Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-11
THE JOYOUS EASTER
The Religious Significance Of
the Day.
THE RESU ERECTION
TIE DAY OF GREAT REJOICING
AMONG CHRISTIANS.
The Ascension Of the Christ Observed
With Imposing Ceremonies by
ALI Denominations.

Tomorrow in the churches throughout the
world the festival of the resurrection VIII
be celebrated with stately pomp and cere-
mony and Eastertide will be ushered In
with joyous acclamations and triumphant
melody wherever the Christian religion Is
taught and preached. Thousands of pious
priests will lead the millions that COM
pose their fiocks in celebrating Christ s
resurrection in religious festival such as
is not equaled at any other season or the
wear The grandest and most impressive
music that has ever been written was COM
posed for the Easter festivities, and some
of the most soul-stirring verses In any
language tell the story Of the crucifixion
and Christ's rising from the tomb. In
Washington every church will put forth Its
best effort to make the day the most nota-
BILE in it's history Each year brings ABOUT
an increase in the fervor and Impressive
ness of the Easter celebration from purely
religious standpoint.
The Early Observance.
The Easter festival of the CHRISTIANS
dates back to about 6S A. D. It was cele-
brated by the early followers of CHRIST de-
spite the prosecutions to which they were
subjected, and when the church became es-
tabIished the feast of the resurrection was
one of It's most significant ceremoniafs
The ceremonies of the day as Chrlsuan
festivals have gradually increased In SCOPE
and Importance until they pecoais .te 80
important and impressive rites OF the year.
The greatest difficulty was found at nfst III
determining the day upon which EASTER
services were to be held. AS the services
throughout Lent depended upon the tlfie
selected for the Easter observance II can
be readily seen that this was maI1sI
that called for careful consideration Inc
resurrection of Christ took place just after
+
Christians of Jerusalem. and after them the
Asiatic churches generally, were accustonn
ed to hold the Easter feast on the same
day or simultaneously with the Jew,sn
nassoyer This usage was not acceptaple
to the Christians of Europe, who preferred
to celebrate Easter on the Sunday folloWi1ls
the fourteenth day of the moon Inc dlHeI-
ences in this practice lead to grave ulsseh
sions between the east and the west
branches of the church, and at length
council was held at Nice in the year 80, to
which the question was submitted. Inc
council decided in favor Of the western CON
tention that Eastertide began with the
fourteenth day Of the moon.
Impressive Ceremonies.
From the very first there has been about
the Easter celebration a series of impress
sive ceremonies that are unlike the rites
of other faiths There was universally
about the Easter celebrations that was
OlHerenC from Thai VI OlHcl AChSAoio 'Aoo'
In different countries the celebration is
slightly different, only when the customs
of the country provided for more or less
rigid celebration. The Catholic Church
established the original rites, and the va
rious Protestant denominations have
simply adopted some of these ceremonies,
or have celebrated the day without special
service. In most of the churches of all de-
nominations communion is served on Eas-
ter Sunday, and in all of the churches mu-
sic forms prominent feature Of the days
worship The ceremony in the Catholic
churches Is most impressive, and yet Is of
a more cheerful character than the serv-
ices that have preceded 1t. The somber
hangings of the altar are removed and
pure white used in place. The churches
are all decorated with flowers in the great
est profusion, and the priests and laymen
alike wear their most gorgeous costumes.
In some of the countries of Europe the
Easter service in church is one of the
grandest spectacles that could be wit
messed. In the countries where Catholicism
has been adopted the religion Of the
court the whole royal retinue turns out
for service on Easter Sunday in robes that
tunes of the coronation exercises. The
musical portion of the service is another
Of the features that form most prominent
part of the celebration. There Is hardly a
great musician who has not composed a
mass or an anthem to be sung on Easter
morning, and there are hundreds of beau
tl1ul compositions that were written for
this service alone. The entire celebration
of Easter takes form of expression Of Joy
and triumph.
In the Protestant Churches.
In the Episcopal Church the Easter serv-
ice Is only slightly less spectacular than in
the Catholic churches. In the high or ex-
IRENE ritualistic churches the service takes
on much the same air as the Catholic serv-
ice. In England. where church and state
are so closely related, the cathedral service
on Easter Sunday is one of the most beautf--
full Of religious ceremonies. In most of the
cathedrals capable and competent musi-
clans are kept as choirmasters, and fresh
young boys are trained to sing the grand
anthems Of Handel and Haydn, Mendels-
sohn and Beethoven in those vaulted
cloisters. The churches are decorated with
flowers. and sometimes full orchestral ac-
compartments are used.
In the churches of other Protestant de-
nominations the ceremonies take on the
character Of Joy and triumph that is sig
nalized by the occurrence of the day, but
are not the elaborate services that mark
the celebration in the Catholic and Episco-
pal churches. In all of these churches
however. music forms prominent part Of
the days celebration, generally music of a
higher class than on other days. OF late
years, when ideas OF religious observance
have greatly broadened and paid choirs
have come Into. use even in churches OF the
most severe creeds, the class of the must
cal selections used has become much higher