The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-04-20
From enc washIngton Scar.

have a fascination for the student OF
history or religious progress apart IOhl
their picturesque features. AS 10 the
most important festival OF the eccIeS.
iastical year, in commemoratlng as ~
does the supreme event in the greaS
traRedv that forms the foundation OF
the Christian faith, the elimination OF
the divine mission to sinful humanity
It Is only natural that II should De cele,
brated with q great deal or ponp anu
solemnity, although 1t cannot De oehleu
that in many instances the metnods o.
celebration, the forms and ceremonies
can be traced back to secular anu III
many instances, to pagan sources.
They represent, as q matter Of fact
features Of old time faiths and bellers
that, on account of their impressiveness
and the boons they conveyed, the peopIe
were unwilling to abandon, and the
early fathers Of the church wisely
adopted them in modified form ana
adapted them to the,teachings or chris
tianity AS an instance, may DC
quoted the attitude Of st. Paul toward
the altar erected by the Greeks to the
unknown God" which Identity the
apostle tactfully connected with the
God whose word he had come to preach.
Italy, perhaps more than any other
country, is the land Of elaborate ana
interesting Easter ceremonies. FROM
Rome, where LHo pLSSChSC ohtN -
ticipation of the supreme pontif lenu
special state and importance to all az
fairs OF the church, to the humblest VII
lage, almost every community has us
own peculiar customs and forms OF
ceremony for Easter. and many OF them
are intensely interesting on account OF
their picturesque originality and their
religious or historical significance. ALL
however, have for their final object the
impression on the human mind OF the
significance OF the event that occurred
nearly 1000 years ago at Jerusalem,
and In some way they are designed 70
emphasize the grave Importance OF the
Saviors sacrifice on Calvary. All over
Italy the custom prevails OF priests go
ing around Easter time blessing the
houses with holy water, while the
bishops go out In soleumn procession TO
bless the baptismal fonts.
One Of the most interesting cere- :
monies In connection with the celebra-
ton Of Easter in italy Is the "scoppio
del carro"-literally, the explosion OF
the car-which takes place on the
square In front Of the great Cathedral
Of Florence Easter Saturday of every
year.
The ceremony is supposed to be in
some way connected with the carrying
Of the holy fire from the Church OF the
Holy Apostles-one of the oldest in the
city-to the cathedral. The fire Is pro-
duced with the aid Of flint and steel,
the flints used for the purpose having
been brought from the holy sepuicher
at Jerusalem during the crusades and
carefully preserved and used every
year for the same purpose, in the same
church, for upward Of 500 years.
The original car for this ceremony
was furnished by a representative Of
the ancient Pazzi family, an early
member Of which, with great trouble,
brought from the holy sepulcher at
Jesusalem to Florence the holy fire
with which the lamps in the "duomo"
were lighted and which burn eternally
in the sanctuary. Previous to Easter
the great oumbrous car framed with
heavy timbers and mounted on four
low massive wheels, which is kept in q
three story building in the Via del
Prato, purchased by the city for, the
purpose-and in which all the floors
have been removed and the entire front
connected into a huge doorway-is re-
decorated for the occasion and covered
with festoons of fireworks-sQuibS
crackers, Roman candles, etc, in red
white and greenland in its festive ar
ray makes quite an imposing appear
ance In reality however, it is a per-
feet piece of patchwork, each succeed
ing years ceremony resulting in its
partial destruction by fire and making
its more or less complete restoration
necessary.
Drawn by four stately white oxen,
kept for this sole purpose on the
municipal farm, with gilded horns and
crimson trauppings, and with attend
ants equally gorgeous of apparel, the
car moves ponderously from its winter
quarters to its appointed station OPP
posite the great doors Of the cathedral,
which are thrown wide open. From
a stand erected in front of the high
altar a wire is stretched tightly to the
car, and on this is mounted the dove
-Columbina-ab bird shaped wooden de-
vice, propelled by a concealed mech
anism.
After the completion Of the cere-
monies connected with the lighting of
the Easter candle at the sacred fire, an
immense crowd being by this time as
sembled in the cathedral and on the
plaza, at about 1880 o'clock, the
Archbishop OF Florence begins the
celebration Of the mass, which is 80
timed that when the choir commences
to chant the Gloria in Excelsis Deo''
the great bell Of the cathedral sounds
the first stroke Of noon. This is the
signal for every bell in the many
churches in the city, silent under the
Thursday, to burst into sound, and
throughout the city there prevails an
indescribable clangoF.
AS the first stroke OF the cathedral
bell Is heard a member of the POM
pieri, the city firemen, q detachment
of whom has charge Of this part of the
ceremony as a precaution against ac-
cident, lights the fuse Of the dove with
sacred fire from the altar and sets 1t
in motion. Trailing kissing flame Il
glides along the wire down the aisle.
and, If all goes we'll, plunges into the
waiting car and ignites the fireworks
with which 1t Is bedecked. This mis-
sion accomplished, the dove returns
over it's wire to the stand in front of
the altar.
In the meantime the crowds In the
cathedral and in the plaza have been
eagerly watching the flight Of the dove
to the car and it's return. II IL travels
straight and without interruption to
Its goal, successfully accomplishes its
purpose and returns without hitch or
delay to its station, all IL well--a good
year, bountiful crops and good fortune
for the community are confidently an
ticipated. If, as sometimes happens,
Eomething goes wrong with the fiery
bird, the fireworks fail to ignite free
ly, or some other misfortune attends
Columbina's fight, woe and trouble
are looked for during the following
IL months and the unfortunate con-
structor Of the device Is not only exc
" Tod hWK3 H. -