The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-04-15

were kept in motion by the choristers
and the affair would terminate with a
jolly, rOllicking tossing and catching
of eggs. At the close of this cere-
mOny refreshments would be served.
At Durham and other parts of Eng
land, egg rolling was closed with the
distribution of little cakes, called tan
Sy cakes. Those who showed unusual
skill were often rewarded with these
SweetmeatS. The contestants played
eagerly for these simple prizes. CIer-
gyment and laymen engaged in the
games. The cakes were made in two
Sizes the larger shape was about seven
inches in diameter and the smaller
cakes about five inches in diameter.
Both sizes were about an eighth of an
inch in thickness. AS made originally,
tansy cakes had a bitter taste.
The Biddenden Cakes.
The Biddenden cakes were in great
denden parish. Kent. In a history of
Kent by Hasted and published in 1870,
the author explains that these cakes
were provided through an endowment
of old and unknown date. The source
of this benefactiOn comprised twenty
acres of land, divided into five parcels
or districts. These became famous as
1.-The bread and cheese lands" In
Hasted's time six hundred cakes were
distributed to the poor who attended
Easter services in the Biddenden lar
iSh. The pariShioners also received go
| loaVes of bread, weighing three and a
half pounds each, and double guam
THY of cheese. Through this distribu-
ton of bread and cheese the parishes
/ gained their queer name. The cakes
were stamped with two figures sup
| posed to be those of two maiden ladies
named Preston. Investigation proved
| that the stamping of figures upon the
| cakes was of later origin than the
| cakes. AS widows were considered
/ symbols of the really deserving poor
the figures were regarded as being
/ those of two widows.
Lifting was a queer custom fol-
| lowed In, ancient times, largely for the
sport the practice afforded. Lifting
or "heaving" can be traced to no GER
| tain origin, and had no significance.
| in Cheshire, Worcestershire. Stafford
shire and Warwickshire lifting" was
sport, pure and practiced in a some
what rough and crude manner. On
Easter Monday the men lifted the Wo-
men and on Tuesday the women re-
turned the courtesy by lifting the men,
Lifting Is Explained.
The method of lifting was as Iudi-
/ crous as the practice itself. Two per-
sons clasped hands as children do in
carrying third child, Lady ariding
| to London town" Persons of rank
/ were nOl e&SiHpl lTOIIt TIE liIllIlB pro-
cess, and many humorous situations re-
suited. Healthy village maidens would
rUffie the dignity and starched linen
of the staid clergyman or judge by sur
rounding him and forcing him to sub
NIT to a treatment of lifting" Ho-
tells and private homes would be en-
| tered and the inmates subjected to this
! treatment.
In Chester a pretty custom sprans
up from these pranks. The village
| youths rugged a chair with ribbons and
| fancily colOred satins. They would
march about the streets catching the
maidens and lifting them to their
| shoulders in this chair When the
maiden was returned to ground she
paid each of her filters a trinket as
fee and also gave each a kiss.