The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1908-04-16
ORIGIN OF EASTER.

The establishment of the Christian
festival OF Easter, typical of the resur-
rection of Christ, was matter of much
controversy in the Church for centuries
but was finely determined by the Gregg
rian calender, adopted by the Roman
Church in 1852. Thus Eas jer Day is al
ways the first Sunday after the full
moon, which happens upon or next after
the 2lst OF March-the beginning Of the
ecclesiastical year. II the full moon
happens upon a Sunday Easter Day
is the Sunday after
The earliest date upon which Easter
may occur is March % If the full
moon should fall on March 81, Easter is
the following Sunday. Ia 1851 and 1918
Easter fell on March %, but this not
occur again during the present century
The latest date upon which the festi-.
val may fall is April %. In 1886 it fell
on this date. 1t will do so again in
1915
hbit 10 q DCiiti dhiOHS CouD
try people that when Eastertde fells on
an carly date the sowing season will be
correspondingy early.
In ancient times. as winter was rapid
ly giving place TO spring, and the earth
was beginning to put on it's garment of
green the people of Northern Europe
observed a festival in honor of Eastre,
or Eostre, a goddess by whose goodness
they supposed the change from duh
grey winter to cheerful, sunny spring
was brought about.
The festival held in commemoration
of the Resurrection fell about the same
time OF the year as the festival of Eos
tire, and when the early missionaries
went among the heather peoples of
of Northern Europe they found many
customs common to the celebration of
of the festival of that goddess which
they could not codemu. So by aud by
these harmless customs were amalga-
mated with those observed by the Chris
tians in the festival of the Resurrection
the transition from one belief to the
other becoming easier, and causing less
of rupture between the old faith and
the new. We thus find in the ceremon-
les and customs observed at Easter many
which are undoubtedly Christian in
their origin, and as many which are
remnants of old time Pagan rites.
La the east the festival was known as
the Paschsl Feast, and the French call
ed it Paques-both. of course, having
reference TO the Passover. Probably
from this arose our custom of eating
pace. "pasche, or 'pask egg, as
they are variously called in various dis
tricts. This is prehaps the most COM
mon custom nowadays associated with
Easter in Scotland Some few other
customs still exist, bat, as rule. they
are rapidly dying out, and are only to
be found IN outlying country districts or
particular locations where, from one
reason or other, the people cling more
tenaciously to old traditions
Ia some country districts Pace Sun.
day is duly recognized by the working
classes, many of whom partake of not
one, but two or three eggs at breakfast
that morning Sometimes, indeed this
feast has Teen known to take the form
of an egg eating contest. Apropos of
this, there is an amusing story told of
inditriHtt..I at n Narthayn ufl :
a bit OF worthy in his way. Being
naturally very fond of eggs, and being
bug bodied man to boot, Joe s appetite
or them is enormous
One ''Pace Sunday" few wags
gathered at his house and proposed to
provide him with "free ftei' il he
would undertake TO eat the lot-two
dozen duck eggs, To this proposal Joe
at once agreed When the eggs were
produced he set to. and what time one
half dozen were being toiled he dis
patched the remaining three half doz-
ems one after another as fast as could
swallow them. The cooked eggs were
more leisurely enjoyed, and were eaten,
shells and all, with dip of salt.
Hyde in his "Oriental Sports" tells
us that the children among the Chris
tans of Mesopotamia on Easter Day
and for 40 days after buy themselvs as
many eggs as they can and stain them
with red color in memory of the blood
of Christ shed at His Crueihxion.
Some tinge them with green and yellow
Our custom of coloring Easter eggs had
probably common origin with this.
The sport, he says, consists in striking
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