The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1919-05-17

.: 81 w. ii
year for the reason that it commentaries the res
direction of Jesus In the words of Paul. "If
Christ be not risen then is preaching vain and
your faith is also vain" But" he says, "now is
Christ risen from the dead and become the first
fruits of them that sleep" Which is to say that
the Christian religion stands the resurrection Of
Jesus
Pagan Rites Survive.
But the Easter season is observed by millions
who are not even nominally Christians They do
not celebrate the resurrection of Christ but rather
the end Of winter, the approach of spring the be-
ginning of life in nature after the long sleep OF
winter. Celebrations of this kind antedate re-
corded history. When Christianity came into the
world the Christian church adopted and modified
such of these pagan rites Of celebration it could
not abolish This accounts for the many queer
rites of the Christian observance of Easter In
various parts Of the world. They are pagan rites
that had their origin in the remOtest past, and
have been modified by time and custom and
changed meaning.
Thus the parade Of fashion to Easter morning
church services in the large American cities had
Its origin ages ago in the superstition that failure
to at least one new piece of clothing would
bring bad luck during the year. The use OF the
egg as q symbol of life Is far older than Chris
Ga0lty. Inc Easter TdDDll Is d survival VI Ill Ous
old superstition. The use of flowers as an express
sion OF rejoicing is probably almost old as man
himself The paschal candles are in another
form the bonfres lighted by our remote ancestors
to celebrate the arrival Of spring.
Just how the rabbits managed to get into the
Easter celebration nobody seems to be able to
find out with any certainty. Anyway, they are
not properly rabbits; they are hares. Undoubtedly
the association Of the hare with Easter and Its
eggs was introduced here by the Germans, but
where they got the idea is what none of the anu
Guarans have been able to learn to their satls1ac-
ton AS far as they have gone they figure this
way: The relation between the moon ana the
hare is fairly close. The relation of the moon 10
Easter is very close Gradually in ancient times
the hare seems to have become associated WIN
Easter and with Easter eggs.
Easter anc the Egg.
Easter without eggs-fresh laid, dyed and sugar
would be like Christmas without Santa Claus.
the stocking and the tree. And the ASSOCIATION oI
the egg with Easter Is easily explained Many oh
the old peoples Of earth have used the egg from
time immemorial the symbol OF the germ VI
life. The wise men Of old taught that the WORTH
w,ss Matched from an egg. All over the pagan
world # sippifed fertility and potential life The
place of the egg was therefore firmly fixed In the
spring celebrations that long antedated christ ana
the Christian Easter The Christian cnurch iouhu
the egg so firmly established as an Easter 81
that 1t could not be dlslodged 1heieioio 'A'
church adopted the egg and adopted II as SYM
boil of the resurrection. In the transltlon Vi
from heather to Christian festivai the trau,
ton of the egg stands unbroken "hen 'ne evl
oring Of eggs began to the Christian the White
stood for the immaculate conception: the req Iof
the blood Of the redemption. and the ye'lo" lux
the dawn Of the resurrection morn.
It Is natural that many queer relics Oh anc'e'''
epb customs should have survived "ie ni".
have died on the way For instance the rulers VI
earth no longer indulge In Easter esss "no'
After the Easter celebration fouho its way INV
France every hen roost IN the eoun'
searched for the largest eggs whlch WERE ."Asn
es q tribute to the king. Ana al'ef .e ass.
HIGH mass in the chapel of the Louvre there were
hrouobt into the royal cabinet pyramids OF gilded
eggs decked with verdure. The chapiah' ni'ei
h1ass,no them distributed them among the persons
of the court in the presence OF MS mose I'LL A"'"
majesty. ,-oo+ 40.
In tho time Of Henry l, eggs were IN great os
rona IN Eostar morn In the tower Is an oIo
.'a1 III ,,tth on account Of entry. "1Sd for 4U
.r. - r.. usad for ornamental purposes 1os
Easter" ..~
Thai tho whole world associates the egg Wild
49, 10 shown bv the fact that the Christian
.hudra, IN Mesopotamia play the same game AZ
Eostor ~ "p,cking' eggs that American ooys CO.
=. En,,ond IN many places the boys ana gris
"ro,l" their colored eggs, just as the "asnnk.on
.hud-or do on the White House grounds. IMs
1vhita House egg-rolling by the way. IL quite .
,ho+,on and as q curious spectacle Is woft1
seeing. ..,..o,x, TIM. o,,.,, ..
-. 49,. have nothing to DO with the day.