The Irish standard., 1905-05-06
Curious and Quaint Observances the Origin
Of Which are Unknown Practiced
in Other Lands.
Easter is Also a Great Festival in the Greek
Church and is Observed with
Great Rejoicing.

who happened to be passing through a
town in Lancashire on Easter Tues.
day, and having to stay an hour or
two at an inn, was astonished by
three or four lusty young women rush.
ing into his room, exclaiming that they
had come to lift him. ITO lift mel"
repeated the amazed divine; what
can you mean?" "Why, your reverence,
we've come to lift you, cause it's Eas-
ter Tuesday" "Lift me because it is
Easter Tuesday? 1 don't understand.
Is there any such custom here" Eyes,
to be sure; why don't you know? All
us women was lifted yesterday; and
us lifts the men today in return, and in
course it's our rights and duties to lift
EN-" After little further parley the
reverend traveller compromised with
lis fair visitors for half crown and
thus escaped the dreaded compliment
In Durham on Easter Monday the men
claim the privilege of taking off the
women's shoes, and the next day the
women retaliate.
At Rome, as might be expected, Eas-
ter Sunday is celebrated with elabo-
rate ceremonials, for which prepara.
tions have been making all the previ.
Gus week. The day is ushered in by
the firing of cannons from the castle
of st. Angelo, and about Z o'clock car
riages with ladies and gentlemen are
beginning to pour towards St. Peters,
That magnificent basilica is found to
be richly decorated for the occasion.
The altars are freshly ornamented and
the lights around the tomb and figure
of st. Peter are now blazing after their
temporary extinction. According to
usage the Pope officiates this day at
mass in st. Peters, and he does so
with every imposing accessory that
can be devised. From a hall in the
adjoining palace of the Vatican he is
borne into the church under circum-
stances of the utmost splendor. Seat
ed in his "sedia gestatoria," his vest
ments blaze with gold; on his head he
wears the tiara, a tall round gilded
cap representing triple crown, which
is understood to signify spiritual pow
er, temporal power and the uaion of
both. Beside him are borne the "flabel-
H." or large fans composed of ostrich
feather in what are set the eye-like
parts of peacock's feathers to sig.
Nifty the eyes or vigilance of the
church. Over him is borne a silk
canopy richly fringed. After officiating
at mass at the High Altar the Pope is
with the same ceremony and to the
sound Of music borne back through the
crowded church and then ascends to
the central doorway. There, rising
from his chair of state, and environed
by his principal officers, he pronounces
a benediction. This is the most i'm
posing of all the ceremonies at Rome
at this season, and the concourse Of
people in the area in front of st. Peters
is immense. The crowd is most dense
almost Immediately below the balcony
at which the Pope appears; for there
papers are thrown down containing
copy of the prayers that have been ut
tered and ordinarily there is scram-
BILE to catch them. The prayers, it
need hardly be aid, are in Latin. On
the evening of Easter Sunday the
dome and other exterior parts of st.
Peters are beautifully illuminated.
1t is on the evening of Holy Satur-
day that the Tyrolese keep the festival
of Easter with every ceremony. Civili-
zation has passed that land by and not
left a trace of its unbelieving touch.
The resurrection of Christ is still for
them the tangible proof of revelation
and they honor the season accordingly.
Bands of musicians, for which the Tyro-
lese have always been noted, traverse
every path singing beautiful Easter
hymns to their guitars, calling out the
people to their doors, who join them
in the choruses of rejoicing over the
glad anniversary. Their wide-brimmed
hats are decorated with bouquets Of
| flowers; crowds of children accompa-