Evening star., 1915-04-04
EASTER SYMBOLS.

69HERE are certain symbols and
customs that are associated with
q all festivals and those connected
with the feast of Easter arc many iu
number and interesting in origin. At
this particular season the eggs, raS-
bits. lilies. bright new clothes and
wondrous superstitions regarding the
day are all familiar associates AMI
each is the outcome of some Christian
or pagan legend.
Like many other holidays. Easter
supplanted an ancient feast held each
year in honor of the gods. This specia
one was held in the springtime for the
goddess ostera. or Easter. as n"
Anglo SaXons worshiped her This
deity was the personiication OF the
east. the morning and of spring.
When the first missionaries went to
England they found it almost impos
sible to do away with this old cele
bration, so it was changed TO a Chris
tian festival and given a religious
significance.
This was a comparatively easy thing
to accomplish. as the material awak
en1ng of nature seemed to ft In. in
thought, to the Joy of all mankind al
the spiritual rising of Christ over sin
and death. While all the early Chris
tan nations united in observing this
It's celebration until the time OF Con
stantine.
Then at the council of Nice held in
325 A u. the matter was discussed ami
rules laid down for the festival which
have been followed to this day BN
that decree Easter always falls on the
hrst Sunday after the fun moon which
comes on or next after the yerpai
equinox March 2I
During the first years of its cele-
bration Easter was introduced by a
last OF one day. and the night before
was usually spent i'll prayer until the
time of cock-crow, which was sup
posed to be the moment of the resur-
rection. Later on the time of prepara-
tion was extended to forty hours the
length of time that Christ's body rest
ed in the tomb: hut afterward il was
changed to forty days. which was the
season of the temptation and fast in
the wilderness.
1t is now celebrated with all solern
nifty. and is regarded in the churches
as feast of the highest order The
services are generally as elaborate as
the various denominations see fit to
make them.
=
1t was an old belief that all fires had
to be put out Easter eve and lighted
anew il the home was to be protected
from lightning strokes and TO have
good luck throughout the year Then
the old story that the sun danced in
honor of the feast was another early
legend, and people We're accustomed to
rise by hundreds before daybreak in
order to see this wonderful feat
In some parts of Scotland they de
clared that the sun not only danced
but whirled around like a cart wheel
and gave three leaps. This belief was
gravely and solemnly discussed amorc
old scholars. who declared that the sun
probably did shine more brightly on
that special morning. but that il was
an inpossiblity for il to dance.
In love affairs ii was considered for
tunate if new dress. or at least SOM
article of wearing apparel, were worn
Easter Sunday. Proba bly, from this old
custom comes our own habit of dis
playing new fnery on that day. The
weather of Easter was also supposed
to have an effect on the days to come
later. If the sun shone brightly fair
and If it rained, an old legend relates.
it would rain every day in the COM
ing year. if only few drops.
Eggs have always been associated
with Easter, and various reasons are
given for the origin of this custom.
The egg. due to its mysterious develop
ment of life, has been the symbol OF
the revival of life in nature, and so
very likely for this reason became an
especial symbol of the Eastertide-
The custom of coloring them is n
very old one and at one time was uni
versally popular. They were made of
it was the fad to exchange them
among young and old in much the
same way we exchange valentines