Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1909-04-08
The Christian
H Festival of I
Easter

ESSSgNEl ALL the holidays in the
W NA w year Christmas and Easter
Pa, SS A stand more prominently on
kSSgEsssy the page of history than any
others. Throughout all the mutations
and vicissitudes that have entered
into the worlds history during the
past two thousand years the two fes-
tivals that commemorate respectively
the birth and the resurrection of the
Man of Nazareth still shine with a lus-
ter that remains unfaded after the
lapse of two centuries
The Christian festival of Easter is
not only a celebration of great an
tiquity, but many of its popular OBJ
servances are clearly of pagan origin.
In northern Germany the ancient Teu-
tons were accustomed to celebrate the
feast of the Goddess Ostara, who was
the personification of morning, or the
east, and also of the opening year, or
spring This custom continued to be
observed down to the beginning of the
present century. The pagan rites in
stituted by the Germans were brought
into England by the SaXons, and I'M
der the name of Easter the Teuton di-
vinity was honored by the Anglo-Sax-
ons with joy and feasting about the
same season of the year that the
Christian Easter festival arrives
1t was about the year 6S A. d. that
the formal institution of the celebra-
tion of the day by Christians took
place. To the followers of the Risen
Lord the heather season of rejoicing
at the rising of the natural sun and
the awakening of nature at the death
of winter was easily suggestive of joy
at the rising of the Son of Righteous
ness-the resurrection of Christ from
the tomb. 1t also followed as a natural
result that the devout adherents of
the Christ in their reverence for tie
day upon which was performed the
greatest and most sublime of miracles
should continue to set it apart each
week as a day for divine worship, to
the utter exclusion of the Sabbath of
the Decalogue.
The rites and ceremonies that char
| acterize the celebration of the Easter
| festival. although modified somewhat
In this age, still retain many of the
! features that marked it in earlier
years. In the early church the cere-
monies lasted eight days. Courts of
| justice were closed and aims were dis
pensed in the churches to the poor
and needy. Popular sports, farc.cal
exhibitions and dancing were indulged
in. These latter frivolties, however.
were abolished by the reformers of the
| sixteenth century. Our Anglo-Saxon
ancestors held daily services in the
churches from Palm Sunday to the be-
| ginning of the Easter festival. People
saluted each other with the Easter
kiss and the words "Ex Surrexit' (He
has risen), to which greeting the reply
| We're SurreXit" (He is risen indeed)
The chief solemnity of the occasion
was the celebration of the Lords sup
| per.
In Russia Easter Sunday is a holi-
day that exceeds all others At mid
night of Saturday metropolitan or
priest, preceded by cross-bearer and
boy bearing holy water vessels and
candles, and followed by a solemn pro-
| cession, issues from the church and
going round the wall sprinkles it with
holy water. He then pronounces a
| benediction upon thousands of large,
round, gilded leaves. pyramids of but
ter with palms stuck in them, and
eggs in great quantities. This cere-
mony signals the close of Lent. and
ushers in Easter Sunday. Joyful
voices of the faithful are heard crying
out "Christos vor Chris" Christ is
risen) and the response; He is risen
indeed" The kiss upon either cheek
is then given by all; this salute being
| given and received by emperor and
serf alike.