Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-04-16

cross than in taking a hostile attitude
toward them. Thus the Roman Satur-
MALTA and the Druidic mldwinter orgies
and those in honor of Thor were strip
ped of their grossness and nodded into
our Christmas. And so it was with
Easter
The missionaries who reached Rome
from Judea to preach the new dis
pensation fixed the time of the resur-
rection as being ON the Sunday within
the weel, of the Passover whi"" -
gan on the fifteenth day of the first
month Of the Jewish year. This was
season varying a little year by year
according TO the Roman calendar but
always occurring about the end Of
March or early in April, when the
south italian country was decked with
the flowers of spring in welcome 10
the coming guest, sweet summer
None of the great national festivals
was held at that season. but when the
new religion had taken the evil out Of
the Saturnalia and even surpliced that
feast in its own service it worked to
continue two other great festivals of
pagan Rome and have them held on
the date of Easter.
These festivals were the Lupercalia,
held on Feb. II. and the Arval broth
erhood celebrated about the end of
May. The Luperca in was in honor of
Lupercus, the god Of publication ana
fecundity. Goats tnd dogs were sac
riliced to him in his temple on the day
set aside for his worship; in the blood
of the sacrifice sword was dipped by
a priest. and with its point the fore
heads OF the noble Roman youths We're
touched. Another priest washed away
the blood with milk. The youths,
stimulated by great drafts of wine and
clad only in the torn skin of goat
just sacrificed and holding in their
hands thongs of the same, followed
by great procession of the priesthood
and crowds in holiday attire, ran from
one side of the street to the other,
striking with the goatskin whips at
the women who presented themselves
for the blows.
eas celebrated in honor of the twelve
foster brothers of Romulus, gods who
continued the fertility of the fields. to
which Lupercus gave the initiative. 1t
was held in the grove of Dea Dia,
about five miles from the city, and
gave opportunity for annual athletic
games. There was an egg shaped track
t., Ia,
run, with eggs for prizes. Eggs were
wagered, too, and in all there was
such an abundance of eggs brought to
the grove that more than likely the
holiday merrymakers gorged them
selves with them after the running
and the wagering were done.
Whence the Romans got the idea of
associating the egg with fertility is
not certain. The Egyptians, however,
had for centuries before regarded the
egg as n symbol of the renovation Of
man after the deluge. Indeed, almost
all peoples haS religious ceremonies in
which it figured as emblematic of re-
production. 1t was therefore especial
ly fitting for the great festivals with
WulCu All tut ptopleS NelSOhSu SpiiuE'
From the Jewish missionaries to the
Christians in Rome had been handed
down the tradition that the Hebrew
put an egg on the table at the Pass
over to typify the departure from
Egypt. Perhaps this link between the
Passover and the games in the grove
of Dea Dia had to do with suggesting
the merging of the Arval and Lupercal
and holding both at the Easter time, a
season midway between. However
that be. the thing was done when the
Christians became powerful enough to
do 1t.
Among the Germans the Gauls and
the people of the present British Is
lands the absorption of their ancient
spring festivals By this new one of
Easter was easy. 1t came to them
from Rome with their new religion
and CHANGED to be about the time they
hald thair own pagan spring feasts II