The citizen., 1913-03-21

legacy with instructions TO the church wardens
10 distribute colored eggs 10 cCmmunicants on
Easter morning. That entails giving away about
600 Of these eggs.
Many ceremonies and sports distinguished the
celebration Of Easter in olden times. In royaI
roll OF the time OF Edward I preserved in the
tower appears an entry Of is pence for 400 eggs
10 be used for Easter gifts. Town authorities
engaged with due dignity in games Of BALL In
the northern parts OF England the men paraded
the streets on Easter Sunday and claimed the
privilege Of lifting every woman they met three
times from The ground. receiving in payment
kiss OF a silver sixpence. The same was done
by the women TO the men the next day. It is
corded also that on Easter Monday the women
had q right 10 strike their husbands. and on Tues
day the men struck their wives. as in December
the servants scolded their masters. From Ger
nan authority il is learned that in the Neumark
on Eastsr day the men servants whip the maid
servanu with switches and on Monday the maids
whip tn men In some parts of Germany par
ents ant children try TO surprise each other in
bed on Easter morning to apply the health-giving
switches
In Pal ,.ine Easter is the DAY when relatives
and frieI DIS exchange gifts and it is the family
reunion Tay much is Christmas in America.
On Eastfr grand mass Is celebrated at y
o'clock idnight. at which all present receive
the Lord supper, After the service, which lasts
about four hours the crowds go home to break
their fas' and feast on the dainties prepared be-
fore han1 In the morning visits exchanged
between relatives and friends the younger peo-
pie 90 n the older people first to wish them
bright Easter and many happy returns About
p n. a Grand patriarchal procession walks TO the
church q the Holy Sepulchre singing those melo-
dious G'-sgorian songs. The scene is particularly
imposin> There now follows a service in the
Greek cathedral at which the gospel for Easter
day is cad in all the leading languages of the
world
The first person to salute the czar of Russia on
Easter morning with the words Christ is Risen
must be greeted in turn with royal kiss No
matter how lowly the person-the meanest OF
beggars, even-the great czar must bestow upon
him e brotherly kiss Not so many casters ago
tom 10 kiss the cheek of a peasant sentry sta
toned in the garden TO which the czar had es-
capped for early morning walk
The spaniards believe that he who is born on
Good Friday has the gift of second sight They
delight TO tell that Philip " was second-sighted
because he came into the world on this day.
Spanish women as well as many English country
women declare that sewing done Good Fri
day will never come undone
By many European peasants the wind is watch
ed on Palm Sunday, in the belief that from what
direction II then blows, thence it will come
most frequently during the ensuing year The
Spaniard who is fortunate enough to secure
palm blessed and used in a church procession
Palm Sunday fastens ii to the balcony OF his
house for protection from lightning
An interesting Easter egg custom prevails in
Poland On Easter Monday every head of
house man or woman presents each visitor
his call with hard-boiied egg. or. rather the