The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1910-03-24
HISTORY OF EASTER.
The Day Commentaries the Re-
surreotion OF Christ.
Contributed.

years warm disputes took place as to
the proper date on which to observe
Easter. Let us look at the origin Of
the word Easter. German, Osters,
Greek, Pascha, the Passover. The
festival Of the resurrection of Jesus
Christ, derives probably It's Teutonic
name from the festival of the goddess
Ostara, in Anglo Saxon Eastre which
the Saxons of old were won't to cele-
brate about the same season at which
the Christian festival of Easter occurs.
The churches of Asia Minor, following
what is called .sthe tradition of st.
JOHN kept the 18th day of the Jewish
month Nissan. The western churches,
however, supported by the church at
Jerusalem and a few others, said it
was necessary that Friday should
always be set apart to commemorate
Christ's death, and a Sunday his
resurrection. The contest grew so
warm that each side communicated
the other. Surely trivalities could
hardly go much further. It is difficult
for us to imagine that our fathers
could have disputed and separated the
one from the other over a matter of
this kind; but it is true that the apple
of discord which seemed to the people
of that age to be made Of gold, to
their successors to be made only of
| iron or o1o, yX1sfh ,,c %oln,, nc Sc
we'll known, Easter is what is known
as a movable festival. 1t is always
held on the next Sabbath after the
vernal full moon, with the exception
that if the vernal moon should fall on
a Sunday, then to avoid all conformity
with the Jewish practice, Easter is
not kept till the next Sabbath. The
vernal full moon is that which takes
place IN March 81, or on the next
date after March 81. If the vernal
moon falls ON March 81, and that day
happens to be Sunday, then Easter
cannot be held till April 25, which is
the latest date on which Easter can
fall, the earliest being March 90.
According to historians this is dis
puted Florida was discovered by Juan
Ponc de Leon, March 10, 1918, on
Easter Sunday, after which the
peninsula was named. Others say
that this was the 9th which is in
harmony with the above. This is
certainly a very mechanical con-
trivance, and on which most people
find it difficult to understand or re.
member. Owing to obvious connection
between Easter and the Jewish
Passover, the Hebrew Pesech, which
means a passing over, and obviously
some such title as this would be more
appropriate than ours, which comes
from the Saxon goddess Eostre, believed
to be the same as the Greek and
Roman Venus. who was especially
~worshipped in the spring season as the
mother and giver of animal and
vegetable life.
In the ancient church, the Celebra-
ton of Easter lasted eight days. After
the eleventh century, however, it was
limited to three, and in later times,
generally two days, and now we can
hardly get people to spend two hours
in a year in behalf of this great event.
1t was formerly the favorite time for
performing the rites of baptism. The
courts of justice were closed and aims
were dispensed to the poor and needy,
who were even Toasted in the churches,
a custom which led to much disorder.
Slaves also received their freedom at
that season and as the austerities of
Lent we're over, the people gave
themselves up to enjoyment hence the
day was called 'sSunday of JOY" OF
Dominica Gaudii. With her usual
policy, the church e%ndeavored to a
Christian Specification to such rites as
could be rooted out; and in this case,
the conversion was particular to the
death of winter, became JOY at the
rising of the Son Of righteousness at
the resurrection of Christ from the
grave. There can be little doubt that
the use of eggs at this season was
originally symbolical of the revivica
ton of nature-the s%pringing forth OF
life in spring. The practice is not
confined to Christians: the Jews usei
eggs at the feast Of the Passover: ani
we are told that the Persians, wher
they keep the festival of the solar
Tin March) mutually present each
other with colcred eggs.
Whenever l see Easter eggs
| wonder how they grew;
Because / know they are too fine
For any hen to do.
l ;hink the bird that laid them must
Have been a cockatoo.
I've watched and watched our bidd,
hens
From morning until night;