The searchlight., 1910-03-25

/ Aryan myth which typifies the sprin,
season by an egg painted red or gold
| The Persians. even to the presen,
day. on certain festival In March,
present one another with colored
| eggs. in memory of the two brothers
who In ancient times broke together
two eggs. one containing good and the
other evil spirits, thus mixing the
good and evil in the world.
The Romans had a spring festival
during which they ran races on egg.
shaped tracks and received eggs as
prizes. These games were In honor
| of Castor and Pollux. the twin sons Of
Jupiter and Leda, who came forth
from an egg deposited by Leda while
in the guise Of a snow-white swan.
Castor and Pollux had so distinguished
themselves with Jason in search Of
the golden fleece and In the Calydon.
ian hunt that they were made the
deities of boxing. wrestling and all
equestrian sports. One Of these twins,
Castor. was a mortal and was killed
in combat with the sons of Asphareus.
Pollux. who was immortal. implored
Jupiter to allow him to die also that
he might not be parted from his broth
er. Instead. Jupiter permitted Castor
to return to earth on condition that
Pollux would spend half his life In
hades. When Jupiter saw that the
affection of Pollux for his brother did
not hesitate at this condition he trans.
lated them both to the skies whee
they form a bright constellation. The
position of this constellation, which
Is known as the Gemini. determined
the date of the Roman egg festival.
While some think that We may have
derived our Easter egg custom from
either Persia or Rome. others incline
to the belief that 1t comes to us from
the Jews. who in turn derived 1t from
the Egyptians. Eggs were held by
the ancient Egyptians as an emblem
of the renovation of the world after
the deluge. The Jews adopted this
emblem to their own use as a type OF
their deliverance from the bondage
In Egypt. 1t was because of this that
We find an egg among the articles pre-.
scribed by law to be placed upon the /,
table at the Pasch
In some parts of Russia Il was the
custom for every person In the parish |
TO give colored egg to the pastor of !
The church on Easter morning. Some |
Of the Russians wear a gold egg as an |
ornament during the entire Easter
season, while the custom of making
OF eggs is common in all
parts OF the country. In Russia these
eggs are given directly. while In Ger
many 1t Is essential that they be not
given from hand to hand: they must
be hidden and found. else no good
uck will follow.
Another very common egg game ia
hat of rolling hard-boiled and colored
sggs on the ground. This game 10
played with few variations In nearly
I'll parts OF Europe. In the United
States the egg rolling on the White
House lawn on Easter Monday Is an
'nnual festival to which hundreds Of
children look forward.
In Germany the hare ia usually pic
ured sitting beside a nest Of colored
'ggs, and on Easter every German
household boasts . small image Of q
lare executed in chocolate.
From Lancashire comes an expIana.
ion Of another familiar sign of Easter
the Easter lily. The beautiful Ian. {
ashire myth has 1t that after the /,
the places where our
ord trod were marked by white lilies ,
which sprang up and blossomed in his