The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1905-04-23
EASTER.

Easter--The Passuvcr-The festival
ot the resurrection of Jesus Chris,
probably derived It's teutonic name
from the festival of the goddess Ostana,
in AngloSaxon Eastrc, which the Sax
ons Of Old were wont to celebrate about
the same season at which tho Christian
festival OF Easter OCCURS In the an
cient church, the celebration OF Blster
lasted eight days. After the eleventh
century. however, II was limited to
three and still later 10 two days. For
merly II was the favorite time Tor per
forming the rite Of baptism. Chambers
Encyclopedia says even the courts of
Justice were closed, and aims dispCns-
Cd % the poor and needy who were
Toasted in the churches. slaves also
received their freedom al that season;
and rs the austcrlios OF Lent were
over, the people gave thomselyos up
to enjoyment; hence the day was
known as the Sunday OF JOY" To
the popular sports and dances were
added. farcioal exhibitions, in which
oven ihe clergy Joined. reciiing from
their pulpits stories and legends.
Against this seeming indcccncy the
Rcformers OF the sixteenth century
loudly and successfully raised their
voices.
On Easter day th1 people saluted
oach other with the Eastern kiss and
the exclamation He is Risen" to-
which the reply was He is Risen,
Indeed The CHIEF solemniiy always
consisted of the celebration Of the
Lords supper.
The proper time for the celebration
of Easter has occasioncd no little con
t-oversy. The great mass OF Eastern
Christians celebrated Easter on the
ith day OF the first Jewish month or
moon. considering il to be equivalent
to The Jewish Passover
The Western churches celebrated IT
on the Sunday after the 18Th Day, hold
ing that IT was the commemoration of
the resurrection Of Jesus. The Council
" Nice t325. a. d. decided in favor
Of the Western usage. this however
nuiy sottlCd the ppiu that Faster was
nc month or moon huj upon a Sunday.
Long astronomical tables and cycles
have been introduced TO give prestige
;u the day upon which Faster becomes
dns, it being the most ancient and i'm
p0rtant of all the movable rcasts Of
TIE Christian church. NJ ihe time of
the Gregorian Calendar. II WAS debated
whether Faster should ContiuC to be
movable cl whether a fixed Sunday,
after Tho 2lst Of March It was in
difference 10 ancient custom that the
Ecclesiastical authorities adhered to the
method OF determination by the moon.
u mus be remembered, however, that
It IS not the actual moon in TIE heav-
ems, nor even the mean moon Of astro-
nJmers that regulates the time of Eas-
ter. but an altogether imaginary moon,
whose periods are so Contrived tina.
,.c new moon always follows the r'nl
n7w moon, by sometimes two or even
three days. This brings the explanation
% the front, that Easter day Is always
the fy5' Sunday after the paschal fuIl
moon, in Other words the ful moon
which happens upon or next after the
2ist day of March, and Il the full moon
happens upon a Sunday, Easter day
f. tho Sunday thereafter Having ascer'
tained the day. the Observance of the
rites became numerous. many Of the
the popular oh.oryancCs are plainly
ot Tagan origin
The most characteristic Easter rite
howevrr and the one most widely dit
fused ia the use of eggs. They are
raullly stained in varied colors and
in some localities are given as pres.
cnis. Tho practice Is not confined 10
Christians: the Jews used eggs at the
feast OF the Passover; and We are told
that tho Pcrsians in Keeping the fes-
'iyal present each other with cOlored
eggs. FROM the Christian point OF view
This Feast of Egg" has heen usually
considered as omblematic of the resur-
reCtiOn and Of a future life.
Tho style aud finish or picture
moulding usod in thc framing ui a
hand drawing or choice reproduction,
IN lreat degroc. dotermin,s The ~