New-York tribune., 1902-03-30

Thy faithful servants eating 1t in thankfuness to
Thee on account of the resurrection of our Lord.
Huge baskets Of eggs were brought TO the church
be blessed, and all persons calling at houses dur
ing the Easter feasting received eggs as token
Of hospitality.
In the Greek Church the custom still maintains
Of exchanging egg with each person one meets
with the salutation, Christ is risen.' the person
accepting the egg replying He is risen indeed"
The eggs arc colored red in commemoraton OF the
shedding of Christs blood
The game of picking eggs" which is still popu-
lar among boys IS recorded early 169i. 1t is
said TO have originated in Mesopotamia. For forty
DAYS before Easter the children accumulated as
many eggs they could buy or beg. These were
dyed at first In the one color red; afterWard IN
many coors. Then, when Easter came the chill
dren would go about challenging each other to
contest of the strength Of the shells Of their re-
spective eggs. this being determined by knocking
one on another. and the which was first
cracked became the property OF the owner OF the
egg inficting the damage
The presence of the hare among Easter symbols
Is Of very ancient origin, and various reasons are
given for its The main idea seems TO be
that in mythology the hare was associated with
the moon, whose movements the falling or
Easter depended The form of a hare is visible in
some ancient representations Of the moon. One
legend accounting for its presence there Is that
Buddha on one occasion took the form of a hare.
that he might be killed and eaten TO feed hungry
fellow creature and during this act he was trans
lated TO the moon, where he evermore abides-
The appearance of a hare boded good or i'll
fortune according to the attendant circumstances,
ana the contemporary OF the left hind foot
of grave yard rabbit killed in the dark Of the
moon" as a talisman is a survival OF the old myths
the subject.
In ancient days it was a practice among the
preachers TO introduce facetious stories into their
sermons Easter 10 set the example of the dis
persng Of the gloom of the Ienten season.
OF ancient origin is the institution Of the BID
denden cakes in Kent. This is a custom OF CIV
ing six hundred cakes Oaves OF bread to tho
poor Easter Sunday. 1t was instituted by Two
sisters. the Bddenden maids who bequeathed a
sum Of money. with which was purchased twenty
acres Of land. known the Bread and Cheese
Land" The accruinE from the tenants OF
this strip is still applied to the maintenance Of
this charity.
by children clasping hands for "A third TO sit
upon, is relic Of the practice OF lifting. an old
Easter custom, in which two people Nftsd a third
person three times. II one refused to be
lifted, he she must pay slight forfeit. fortetts
being applied buy refreshments after the village
games. A kindred custom that which pre-
vailed in the Yorkshire villages, of taking the
buckles from each others shoes and demanding a
forfeit for their return, the earnings being ap-
piled TO the end those obtained in the
lifting
Many familiar pictures OF scenes in the Tyrol
the representation Of the Easter custom. The men
o about in their picturesque costumes, their broad
Trimmed hats trimmed with fresh flowers and
sing the Easter hymns to the accompaniment OF
I their guitars. The people come out 10 the doors
of their houses, and Join in the choruses. and treat
the singers with hospitality, giving them eggs and
vrir. All day they continue their ceremony, and
when the night comes on children accompany them
bearing lighted torches