Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-01
EGG ROLLING
Youngsters Preparing for
Next Monday.
FUN AT WHITE HOUSE
MARINE BAND TO PLAY FOR THE
LITTLE ONES.
Custom of Egg Rolling on Executive
Lawns Started by Mr.. Lincoln
What is Done Elsewhere.

While womankind. wives. mothers, sis
tiers and sweethearts are thronging the
shops preparing for Easter hats and gowns
the younger generation are looking forward
in happy anticipation to Easter Monday, in
order that they may once again play with
their Dummies and the mysterious Easter
eggs that accompany them with the advent
of Easter morning. 1t Is tradition that
rabbits lay eggs at Easter; at any rate, CO.
incident with the coming of the rabbits in
minia ture form, come the eggs of many
hues, and the eggs must be rolled and
broken and eaten while romping and play
ing on the vacant lots and hillsiGes from
early morn till dewy eve.
Probably the function of Easter Monday,
to which most of the children look forward
with the greatest pleasure. is the egg-rolling
and romping on the grounds of the White
House to the accompa niment Of inspiring
tunes played by the United States Marine
Band.
Since the days of Abraham Lincoln, Presi-
dents of the United States have thrown
the White House grounds open to the little
ones OF the city on Easter Monday and al
lowed them to romp and play with their
eggs and Dummies to their hearts content
From the best information that can be OBJ
tanned from attaches of the White House
INC SuStoHi VI TOlllnS eggs on the w mite
House grounds originated with Mr.. Lincoln
when the work of building the west terrace
OF the Capitol was begun.
Once at Capitol.
1t had been the practice of the little ones
OF the city to roll their eggs and romp on
what was then hill on the west side of
the Capitol, but when this portion of the
grounds was terraced egg rolling became
impossible and the children had to look
Tor another playground at Easter time.
president Lincoln came to the rescue, and
gave instructions to have the White House
grounds thrown open and music furnished
for the occasion. This custom has been
Kept up from year to year and again next
Monday President Roosevelt will have the
grounds opened and the Marine Band in
readiness to play popular airs for their en-
tertainment. as they roll their Dummies and
eggs down the green hill Sides
In Germany the Easter hare occupies
about as large place in the child heart
as does old ST. Nicholas The children go
to bed on Easter eve very early and very
much In doubt as to whether they have
been good enough to merit a visit from the
mare The next morning there is at first
much disappointment as they go about
with their parents looking for eggs and see
none. Presently father or mother spies an
egg in hiding place, and before long all
the beautiful eggs the hare has laid are
found.
Easter and the Hare.
The connection between Easter and the
hare springs from the hare's connection
with the moon. Easter is In a sense a lu-
mar holiday. and from very ancient times
the hare comes out at night to feed, car
ries its young for n month and both moon
and hare were thought to have the power
of changing their sex.
The moon is the open-eyed watcher of
the night and the young of the hare are
I. ii
other very important reason for identifvine
the moon and the hare
In this country the hare has been trans
ferred to Its cousin, the rabbit
Every one is familiar with the negro Sill
perSution of the virtue of the left hind
foot OF a rabbit killed in graveyard in the
dark of the moon
1t is thought by some writer's that the
custom of Easter eggs is derived from the
Egyptians, who regarded the egg as a
sacred emblem of mankind after the de-
LUCE.
The early Christians regarded eggs as
symbols OF the resurrection. In old times
as many as twenty dozen eggs were piled
upon the table during Easter week 1t
was considered impolite for a guest to re-
fuse to eat an Easter egg with the host
In Spain and Italy public sports with eggs
formed part of the Easter festivities
In Russia people call on their friends on
Easter day as we do on New Years day
and exchange eggs with them.
custom IN Germany.
In Germany a number of eggs are placed
in basket and one person losses them into
another basket filed with soft shavings
while second person runs to a certain
spot and back The one who accomplishes
his task first wins the eggs
Egg-rolling is also common in Germany
where tracks of sticks laid side by side are
made for the eggs. The sport begins at
midnight on Easter evening and lasts till
about o'clock in the morning. Not only
eggs, but apples and little cakes are used
In Bohemia children roll many eggs in a
row, letting them start all at once to see
which will reach the bottom of the hill
first.
At Rome Easter is still celebrated with
great magnificence. On this day the pope
wears the triple crown, the emblem of pom
tifical imperial and royal authority united
The jubilate is chanted at this season and
there is universal eXultaton. At Easter
too, takes place the illumination of ST. Pc
ters, which. with it's thousands "of bewil-
dering lights seems an immense mountain
of molten silver.
In England Easter is considered very
important occasion and the holiday season
which is attached to it is second in interest
only to that of Christmas. At Easter all
the universities and schools in the realm
close and every boy who has a home turns
him hitherward. Courts adjourn Parlia-
ment rises and all work that can stop
pauses.