The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1904-02-16
Scissoreo ano Otherwise
shrove Tuesday--Tomorrow Lent Begins.

The early Christian fathers wise in their way and gen
eraton found place for pagan in the church
ritual and these losing their original meaning were ad-
opted and read into sacred and symbolic meanings The
Italian carniyal-from the Latin daro flesh land 'yae'
farewell farewell to the desh"-at time began
with the feast of the Epiphany twelve days after
Christmas and continued until Ash Wednesday, period
Of about weeks Many of the customs of this extra
ordinary time Of unrestraned sport and feastng may be
traced directly to the pagan Lupercaa Bacchanalia of
Southern Europe
According to papa order the feastng of the clergy
began two days before that of the aity probably to
pensate for the hours Of rigid fasting to with
the Lenten season. The rich began festivities on Three
Kings day, or Epiphany while the middle classes were
allowed but one week and the poor but few days Tues
day preceding Ash Wednesday the greatest day Of
the carnival Then all preparations for Lenten fast
were supposed to be completed, and the liberty and
license of unrestrained feastng masqueradng and buff
foonery were nduged to the utmost limit of the law,
only to come end when the last toll of the midnight
bell ushered in the pentence and contrtion Of the long
fast before Easter
This Tuesday is known to as Mardi Gras, Green
Tuesday, a season of dancing and masked balls Among
the Germans it is "Fastnacht" and presents of green
nosegays exchanged and in the rural districts little
fir trees planted before the door way decorated with
garlands This custom, the wiseacres say is positive
inheritance from the od-tme Bacchanas and reflection
of Yuetde in tie Far North In England the few days
before were called Shroyetide Sinners went to cones
sion were shTlven received absouton and gayly cele
brated the event. Shrove Tuesday. 1t became Collop
Monday and Pancake Tuesday, with frtters and pam
cakes in such liberal profuson that it only beting
for the somacs sake of fasting should in.
Moreover the faithful permitted to indulge in the
manly sports of football cock fighting and bull fighting.
Ash Wednesday brought revulsion of feelings with
it. Gregory the Great introduced the custom into the
church services at the close of the sixth century The
palms of the preceding Palm Sunday burned. Be
fore mass the ashes were consecrated the altar,
sprinked with holy water and signed three times with
the sign of the cross while the priest soemnly recited
the words: 'Memento quod cinis es ct in cnerem
erters Remember that thou art dust and must re-
turn to dust The ashes were strewn the heads Of
the officiating priests and clergy and the assembled peo
pie At the same time, while the penitentS hum
bed to the dust these unfortunates outside the pale
were not forgotten Earnest prayers offered for
the convesion of Jews, Turks and infdes" and the
s.commination." series of denuncatons against inn
penitent offenders, read.
The word Lent is of AngloSaxon derivation, lencten
meaning spring 1t the period Of forty fast days not
including Sundays before the Eastertide The time
memorates the forty days fast of Moses Elijah and Christ
Roman Catholics are most rigid in their observance, the
Episcopal church advising the observance, but not
mandng it, Abstinence from sfood certain days and
from meats and the social pleasures 5foms part Of the
Ienen exercises Fasting seasons customary among
all secs and have been among all nations the most
primitive