The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-03-27
GdStel~ CbSelVQnce,S IN the, GQnd Of the CZu> Sg
KISSING Prorniscuously Is
One of the Essential Cere-
monies Of This Holiday
Season IN Russia


thirty or more fragrant spices gums and other oils
in varying quantities. The ceremonies incidental to
the preparation OF the myro are peculiarly impress
sive and are among the most remarkable features
OF the celebration Of the Easter in Russia, though
as | have said, they occur but once in two OF three
years"
An American woman, who married a Russian
noblemau, was recently visiting her old home ia
America In describing the Russian Easter cele
bratons she said:
Easter is the greatest perhaps, Of all the Riis
sian holiday seasons, 1t Is sort Of combination
Christmas and New Year as we understand the
days. 1t is the great Russian national festival and
this Is particularly true when said OF the ceIebra
tons among the lower classes, though there is moth
ing in all the Russian customs which SO thoroughly
shows the true democracy Of the Russians"
But said the who was listening, Il always
had ali idea that in Russia there was such thing
AZ democracy we understand it,.
There never was more erroneous idea she said
II have found that the truest sort Of democracy
lists in Russia, and by that | mean democracy that
almost amounts to too much personal liberty
can perhaps best explain this by telling an incl
dent which happened at railway station we
were about to take the train for Moscow, where
days A distinguished army officer and his beautiful
wife were waiting on the platform. A peasant
dressed III sheepskins approached the officer Chris
tos Voskresenr he said to the lady. She turned in
stanty, and kissed the peasant three times Vo
istne voskresr She said This being translated
means Christ is risen, and He II risen, indeed
Thus YOU will see that it matters little in what
country the Easter is celebrated the same expires.
&C in + i'm.
agne there would be some surprise II when one was
greeted by the familiar expression Christ is rsen
il were necessary to kiss whoever said it.
TO understand this incident fully, you must re
member that an army officer is the direct repre-
sentative of the Gar himself and even had the
peasant chance TO first greet the Empress in the
way he greeted the officers wife, the custom would
have been fulfilled just the same and she would
have kissed the man three times. This triple kiss
Is supposed to signify the Holy Trinity, and is per
haps the most distinguishing feature OF the Russian
celebration.
I'm Moscow where the national celebration Of
Easter is to be seen ut its best, the streets become
quiet very early on Easter Eve At half past eleven
ON Easter Eve last year we started for the Kremin.
We groped up the dark staircase Of the tower .oi
Ivan Vcki to get a better view OF the scene Of
which we had heard So much. AT twelve o'clock the
'ower began 10 tremble yioendy-the great bel
Of the Assumption. which weighs sixty-four tons,
and il the largest in the world, was striking the
hour Instantly every bell in all the four hundred
churches OF Moscow took up the ringing, joytully
and rapidly Ii was Easter morning, and from the
streets below we could plainly hear the great shouts
'Christos Vosresenr and Vo istne voskresf
"A hundred cannon doomed from the Tainitzky
tower ana as II hghteu Dy HasS' e'eiy 'PIe anu
dome were ''Iu"'i'''eo 1',e N'e'''''' any macy
a circle 81 'ent sHo"e ABOUT e'e'! 0N0''.i' anu
every sueet N Mos1o" os9"'ue 'ee"e o' "ue
scuOa0le glory OF HtHI'