The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1907-04-04
special observance take theii date
from the date of Easter

Despite that fact that Easter has
been calculated in the same way since
the time William the Conqueror sailed
for England aud for some time preyi-
ously, people every year are confused
that the festival does not fall on the
same date. Easter is a church day
and while the name and the origin Of
the first observance probably are pa
gan, il was the church which fixed
the season at which the resuI rection
of Christ should be observed.
The date Of Easter 10 the Sunday
after the l4th day Of the calendar
moon after the Dist of March," Ibis
calendar moon" ID not the moon OF
the heavens, nor the mean moon Of
the astronomers, hut an imaginery
satellite manufactured for ecclesissti-
Cal purposes. This church moon 10 so
contrived as to follow the real new
moon by two or three days. The
effect of this is that "the l4th day OF
the calendar moon-which had from
the time of Moses been considered
full moon for ecclesiastical purposes
falls generally on the l5h or 10th OF
the real moon, and thus after the real
full moon, which is generally on the
l4th OF 10th day"
For all practically purposes, howev-
er, the old phrase, FIRST Sunday al
tor the full moon after the 2lst Of
March," IL sufficient. Only twice In
the last century, In 1918 and 1886, did
he simpler rule Tail to work. Accord
ing to the calendars, the full moon
this month begins operations on
March %, and the Sunday after is
March 81, which therefore is Easter.
The settlement of the dste..ot Easter
was In the early church one Of the
most serious causes of dissension.
There is no trace OF the celebration OF
Easter as Q Christian festival In the
New Testament nor in the writings OF
the APOSTLE fathers. The early Chris
tian mind was held rather by the
events themselves than any observ-
snce Of them. Authorities seem to
agree that the intI oduction of Easter
was to perpetuate an old custom
which the church found 1t could not
uproot. 1t took the custom as II took
others, gave it new significance and
Incorporated it as new integral part
OF its worship.
The word Easter is Of Anglo Saxon
origin, coming fIom the Teutonie
"Ostern," from the name Of a pagan
goddess "Osttara. :" This Anglo Sax
on divinity was the goddess Of spring
to whom the fourth month was devot
cd. This goddess seemed to be the
personificstion of the morning OF
east, and also OF the opening year OF
spring.
The conversion Of this festival to
the Christian resurrection was partic
ularly easy. Joy ut the Using OF the
natural sun and at the awakening oi
nature from the dead Of winter be.
came JOY at the rising of the Sun OF
righteousness.
The name by which Easter II. knowr
among the Romance peoples 10 d,
rived from the Hebrew Passover tes
tiva, meaning che passed over" Ii
the second century dispute arose
among the churches as to the propel
time for the celebration of Easter
The great mass OF Eastern Christian
celebrated Easter ON the l4th day o
the first Jewish month, or moon, con
sideIing 1t to be equivalent to tn
Jewish Passover. The Wester
churches celebrated Ii on the Sunda
after the 14th day, holding that
was in commemoration Of the resur
rection OF Jesus. The council OF Mic
in 325 decided In favor of the West
ern usage, but this only settled th,
point that Easter was to be held on
certain day OF the week. The day o
the month was left to the astronom
ers at Alexandria to fix.
Ii was some centuries before ever
partial uniformity In the holding o
Easter was obtained. No provision
had been made for the cycle by whicl
the time was to Ee calculated. Ih
British church had adopted the ru'
of the Roman church In 669, but no
until 1852 did they adopt the "ne'
style" calendar, putting all discrepan
cies at an end. The Grecian and Rus
sian churches still hold their Easte
sometimes before and sometimes afte
| our observance.