The Pulaskian., 1919-04-11

through an opening made TOT the purpose in the side of the holy tomb. It is then made of to light candles with which every worshiper is equipped The intention is to sym belize the descent of the Holy Spirit The candles kept as sacred relics and are relighted only at marriages, births and deaths.
 The reception of the fire is the work of the patriarch He appears at the head of a gorgeous procession of cclesiastics-bishops archbishops and priests. He leads his followers three times around the holy tomb and enters when passing the doorway the third time, leaving his followers standing by. Shortly after the "holy fire" appears through the opening in the form of a blazing torch Men have been appointed to snatch the torch These light their candles and pass 1t on to their neighbors; every burning candle be- train leading the sacred fire to a hun- dred others Robert Hichens' description of the scene is in part this:
 ''It came at last With fierce gesture as of savage exultation the long-haired priest withdrew his arm from the hole and held up great bunch of flaming candles. And then delirium seized the close-packed thousands All the mouths opened to let out yells shrieks and the wild titterngs Of women. All the arms gesticulated with frenzy toward the smoky yellow flames All the bodies struggled desperately, cruelty to get to them. And the priest dipped his torch and suddenly fire be- gan to rush through the great church. The patr arch tore out of the holy sepucher and fell in the Greek cathedral with the fire in his hands From the balconies the blue star-spangled dome masses of candles were let down by long cords, lighted by priests below and drawn up flaming. Fire eneircled the rotunda three tiers of fire. .. Through the glare the smoke, the roaring. the procession bishops and priests, accompanied by soldiers, by acoytes by banner bearers by canvasses beating the floor with their slaves Down the avenue of banners and muskets and torches bearded and long-haired men in magnificent vestments
 and the gorgeous Armenans almost like mov- ing idols, clad in the jewels of their wonderful treasury and the withered-ooking Copts and the astounding Abyssinans, in magenta, with partly shaved heads and great tufts of coars hair like the gaudy puppets that people q nightmare"
 From time immemorial the Christians of Jeru- salem have observed the events of Chrsts passion, death and resurrection in complete and dramatic fashion, and it was from Jerusalem that Easter customs spread to other parts of the world. The earliest record of these observances is in 3S5 At that time the Christians strove to realize by ap- propriate ceremony and ritual the events of the last acts in the life of Jesus. Each event memorated far possible, the spot of its occurrence. The proper passages from the Gospel were read and appropriate prayers were said as the clergy and people went in procession from place to place-Bethany, Gethsemane, Golgotha, the sepulcher and 0livet. It during the mid de ages that the character of the ceremonies changed greatly. taking spectacular features which have persisted to the present day
 Tradition with more or less accuracy has fixed the course of the Via Doorosa and the If stations at which the chief events on the way to the cross occurred. It is followed by thousands of visitors on Easter week
 Easter is the principal festival of the Christian