New-York tribune., 1903-04-12
EASTER IN OTHER LANDS.
Russian Customs That Hare Er-
isted for q Thousand Years.

n ia Among sirnpe and primitive peoples. not yet
caught in the sweep of railroads and public scnoOis
that finds Easter celebrated with Weaith Vi
| quaint customs that make ii the most interesting
as IL IS the Oldest of festivals In the little
villages Of Silesia, among the mountains ana Ior-
ests of Eastern Germany and Austria, the peasants
| retain traces OF the ancient customs Whlch our
Tertonic forefathers in their wild German forests
se for ages In their old spring festival This fes-
| tivaI Esstre gave it's name direct to the churcn
| festival of to-day.
| As Easter approaches. the dark old market
squares blossom out suddenly with May trees -
| These are twigs, cut by the boys from the willow
| trees and PAINTED in bright colors and trimmed
| with flowers by the Booths are covered
| with them. Every market woman has a bunch 10
sell They wreathe the strings of sausages ana slahd
boldly aloft from the bootlegs in the shoe stores
| Every passer by carries one. and every market
uorosn calls BUY a May tree; buy a Lattery
switch" the 'I.attery' being corruption OF the
word 'Iatore' old ecclesiastical term Tor the
second Sunday before Palm Sunday On PAIN sun
day in these Silesian villages every human Delhs
carries 4 green twig The men and boys place theirs
I'm their hats so that a moving mass of peasants
looks like Birnara wood coming to Dunslnane- IN
the church they pull out the twigs for the priest 10
sprinkle with holy water and then preserve them
carefully to nail upon the barn. to protect from
1eb+nine or other disaster. On the next Thursday,
too Green Thursday the farmer will be sure 10
walk over his fields. while the holy water Is 1resh
upon him to insure good crops On mat Cd! aso
SileSidn children go out III Jnt HtIuS w III -
the nest of the Easter hare-the wonderful hare.
who they really believe. lays eggs once year all
red with the blood of the Saviour
Through the streets on Saturday afternoon hurry
crowds of maids and kitchen boys. bearing home
from the bakers great trays, yard square, loaded
with "Steuzel Kuchen,' the Easter cake Near
every village is a hill called Calvary. There in
earlier times. crucihX, and on SATURDAY
afternoon the people, rosary in hand crept up TINS
hill past the seven stations of the Passion until
bad he fix a
nowadays rustic restaurant crowns each hill OF
Calvary. This restaurant $ opened only once d
year On the Saturday before flag is hung out
to signify that it is open once more. 1t is only a
rrstic hut in the grove. with rude benchss ana /
ia b,es put about among the birch trees But |
thither on the afternoon before Easter Day. the \
country boys and girls repair for coffee and ioFe-
ma king and the woods resound with their laughter
until the place Is closed again for another year
A Russian Easter rises 10 the height OF a ma |
tiouaI eating bout. Among people in the world |
is the Ienten fast observed so strictly as IN HuS-
sia All the peasants and many in other classes |
abstain strictly from meat. eggs. butter. cheese
milk and sugar throughout Lent. They live
upon fish, cabbage and black bread In a cold
and soggy climate. making peculiar demands upon
the vitality this is a real privation. and the aver
age Russian adult looks forward to Easter with
the anticipatfons which American child feels
for THANKSGIVING and Christmas combined Pas
sion week is a curious compound of church and
cookery, of sanctity and savOry seasoning Half
time spent in church. the ether half in mar
keting and cooking. Immense stores of eatabes
of all sorts are purchased. The boiling and color
ing of Easter eggs rises to the dignity of re-
gious rite Tons of them are thus prepared |
And besides for the poor there wooden eggs.
rived by the peasants and for the rich dainty sill
yer eggs containing rings other small and valu-
able presents. Every gives and receives pres
entS Easter time.
And still the cooking goes on. and the poor |
women who have starved for six weeks. must not |
taste TIE goodies that growing under their |
hands. On the Saturday before Easter the |
dvorniks. or porters be seen every street. |
staggering under the weight of great bags Of |
groceries. fruits and SweetmeatS which they are |
delivering In the house everything is in turmoil |
Every is turned inside out every inch is /
cleaned. the floors scrubbed white. the tables laid
for a feast. For the Russian Easter IS a COM |
bination of New Years. Christmas, Thanksgiving |
and oldtime spring cleaning.
Early Easter eve the streets are quiet but by |