The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-03-28
The ORIGIN OF EASTER.
Traced From Pagan Customs to the
Christian Symbolism The
Egg and the Rabbit.

| Easter stands tor nInety-n1ne PEG
pie out of hundred would answer
casually that it tcstifes to the ris-
] ing of Christ. This is the conven-
tional answer and it is true so far
as It goes; but it does not go far
enough to be a very good answer.
The Pathfinder has, 1 believe,
pointed out on former occasions the
general facts of til" matter, but the
ignorance on the subject that still
prevails shows that a resurvey of
the history of the festival will be
justified.
In the first place the east has
from time immemorial been veneer
ated in a religious way. People
looked in that quarter for the ris-
ing of the sun and in time the east
took on a special sacredness as
symbolizing light, the rebirth of
nature and the promise of neville.
| Even down to recent times the
custom was common among Chris
tians of facing the east when men
tioning the name Of Jesus; churches
were studiously built with their
affairs to the east; people were
buried with their feet to the east
so as to be facing in that direction
at the resurrection, etc.
The symbolism about the never
ending miracle of the rebirth of life
runs strongly through all the religi-
Gus and popular lore of the east.
In the east it is understood, but in
the west not, because its origin has
been obscured. Just as each morn
ing's rising sun typifed new light
and life, so the reawakening of ma
ture in spring. after the death of
winter, took on a second meaning.
The season of the vernal equinox
thus came to be marked by special
special religions observance. The
custom of presenting colored eggs
to friends as symbols of the season
became widespread. This custom
appears to have originated among
the Persians, and it.evidently bore
reference to the mundane egg, for
which Ormuzd and Ahriman were
to contend till the consummation
of all things.
The egg was suggestive of re-
creation, for does it not contain
the embrio of all that is 70 come
after. So also the rabbit, as the
symbol of fertility and prolific re-
production, was adopted into the
symbolism of the season. The
Romans used both the egg and the
rabbit in rites attending their
spring festival. We still use the
same thing-but how many are
there who stop to think or inquire
why they use them Among the
Jews the Passover became the
great spring festival; it was kind
of a thanksgiving day commemor-
ating their deliverance when the
angel of the Lord smote the first
born of the Egyptians but passed
over" the Israelites. The Jews
ate lamb at this festival, as we
eat turkey at Thanksgiving and
Christmas, and in time the lamb
became symbol of Christ. They
also eat eggs at this time.
The early Christian Church found
these customs too deeply rooted
among the people to be ignored,
and with characteristic tact and
judgment the Church authorities
adopted them and applied to them
new significance. In Northern
Europe the goddess called Easter
was joyfully worshipped as the
deity of spring and the term "Eas-
ter Day" was in accepted use,
whereas in the south the term
"Pasch," from the Hebrew word
applied to the Passover. was en-
ployed in the same connection.
Numerous variations of the He
brew word, such as "pass, " pas
chal, " "paque," ETC., are still
commonly used as synonyms with
Easter.
1t should be remembered that
the ancient custom was to have
Y