The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-03-24
Festival Of
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Wu--ss.sA ASTER-the most beautiful
and poetic of all modern
MfEPT religious observances-goes
IAN I'M back to very early times
f. In primitive days a spring
festival was associated with
various special nature deities, but
II passed into the Christian ritual
principally through the Jewish feast
OF the Passover This, in tho
early traditions of the wandering
Bedouin Semites, was sheep-shear-
ing festival, of which the principal
feature was the sacriflcial offering of
the paschal lamb to Yahwe in the
month of Nissan, in the spring, which
marked the beginning of the oriental
summer. In the agricultural stage of
Semitic evolution 1t underwent CORE.
spending changes, and unleavened
bread-the first bread made of the
early harvest grain which begins to
ripen about the month of April in
Palestine and other Semitic lands
was added. These primitive agricul.
tural festivities were eventually COM
bined with the beginning of the Jew.
ish national life that followed upon
the exodus of the Israelites from
Egypt.
Similar spring festivals, associated
with special gods and goddesses and
involving the sacrifice of lambs, sheep
or cattle, were held among other Sc
mites and even in Cyprus. where such
sacrifices, about April 2, were held
sacred to Astarte. Certain ceremo-
MES were observed in honor of the
renewal of natures fertility at this
time; the bonds Of kinship were
drawn closer by the meal which
formed a part of the festivities, and
was accompanied with joyous songs
and other manifestations of an exu-
berant nature-worship.
After the beginning of our era the
churches of Asia Minor, among whose
members was a great number of JUDD
aizing Christians, kept their paschal
festival on the same day as that of
the Jewish Passover-that is on the
west, however, remembering that
Christ arose from the dead on a Sun
day, kept their anniversary on the
after the 14th of Nissan. This
went on quietly for a time. Then con-
troversies arose about A. D. 1853, and
continued off and on with consider
able acrimony during several centu-
ries.
Constantine at the Oecumenical
council of Nice CA. d. $3.50 had it de-
creed that the day should be cele-
brated-not on the day of the Jewish
Passover-but on the Sunday follow.
ing. At the same time the bishop of
was appointed to give no
lice of the proper day to the pope and
other patriarchs because of the Egyp-
-ians' pre-eminence as astronomers
This, however, did not permanently
settle the question, or to be more ac-
other disputes arose on the
subject In the course of time.
However this may be, Easter be-
,ame one of the three great Christian
estivals-the other two being Christ
mas and Whitsuntide. From the early
lays of Christianity Easter has been
accounted, If anything, the greatest of
he three. On Easter morning the
'arly Christians greeted one another
everently with the words: Christ
risen," to which the man addressed
.ravely replied: Christ is risen in
.eed," or hath appeared unto Simon"
This quaint custom has been pre-
erved in the Greek church. In the
asst the old name was retained and
he festival OF the resurrection was
,nown as the Paschal Feast" In
he sixth of the Ancyran canons, how
yer, 1t is called 1.-The Great Day."
AS for the etymology of the English
iaster, 1t Is sought in Eostre-the
anne of Saxon nature deity. whose
east was celebrated in the spring
nth bonfires and rejoicing. AS every |
ne knows, Easter is a movable feast, |
hanging according to the full moon
hat comes after the vernal equinox. or
iarch 81. II the full moon chances
come on a Sunday, Easter is held
n the following Sunday. One OBJ
ect In arranging the calendar moon
18th regard to Easter was that tho
Itter might never fall on the same
ay as the Jewish Passover. They
al together, however, in 1905. on
pril IA; in 1925. on April 8, and in
BOB, on April 10.
In certain localities special cakes
ere baked and distributed at this
me. This custom prevailed not onIy
antiquity but survived down TO mod.
N times-notably in England. The
assover bread also belongs to this
'ries OF surviyals. At Chester Eng.
nd, the day was marked with
eat football game. Other games
ere also played, and even women
aged team games. Everywhere n
as festival of joy In the east
Is known as the Bright Dav"
ances and farcical exhibitions we're
I'D and even the clergy in the pulpit
Id funny stories, stirring their hear.
5 to laughter (risus paschalisl
ais was put a stop to by the reform.
OF the sixteenth century.