Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-03-24

;, though sometimes synchronous with March. The Western churches thought that it should be identified with Sum- 1 day, and observed it on the Sunday l following the 14th day of Nisan. At 1 the beginning of the fourth century, l the Emperor Constantine succeeded in having a canon passed by the ecumen- ical council of Nice, fixing and mak- ing uniform the date of it's observance, though as the rules laid down by this council for the date of it's observance made it necessary to reconcile three periods, with no common measure, namely, the week, the lunar month and the solar year, the determination of Easter was for a long time a mat ter requiring great nicety of calcula- tion, and so as the Egyptians were skilled in astronomical matters, this was left fer long time to the Alex andrlan see to decide.
 The rules decreed that the Fist of March should be regarded as the yer nal equinox.
 The full moon happening upon or next after the 21st of March should be regarded as the full moon of the month of Nisan
 The first Lords day after that full moon should be observed as Easter day.
 If the full moon chanced to fall on Sunday the next Sunday should be Easter day.
 AS all the movable feasts and lasts depend on Easter, uniformity of time in it's observance was an important matter The rules adopted by the Nicene council makes it possible for it to fall upon any Sunday of five weeks, commencing with March P and ending with April 25.
 The name Easter is derived from spring, Eostre, Eastre, or Ostera, and may be traced back to the Phoenician moon goddess, Astarte, so often asso- ciated with the hare in Eastern myths Hence, perhaps, the use of the hare in connection with the Easter eggs, which it is said to lay.
 Some think the name comes from
 
 and to Christians it, of course, is commemorative of the rising of Christ from the dead.
 The month dedicated to the spring goddess of the Saxons was the fourth month, which answers to our April, the opening of the natural year, to commemorate the setting free of the natural forces of germination and growth which the winter had chilled and crucifle1.
 Each nation has had it's own Easter customs, but many of them can be traced back to the ancient spring fes- tivals welcoming the return of the sun. In the church it is one of the three great Christian feasts, and has been known as the Queen of Festivals and the Lord of Days. It is ushered in by vigil and fasting, but is, itself, time of rejoicing. In the olden days relic of the fire worshiping time could be found in, the kindIing of new and pure fires, after the. 6ld ones had been extinguished, from the Pas. chal candle, the great and sacred can- dle which often weighed hundreds of pounds The washing of the feet of others by high dignitaries of church and state was. of course, done in memory of Christ's washing the feet of the apostles.
 Music, candles. bonfires, flowers, miracle plays, the pealing of bells, the exchange of gifts, the liberation of prisoners, the setting free of slaves, the giving of aims or maunds, the playing of games, some of them rude and rough enough indeed, during East CT wesk-these set apart the season from others.
 Certain articles of food, such as tan sy cake, typifying the bitter herbs," and hot cross buns and custards were eaten in England. In Ireland the peasants rose early to see the sun dance, which we may do by looking in a stream of water, as they did Most of the ruder sports have died out, but the note of gladness in it's ob- servance Still dominates, though sounded in gentler fashion.
 And the solemn observance of the church, made beautiful by an impress siye ritual invested with all that light and color and sound can add to cere- mony, inspire the faithful with the thought that once again light and life have triuinphed over death and dark ! aesS.