Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-03-23

eggs, butter, milk and all but purely
vegetarian food. Some eat nothing al
al On Ssood Friday, spending the day Ia
church. where the priests make coilec-
HONS FOR charities and the poorest beg
gars give thelr mite,
Early Oh the Saturday priests and
people prepare for the IRE surrectIon.p
and the Pole must be poor indeed who
does not buy or beg something for this
FESTIVE season. Even the peasants sa We
UP Ior some eggs, huge loaf OF bread.
sausages, cheese, ham and a 'ba bka'i
a KIND OF cake) Those who can az
ford q sucking pig and plenty OF vodka
are thought lucky and looked 40 To for
the rest of the year.
When these things are cooked. the.
tamIly tramps with them TO the nea rest
church across the newly thawed fields
the oia ones taking the ham and pig.
WHIST the youngsters follow, single ole,
VILE the less costly vlands. Crowds
OF them group them selves round the
chuIch porch, the men in their white
coats and the women In their brightly
eolored skirts, white kerchiefs and high
Deols--put on as they enter the church,
yard Soon the priest comes out. saws
a prayer, sprtnkles the peasants ana
their food with holy water, tells them
not To drihk too much. and lets them go
nome, Where they put the feast ON the
table, with a pascal lamb in wax or
sugar and look ongingly AT Ii tin the
fnofrOW, Then they generally ear and
Drink such lot that their dieestions
weakened by the long fast, cannot
stand 1t, and groans and cries are heard
on az sides OF the village by Monday
morning.
Those who are able to move souse
their neishbors with waterman old
slaVonic custom By which the peasants
IN spring, wash on, the dirt accumulat.
ed during the winter. In the towns,
ms anu senlent is confined to suuirts
ana hose but even then. those who
venture In the poorer streets ON Easter
Monday are sure OF a soaking In the
towns, TOO. the "Sviencona' or Easter
feast is blessed at home, Priests spend
the early afternoon of Saturday In the
streets whence those who have laid
their Easter tables call them I'm 10 con-
seCrate the food. Every table is sup
piled with n holy water brush and a
stoap,
. The churches n! . are crowded from Sat
urday tn Sunday, for the feast OF the
Resurrection is then celebrated. A
iargs wax figure OF Christ lis placed In
side chapel and surrounded with
plants, flowers and palms. Four nuns
Dressed In white, kneel round It. The
grave Is lighed up with hundreds OF
wax candles and az each parish wishes
" '"'V fItS ochI teSuTTeCtlOn, tlse rlch
churches spare no expense Marble
and other costly stones are used for the
grave and temporary fountains arr
ranged near It,
During the whole OF Saturday after
noon thousands OF the faithful pray by
these graves ana the crowd Is so great
that II often takes half All hour to-
walk from the entrance OF the church
TO the grave. Nobody enters without
giving some thing for charity ana In.
credibly large sums are collected on
ahese occasions Al cvensong thc
Resurrection service begins lasting
till o'clock, when some authorities
say Christ rose, The churches are
crowded To sufocation all press round
the grave ana the high altar where
| mass IL celebrated.
When the supreme moment arrivos
and me Resurrection words are SPOKEN
ny "a" priests, The people, almost frantic
Wltf excitement. press round the ID.
pulchcr, singing Easter HYMNS a nd
holding lighted candles IN their hands
ThG body Of Christ has been mysteri-
ouslY remoYed-Only the whIte-robed
nuns remain The crowd falls ON ia
knees. stlll singing, TIL the sounds OF
1he voices are heasd In tho streets and
people pause, awed by the Thought OF
me resurrection The scenes on these
l-astsr ewes are most impressIvs--th
9Lsah Is drowned by the sound OF
Sn'usHnus OF human voices all singing
th Unison the bells can scarcely be
heard--the brilliant lights. Inc wh,ts
nuns. the gliterins affairs and brightly
loOed Priests all this surrounded BY
an atmosphere OF Eastern color ana
lanallclsm, presents a picture THAI the
more advanced and skeptlcaI nations
VIZ IN" west cannot produce,