The Monticellonian., 1919-04-11

the purpose in the side of the holy tomb It is then made of ta fight candles with which every =Worshtper=S equipped. The intention is to sym =boze the=deseeht af the=Iiev Spirit.. The candles are kept sacred relics and reghted on. at Nlrfiages, births and dea h-.
 The reception of the fire is the work of the patriarch. He appears at the head of gorgeous procession of eeclesiastcs- bishops. arehbishops 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 blazing torch Men have been appointed To snatch the torch. These light their own candies and pass it on to their neighbors; every burning candle be- comes train leading on the sacred fire To hun dred others Robert Hiehens' description of the scene is in part this:
 It came at last. With fierce gesture of savage exultation the longhaired 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 cut yeils shrieks and the wild titteringS of women. All the arms gestieuated 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 patri- arch tore out of the9holy sepucher and fell in the Greek cathedral with the fire in his hands From the balconies near the blue star-spangled dome masses of candles were let down by long cords We're lighted by priests below and were drawn up flaming. Fire eneireled the rotunaa three tiers of fire =. Through the glare, the smoke, the roaring, the procession bishops and priests accompanied by soldiers. by aeoytes, by banner bearers, by canYasses beating the floor with their slaves Down the avenue of banners and mnskets and torches came bearded and ng-hared men in magnificent Yesments,
 and the gorgeous Armenans almost like nov ing idols clad in the jewels of their wonderful treasury :: and the witheredlookng Copts and the astounding AbNssnanS in magenta. with partly shaved heads and great tufts of coafSe hair, like the esludy puppets that people nghtmare.'
 From time Hmemeria the Christians of Jeru- salem have observed The events of Christs passion death and resurrection in complete and dramatic fashion and il from Jerusalem hat Easter customs spread n other parts of the world The earliest record of these oh>eryanccs k in @S5. At that time tbe Christians strove to realize hy ap- fropriate ceremony and ritual th. events Of the Inst acts iii tho fife of Jesus tach event vas com Iaemarated.= as far as possible, the sp7t of it's occurrence. The proper passaees frota tha Gospel Wore=rea8 and appropriate HldTecs were sad as Inc clergy and people vent lu procession from place To T9ce= HetMuy. rclEzsia5He. Ga,ca5aa. faa scTucHcr ard 6E.N.t. | Vls 4aips 5iO .t5 T. t.se slzes that zhe estj5fftr eH5HHat5=t.s changed greatlY, taking s#aatf5s= #ar fti.fH4es which have persisted 10 the present daH.
 Tradition Wifh laote or les- accuracy has fixed the course ot the N'a . .le4es: slG fhe H stations nj HhcH fhc ciI.rf events tf5,ti5z fn tiIs cross occurred II Is followed tz thHHs',Ha. at visitors Easter week.
 Easier t tle i.Ineina festival of inc Christian