The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-02-16

we've DAYS after Christmas. and con-
tinued until Ash Wednesday, period of
bout six weeks. Many of the customs
II this extraordinary time OF unrestrained
port and feasting may be traced directly
20 the pagan I-upercalia and Bacchanalia
Of Southern Europe.
According to a papal order the feast
.ng Of the clergy began two days before
hat of the laity, probably to compensate
cor the hours of rigid fasting soon to come
with the Lenten season The rich began
festivities on Three Kings day, or
epiphany while the middle classes were
flowed. but one week and the poor but
a few days. Tuesday preceding Ash We'd
lesday was the greatest day of the car
liyal Then all preparations for a Lenten
East were supposed to be completed and
the liberty and license Of unrestrained
feasting masqucrading and buffoonery
were INDUCED to the utmost limit of the
law only to come to m end when the
last toll of the midnight bell ushered in
the penitence and contrition of the long
fast before Easter.
This Tuesday is known 10 us as Mardi
Ciras. or Green Tuesday. a season of dane
ing and masked balls. Among the Ger
mans il is 'Fastnacht and presents of
green noseeays are exchanged and i'm the
rural districts little FIR trees are planted
before the doorway, decorated with gar
lands This custom. the wiseacres say, is
4 positive inheritance from the old-time
Eacchanals and a reflection of Yuletide
IN the far north In England the few
lays before were called Shrovedde. Sim
ners went to confession, We're shriven, re-
eived absolution. and gayly celebrated
the event ShrOVe Tuesday. 1t became
Collop Monday and Pancake Tuesday
withfritters and pancakes in such liberal
profusion that it was only BETTING for
he stomach's sake. a season of fasting
should set in. Moreover. the faithful were
permitted to indulge in the manly sports
of football cock fighting and bull fighting.
Ash Wednesday brought a revulsion of
feeling with it, Gregory the Great in
troduced the custom into the church
services at the close of the sixth cen
fury. The palms of the preceding Palm
Sunday were burned. Before mass the
ashes were consecrated on the altar
sprinkled with holy water and signed
three times with the sign of the cross,
while the priest solemnly recited the
words: ''Memento quod cinis -. ct in
cinerem reverteris'' C'Remember that
thou art dust and must return to dust).
The ashes We're strewn on the heads of
the officiating priests and clergy and
the assembled people. At the same time,
while the penitents were humbed to the
dust those unfortunates outside the pale
were not forgotten. Earnest prayers
were offered for the conversion of Jews,
Turks and infidels'' and the "commina-
ton a series Of denunciations against
impenitent offenders. was read
The word Lent is of EnglO-SaXon de-
rivation. ''leucten' meaning spring 1t
is the period Of forty fast days, not in
Guiding sundays, before the Eastertide.
The time commentaries the forty days
fast OF Moses. Elijah and Christ Roman
Catholics are most rigid in their observ-
ance hui not commanding it. Abstinence
from food on certain days and from meats
and The social pleasures forms part Of
the Lenten exercises. Fasting seasons are
customary among all sects and have been
among all nations, even the most primi-
tive