The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-04-12

81 pagan origin ant'dating recorded
history For example the fashion pa
rIdc wErh marks The day in large
cities undoubtedly had it, brgnnin. in
the superstition than bad luck for the
coming year WAS tn" lot of the person
failing In put on some single new
item Of dress. II was many years he
for" tie Christian world gave Il Chris
tian significance tn pagan rites Of
celebration that il could not root ont.
Easter probably derives its Tcutonic
name from the festival Of the goddess
ONtara, in Anglo-SaNon EaStre. which
| the SaXOnS of old were wont To cplp-
brate about the same season The
Anglo-S Saxon name of April was EStor-
monath. and il is still known in Ger
many AZ OSt"rmonat. With her usual
T'llcy III" church endravorcd To give
Il Christian significance to such of the
! rites rs could not be rooted out, and
| in this case the conversion was nar-
| t!cularly easy. joy AZ the rising of
| the natural sun and AT the awakening
/ o. nature from the death of winter be-
/ cHme joy az the rising of the sun of
Righteousness. at the resurrection of
/ Christ from the grave.
The proper time for the celebration
o. Easter has ocCaSioucd no ljttln ron-
noVerSy. In the second century n dis.
pun" arose on this point between the
eastern and western churches. The
! great mass nf a1Stnr,,
DRAFTED Easter on the fourteenth day
OF the first Jewish month consider
ing II 10 be equivalent to the Jewish
Passover The western churches cele-
drafted il on the Sunday after the four
te'nth day. holding that il was the
cCmmemoratiOn of the resurrection of
Jesus. The council of Nice (325 A. d.
decided II in favor of the western
usage. This. however. only settled the
point that Easter ought 10 be held. not
upon a certain day of the month or
moon, bur on Il Sunday. II was dphat-
ed. at the time Of the introduction
Of the Gr"gOrian calendar. whether
Easter should continue Ia be movable
cr whether Il fixed Sunday. after the
list of March. should not he adopted
The rule now is that Easter day is
always the first Sunday after the full
moon which happens upon or next
after March 21; if the full moon hap
pens upon a Sunday, Easter day is
tic Sunday after
The result of this origin. adanta
n IF il hot
pretty much all the world may cele
bratr the day. and from wide vari
Guy Of motives Whether il happens
early or late, Easter always has Il re-
lation ia spring which time has sane
toned in curious diversity of ways
IT. th2 social sense. Easter unlocks
spring. 1t opens the door to new
season Fashion has taken the lib
crty of making 1t Il dividing line ovel
which il likewise takes the liberty al
stepping whenever il chooses. In (;
church sense the day holds the higl
poetry and profound religious signfi
c;.ncn which the day derives from tn,
resurrection. Thus from many side
II" day acquires Il color of new hopes
and expectations. Tie period Of Len
eliminates in fervid aSpirationa
ctlehration. As the church turns from
tie historic tragedy of death to tn,
hope Of new life. 50 humanity turn
from meditation To meet the Splendi'
symbolism of spring. JeruSalcm'S eg:
ceremonies today are duplicated in
picturesque variation by children
. sports like those that have been hcl'
every year on the White IlouS
grounds. The opening door mean
many different things Ia many dilfcren
peoples. Just aS the Great War afIecte,
differently tn" scattered races of tn
world
Different From Any Other.
, Easter of 1919 in one respect * diff
fcIent from any of its predecessors
, II comes nj the end of the creates