The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-02-11
.LENT'S SOMBRE Tide
NOW BEGINS IT'S SWAY
Ash Wednesday, First of the
ChurCh'S Greatest FaStS.
SIGNIFICANCE OF SPECIAL DAYS
Mi-Careme, "CarIinE,v or Passion
Sunday, Palm Sunday, Mnundy
Thursday, and Good FrIday-Mueh
hinEIinE of Customs.

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. the
first day Of Lent-the first day OF the
greatest fast in the Christian Church.
Il was instit-ted by the early fathers
as cOmmemOration Of the forty days
fast Of Jesus Christ, and as a season Of
special penitence and preparation for
Easter. But. like many another Christian
feast, its recurrent period was decided
upon in consequence OF a long existing
festival OF pagan origin, from which also
1t derives its name.
Lent" or "Lenten. is early English
! for ''lengthen" Lent comes when the
days begin to Iengthen: in other words
when spring comes, or when the days
grow longer.
There is a peculiar anomaly concerning
Ash Wednesday The great fast should
be for forty days only, yet this day is
fOrty-six days before Easter. The fact is
| that Sundays, being always feast days.
are not counted in the Lenten period. so
that only forty days Of extra fasting are
left
h'-Careme. .'HotherinE sunday
During Lent there are many customs
worthy Of repeating, for instance. Moth
esing Sunday" Mid-Lent. or Mi-Careme.
The first name vas given it from the good
old custom Of visiting parents upon this
day and Of making them a present OF
money. trinket or a nice eatabIe
Then comes CARING Sunday" which is
Passion Sunday. or Care Sunday. on
which day grey peas after having been
STEPPED all night IN water are fried in
butter, are given away and eaten. This
day is the day on which all debts should
be paid. ar offences forgiven
Origin OF Palm sunday.
Palm Sunday. the Sunday before Easter.
was evidently so called because on this
day boughs OF palm trees used to be car
ried in imitation OF those which were
strewn in the way OF Christ when he rode
into Jerusalem.
In the early days OF Christendom these
palms were blessed, as were also the
hoWers used upon that occasion.
Inc present day substitute IN England is
the lowering branches OF "a species OF
willow called witty. or the salIow. The
custom Of going a-palming.' or gather
ing the palms. is still kept up in many
parts OF Europe and England on the day
before Palm Sunday
In many Roman Catholic countries the
entry OF Christ into Jerusalem known as
the festival OF the Wooden ASS. is still
celebrated.
Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
Shere or Maundy Thursday is the Thurs
day before Easter. the day on which
Christ washed the feet OF his disciples
On this day fasters were won't. for the
first time In Lent. TO shave their boards
and cut their hair In preparation for
Easter. On the same grounds. this day
was chosen for the kings bounty TO be
given away, and was a general day Of
charity and good will
OF Good Friday customs. that Of eating
hot cross buns is perhaps the best known.
and this can easily be traced 10 the
pagans- It was an Offering made about
this period TO the gods. The Christians
seized the idea and dressed It in a Chris
tian cloak. the bun Offering was marked
with a cross, and so became christened.