Woodruff County news. [volume] (McCrory, Ark.) 1901-1910, 1909-04-08

w EA w year Christmas and Easter
"a Us "a stand more prominently on
sssS$%ASg 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-
rivals that commemorate respectively
the birth and the resurrection of the
Man CT Nazareth still shine with lus-
ter that remains unfaded after the
lapse Of two centuries.
The Christian festival of Easter Is
not only celebration of great an
tiquity, but many of its popular OBJ
servances are clearly Of pagan origin.
In northern Germany the axcient 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-
ton 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 the
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 INDUCED
in. These latter frivolities, however,
were abolished by the reformers of the
sixteenth century Our AngloSaXon
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 eek 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 holi'
day that exceeds all others. At mid
night of Saturday a metropolitan or
priest, preceded by a 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
benediction upon thousands of large
round, gilded loaves, pyramids OF but,
ter with palms stuck in them, and
eggs in great quantities. This cere'
mony signals the close of Lent, ana
ushers in Easter Sunday. JoyfuI
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 ana
serf alike.