Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-23
OLD EASTER CUSTOMS.
Mystery Attendant Upon Observance
of the Day in the Long Ago.

T. Celestine Cummings in the Boston Cooking
School Magazine.
Long ago Easter was conspicuous among
holidays, and not the least of its popularity
was due to a certain air of mystery attend
ant on it's observance.
The first Sunday after the full moon fol-
lowing the vernal equinox is Easter Sunday /;
and April, as rule, is the Easter month.
In pagan days April was dedicated to Os-
terra the goddess of the morning of hope
and Of all things young and fresh. Her
home was in the eastern sky. To her the
egg was dedicated. The hare is also closely
| associated with the celebration of Easter
The hare Is believed by many children to
lay all the beautifully colored Easter eggs.
The lamb is a memorial of the Paschal
feast. the Jewish passover; and all sorts Of
legends are rife with regard to 1t. If you
see a lamb the first thing on Easter morn
ing you will be the most fortunate during
the year. If his head be toward you, the
greater will be your luck Formerly In
England the Easter egg was solemnly
blessed by the priest, and, being deliberately
colored, was often kept an amulet.
England had many quaint and ridiculous
customs for Easter, it is true; and. While
we have scant sympathy with these, still
nearly every usage that remains among US
as a game play was derived from that
source. At Queens College, Oxford, her
ring is placed by the cook-something after
the likeness of man on horseback-on a
corn salad and brought to the table. This
is supposed to represent red herring rid
ing away on horseback, and is vestige of
the once public pageants of rejoicing for
the end of the Lenten fast.
1t was a habit in English towns for the
boys, after Easter service was over, to run
into the streets and take the buckles from
the shoes of every girl and woman whom
they caught. They could be bought off,
however for a penny, or twopence. On
Easter Monday it was turn about, as the
women chased the men: and, If the men
wore boots or would not buy off by
paying siXpence, their hats were snatched,
and, to recover them, the siXpence had
then to be paid.
A singular custom was that of lifting
and heaving" A man would be sitting at
home. contentedly. when the servants of
the house would bring in an armchair, lined
with white and decorated with ribbons and
favors of different colors. The man sat In
the chair and gave each OF the women six
pence. On a day in Easter week. Monday
or Tuesday, the men would lift the women
with attendant ceremonies. Edward l was
lifted from his bed by ladies and maids of
honor, and for this, old record states,
"he was obliged to pay out the large sum
of one thousand pounds" Was this Gu
rious custom a commemoration of the res
direction, or the survival of some heather
rite?
In olden times. in England, monks at
Easter acted plays in the churches, and the
faYorite subject was naturally the resurrec-
ton. Lists of the properties in these sacred
shows have come down to US. Heaven, for
instance, was made of timber and stained
cloths. The angels wings were made of
thin shingles and painted.
The lights at these shows attracted many
people.
The great Easter taper at Westminster
Abbey weighted three hundred pounds. and
that in Durham Cathedral was square and
reached to the roof
Not only were there plays given in the
churches on this glad festival day, but there
was dancing as well, especially in the
French cathedrals.
Even the sum-" it Is said, dances on
Easter day. In ireland. great preparations
were made for the closing of Lent. Holy
Saturday about o'clock. a hen and a
piece of bacon were put in the pot to boil
and at u o'clock there was eating and
much merrymaking At all rose to see
the sun dance in honor of the resurrection.
But John, she dances such a way!
No sun upon an Easter Day
Is half so fine eight"
Wisely. in making use Of existing pagan
feasts and superstitions. the Christian
Church, with its message of peace gave to
them a holier significance.
The return of the sun to the earth was,
henceforth, to symbolic the return of the
Sun of Righteousness; and the coming of
spring. bringing the stir of life after death.
was fitting emblem of the Savior's resur-
rection.