The Yale expositor., 1917-03-29
EASTER IN GERMANY
Children Have First Place in the
Seasons Celebrations in
TyroI Region.
T$HE far-famed region of the Tyrol


is one of the most superstitious
countries in the war zone. On
the evening before Easter companies
of musicians in queer garments still
go about the country singing Easter
hymns, in accompaniment to mellow
voiced guitars. On hearing the music
at the door everyone comes out and
joins in the chorus, all rejoicing to-
gether in the happy day.
In the most remote districts the
"Easter riding" is yet customary. The
procession starts from the tiny town
Easter morning with the people walk
ing behind priests and crossbearerS on
horseback, and goes crOss-cOuntry
through the fields, begging the bless
ings of heaven upon the havests, and
finally returns to the little church with
the cross above it, for a brief service.
Germany is Protestant nation, and
it's Presbyterians and Lutherans do not
celebrate Easter in realistic ceremo-
nial as do the Catholic countries, but as
the Germans Christmas celebrations
are first in the Christian world because
of their close association with chill
dren, so on Easter it is the children
who have first place in the Observances
of the resurrection. Innumerable toys
and trinkets are sold to friends and
relatives of the children. Every old
woman in the market place offers for
sale all kinds of eggs in all colors, OF
candy. porcelain, glass, chocolate and
even wood.
The German children have never a
doubt but that the hares lay the Eas-
ter eggs, and they love to hear of the
legend which German mothers tell
them of the Duchess Rosalinde Won
and the Easter eggs. Along the Rhine
this pretty tale is as common at Easter
as is the story of Kris Kringle at
Christmas time.
The duchess, 1t seems, had to flee
with her family and servants, from the
family castle, during a cruel war, and
they found refuge in mining village,
where the people were very sympa-
thetic, but the fare offered to the high
born family was wretched to the taste.
There was never a piece of meat, nor
a fish, nor even an egg. There was
no poultry in the whole town.
Soon, when the old and trusted serv-
ant of the duchess went forth to get
news of the masters fate in the war,
he was told to get coop of fowls, for
the general good of the. village. Such
strange birds had never been heard of.
He was able to do as she wished, and
when a brood of young chicks ap-
peared in a few weeks after his return
the village children were greatly ex-
cited.
The fair lady now saved up eggs for
some time, then invited all the house
wives of the village to feast, when
she set before them the eggs cooked
I'm various ways. When Easter ap-
preached she was eager TO arrange
some pleasure for the quaint little
children of the town that had shell
tered her. AS she had not even an
apple, q nut or anything that children
clamor for, and she did have eggs in
abundance, she could only offer them
these.
She told them when they came troop
ing in that "eggs are the first reviving
of spring." and since she had colored
the eggs with mosses and bright-col-
ored rags of lovely dresses she had
once worn, she continued the figurative
storytelling by saying that "winter
had laid aside its colorless mantle, and
was now being decked out in colors of
the rainbow"
After the church service all the chill
dren, together with the duchess own,
were led into a neighboring wood,
where she told them to make nests of
moss, and come back TO the wood after
a dinner at her house. When they did
return, to their great joy they found
In each nest five beautiful colored
eggs. on one of them rhyme being
written.
'How wonderful the hens of the
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