OF the grave,
She was the divinity whose face shone
like the glory OF the sunrise and the
brightness of the dawn: her ambro
sial breath made hill and dale fra
grant. and her smile shed beauty over
every breaking bud and blossom. The
people congregatcd In the fields Ia
cheer her arrival in the skies because
she came TO destroy tho genii Of win
ter.darkness. sterility. storm. and
death. and 10 shake from her golden
urn blessings upon man and beast
alike. The Sun is risen." they shout
ed. as they greeted one another and
kissed and danced on the new grass
Our Teutonic ancestors devoted eight
days OF April. which they called the
ostermonat. TO the worship OF this
beautiful goddess OF life and love
perennial. whose arrows. tipped witt
flame. had shot fresh hopes into theiI
hearts When Christianity converted
the pagan Saxons. instead OF attempt
Ing 10 abolish this joyous festival. Il
ohristened IL into an institution oi
the church. preserving all its poetry
and music-the flowers and the eggs
and only substituting Jesus. the Sun
OF Righteousness. for ostera, the God
dcss OF the East.
Easter. then. is a day in which Chris
tian and heather memories mingie
and we regard that as its most pleas
ing feature. because II lirts IL from
being merely n sectarian symbol into
n festival OF humanity. IL demon
strates that all festivals have n com
mon ancient source-the needs OF tho
human heart. and that all religious
instead OF being miraculously giver
TO any chosen people. spring out Of
tho eternal soil OF humanity.
Let us rejoice to-day not that tho
sun" has risen or that one man has
been raised from the dead. but that al
mankind has been steadily rising du
ring these many ages-rising from the
deep. dark grave OF ignorance and
slavery TO freedom and power. Let M
change tho Easter salutation. and In
stead OF greeting one another with
Christ is risen" and "He is risen. In
deed" let us say. Humanity Is risen.
and let tho refrain be. Hail. riser
Humanity"
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