The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-03-29
THE ORIGIN
Of EASTER
Traced From Pagan Customs to the
Christian symboIism-The
Egg and the Rabbit.


If someone were to ask what Eas-
ter stands for ninety-nine people out
of hundred would answer casually
that it testifes to the rising Of
Christ. That is true so far as it
goes; but it does not go far enough
to be very good answer.
In the first place. the east has
from time immemorial been venerat-
ed in a religious way, People look
ed in that quarter for the rising OF
the sun and In time me east took On
la special sacredD7ss as symboHzine
light. the rebirth Of nature and The
promise Of new life, Even down %
recent times the custom was common
,among Christians Of facing he cas-;
when mentioning the name OF Jesus,
churches were studiously built with
their affairs to the east: people were
buried with tbe!l feet TO the east 80
as to he facing in that direction at
the resurrection, etc.
This symbolism abont Inc never
ending miracle of the rebirth of life
runs strongly through all the religl-
Gus and popular lore of the East. In
the East it is understood. but in the
West not, because its origin has
been obscured. lust 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 n sacred meaning.
The seasons of the pernal equinox
thus came to be marked by specia:
religious observance. The custom
of presenting colored eggs to friends
as symbols Of the season became
widespread. This custom appears
to have originated among the Pers-
ians.
The egg was suggestive OF re
creation. for does it not contain the
embryo of all that is to come after,
So also the rabbit, as the symbol OF
fertility and prolific reproduction,
was adopted into the symbolism OF
the season. The Romans used both
te egg and the rabbit in the rites
attending their spring festival. We
still use the same thing.
The early Christian church found
these customs too deeply rooted
among the people TO be ignored, and
with Characteristic tact and judy
ment the church authorities adopted
them and applied 70 them a new sig
nificance In Northern Europe the
goddess called Easter was ioyfully
worshipped as the deity Of spring
and the term Easter Day" was in
accepted use.
The church authorities, who were
nearly an-powerful in matters affect
ing the calendar, would likewise have
made Easter a fixed festival, as it
J logically should have been to com
memorate the Savior's rising, but the
idea Of the day as being connected
with the Jewish paschal moon could
J not be eradicated from the popular
mind. It was to remove all uncer-
!, taintv about Easter that Pope Greg
DRY XIII. revised the Julian Calen-
J dar. He tried 10 devise some plan
that would never allow Easter and
the Jewish Passover to fall on the
same date, but they do coincide once
in while. Easter Day was fixed as
the first Sunday after the paschal
full moon, that is in general way
the first Sunday after the full moon
! occurring on or after March 81 The
/ church calculations, however. are
founded on very old moon tables,
and it is for this reason that Easter
, falls sometimes a week earlier or
] later than it would if regulated by
the actual moon. It can come as
March q or as late as April %, and
various other church festivals are
determined by it.
II took but little readiustment TO
give the pagan Easter a Christian
significance, though the fixing Of the
festival by the moon had to be con
ceded. The association Of Easter
with the rising OF the sun, the dawn
of day, the rebirth Of life after win
ter, and Joy at the hone of a rich
garner for the seaon was readily en-
grated into the Christian symbology
} Christ represented the sun, the light
and Easter His resurrection; the
thanksgiving for the past, the JOY