The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-07

The egg and the FaDpN oisputo
supremacy for being the most familiar
symbol Of the Easter season.
To the philosophy and theology OF
the Egyptians, Persians and ueher
heather nations may be traced tho
practice of distributing and presentins
eggs at Easter. Among these people
an egg was regarded ~ efnbtemaIacal
Of the universe a. we'll as Of tho reno
walton OF man after the deluge.
The Persians believed that the earth
was Matched from an immense egg on
easter morning. The AryAna beiieved
the sun to be a huge golden egK that
was constantly rolling nearer to the
earth. Tho ancient Firms thought that
a mystic bird laid an egG on the lap
Of vaimainou, who hatched II IN ms
bosom. He let 1t fall into the water.
and II broke; the lower portion or the
shell formed the earth. tho upper the
sky; the liquid white became the sun
and the yoik tho moon. while the little
fragments Of broken shell were
changed into stars. An old supsrsfi-
ton typified the return OF the sun OF
spriugtine ny = golden EGG. e90s
being distributed ut the early equinox
by priests to strengthen the hopes OF
tho people that the bleak cold days at
winter might soon cease and bright
er time eusuc.
At the feast OF the Passover the
table prepared for that purpose. a.
emOiematicai OF their departure from
Egypt. With Christians the egE Is tho
symbol Of abundance. and we wish our
friends all the blessings contained
within the slender shell when we oRer
this gift. whose fraaility represents
that OF happiness here below. Then,
too, az It retains within itself the eie-
ments OF . future life II II a most
appropriate emblem Of the resurreo-
ton Of Christ.
Tho custom Of eoloriny eggs dates
back to the fourth century. The Per-
siAns celebrate with colored eggs on
March 20 and following days. when
they hold their great festival OF tho
solar New Year. and the Russians do
the aame at the festival OF EAet1r.
The Tyroless Easter egg u similar tc
our valeut tine. for. besides heinx most
beautifully tinted. II has on Il, IN
unique lettering. notices represendnG
appropriate Wishes for the rscipiant
In olden times anons sn s.. 1ssncn
leaves and alled with aoldeu eggs.
after the celebration Of high mana on
Easter morning. wsre brought Into the
kings cabinet and Distributed to the
court by the chaplain. It wAa IN ar
uclo. Of faith In Normandy that whom
the church bells uehered In Easter
morning angels descended 70 tho
homes whsss little childrsn dweit and
left eggs ~ an assurance Of their
visit.
In the French rural districts the
parish priest vsry early on Easter
morning Visited from house 70 house.
and blessed each In turn. In pay
nAnt for hls visit and bleosing hs
atw1yss TsoetvA6 e1AK .a111 s0usetin1e1
Il was serlous question how TO dis
pose oS 30 Iargs \ number. The
Rome the Easter eggs are taken t.
the parish prteot, who nlessea and
sprinklea them with holy watsr. and
the nuns aftsfward paint and sell
them. They must BE- placed on the
table with iiowers and other aseora-
Of the Easter dinner.
The hare II the ancient symbol oi
the. moon. and the festival az Easter
il govefnSd by The moon. The great
ecumentcai council called at Nice 4.
y. J35. decided upon the following
rules for celebrating It: That the
twsnty-flrst day ut March should be
accounted the vcrnAi equinox: that
the full moon happening on or next
after the twenty-firat OF March shOuid
be taken ror the full moon or Nisan;
that the Lords Day next following
the first full moon should be Easter
Day, but II the full moon happen
on sunday, Easter Day should DO
the Sunday after"
The moon was called the open
eyed watcher of the night" There
fore, the hare was chosen AZ Its sym
Dol because II il born with its ewes
open. As the hare was the symbol OF
the moon. it was easy to make II q
symbol OF tho monn-governed festival.
Easter. The Buddhista have several
legends explaining tho presence OF
the hare in the moon. One u. that
Indra. distinguished ~ furnishing
pilgrim, was apparently dying for