Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-23

A ~
NAl scurrying OF little feet. and
wv a host of Easter bunnSe
laden with vari-colored eggs,
scuttled to and fro. hiding their treasures
in every available nook and Granny.
Indoors and out. these nfmble httie
creatures sped. until not single egg
was left-and then they scrambled over
the back fence. just as the "grown-ups'
rubbed the sleep out of their eyes And
that was the sign to call all the little
girls and boys, in many parts OF the
world, and start the great Easter egg
hunt which today forms SO prominent a
part Of the GLORIOUS Easter morn
And this hunting of the Easter egg. is
a, custom that is being observed this
morning In many lands. in all those codn-
tries, in fact, where the egg. has come
to form part of the days festivities.
&
And in Washington, D. c., are being
observed the. customs of near.y~.a all lands
that celebrate Easter. For in the homes
Of the diplomats many small children arc
observing the day Of the resurrection. SO
far as is. possible, as they would were
they in their native laiid.o In some OF the
embassies and legations the customs s0f
this country are blended with their own
q natural result of several years. resi-
dence in the United States But the -Eas-
ter of their own land is still kept fresh
in memory and many Of the little Dip
lomats" are thinking today of former
casters spent under their own flags.
Just as Washington on a gala occasion
at the White House presents scene of
vivid coioring, composed Of the brilliant
uniforms and flashing orders Of the rep.
resentatives from every country In the
world, so at Easter there is a strange
commingling of few and old world Gus
TOMS In the legations and embassies
where an American wife resides the chill
dren perhaps observe the day as their
father remembers 1t as a boy, but with
the childhood customs OF the mother in
cluded. And SO it is that in the National
Capital Easter is unusual day. Sun
day is sepnt according to the customs of
the parents And then, Easter Monday,
comes the egg rolling on the White Lot,
thus completing the observances Of the
season.
Eggs play a prominent part in the Eas-
ter of German children. There is also
) an interesting legend in existence regard
ing an Easter egg, in which two royal
grown-ups participated. According to the
story certain princess, Easter morning,
gift as an attempted joke she angrily
: threw IT TO the floor. where it broke,
. displaying = golden yoke. Picking this
up, the princess discovered a clasp and,
u
+, Inside the crown was another egg, in
:, winch lay a wonASfpl diamond engage
ment ring History been unable to
+ locate either the prince ce1sincess. but
at Berlin
"ESster is indeed a chidrens day i'm
: Germany" said Countess Won Bernsiorf,
wife of the German ambassador In
families where there are small chiIdres.
the day is always observed with eggs IL
: the weather permits they are hidden out
o. doors Tor the little ones to hunt or, il
IL Is too cold, inside the house The eggs
are elaborately coored. while egg-shaped
boxes, which come from Nuremberg and
+" are filed with toys are also given the
children. The egg IS so identified with
Easter in Germany that among the older
people noraI offerings often in the shape
Z OF an egg are exchanged"
Easter is such a quaint combinatio OF
oid and new world ideas that many in
teresting customs are connected with 1t.
sun .oiinglng TO the religious Significance
the day possesses for all Christians many
: or the ancient pagan observances relics
rom that far gone time when the Cod
aess ostera the personification OF spring.
was worshired. The word Ostera is OF
Ieutonic origin. the Anglo-Saxon name
being Eastre, from which can very readi-
: y De traced our Easter. To the God
dess Eastre the month OF Spri, was dedi
Gated. and was many times called E,a
f,nonaIh; while in parts of Germany April
Is still known as .'Ostermonat''
Nor Is the custom OF connecting erps
with the Easter day one of C,hrisfisn
oflgin- The Romans ran races on an oval
track and the winners were nresanted
Tl,h eggs. These games Were in honor Of
castor and Pollux, twin gods, who were
supposed to have come from an egg lai6
by the swan Leda- Then from Parsia
comes the quaint belief regarding two
brothers, each of whom had an egg one
containing good" the other evil .
These eggs became mixed and were sun-
posed then to be symbolic of the world
and ever since during festival held n,
March IL has been the custom Of Pexsians
10 give one another colored eggs.
In contradtstinction to the prevalence OF
eggs on Easter day In Germany comes
the observances of the season In Spain
There a custom is followed unlike that
or any other country. The observances
OF Easter. especially during holy week,
ure that children take practically no part
IN them whatever. Holy week Is q time
when the men and women OF Spain
mourn, and although Easter Sunday itself
is ia, OF rejoicing. # Is still observed in
strictly religious manner.
Easter means nothing to the children
OF SPAIN" said Senior Don Manuel Walls
legation at Washington The sufferings
OF the Christ as exenplified In the observ-
ances or holy week are not such as to an
peal 70 children. since they obviously re
unable to understand the full Significance
oi them In May. however, is q celebra-
tion. half pagan half religious which is,
perhaps. the nearest approach we have to
the popular Easter of the children.
May ! the Spanish children erect