The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1919-04-11

Of pagan origin antedating recorded
history. For example, the fashion pa
rade which marks the day in large
cities undoubtedly had It's beginning in
the superstition that bad luck for the
coming year was the lot of the person
failing to put on some single new
item of dress. 1t was many years be-
fore the Christian world gave a Chris
tan significance to pagan rites Of
celebration that 1t could not root out.
Easter probably derives its Teutonic
name from the festival of the goddess
Ostara, In Anglo-Saxon Eastre, which
the Saxons of old were wont to cee-
brate about the same season. The
Anglo-Sax name of April was Estor-
many as Ostermonat. With her usual
policy the church endeavored to give
Christian significance to such of the
rites as could not be rooted out, and
In this case the conversion was par
tlcularly easy. Joy at the rising Of
the natural sun and at the awakening
OF nature from the death of winter be-
ceme JOY at the rising of the sun Of
righteousness, at the resurrection of
Christ from the grave.
The proper time for the celebration
OF Easter has occasioned no little con-
tloversy. In the second century dis
pute arose on this point between the
eastern and western churches. The
great mass Of eastern Christians eel
brated Easter on the fourteenth dav
OF the first Jewish month, consider
ing 1t to be equivalent to the Jewish
Passover The western churches cele-
hrated 1t on the Sunday after the four
tenth day, holding that it was the
ccmmemoration of the resurrection Of
Jesus. The council OF Nice 1925 A. d.
decided 1t in favor of the western
usage. This, however, only settled the
point that Easter ought to be held. not
upon a certain day Of the month or
ed, at the time of the introduction
OF the Gregorian calendar, whether
Easter should continue to be movable
or whether a fixed Sunday, after the
z1st of March, should not be 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
Tie Sunday after.
! The result Of this origin, adapta-
ton and regulation OF Easter Is that
pretty much all the world may cele-
brate the day, and from a wide varf-
city OF motives. Whether 1t happens
early or late. Easter always has a re-
lttion to spring which time has sane
toned in n curious diversity of ways.
In the social sense, Easter unlocks
spring. 1t opens the door to new
season. Fashion has taken the lib
erty of making 1t dividing line over
Which it likewise takes the liberty OF
stepping whenever it chooses. In a
! church sense the day holds the high
poetry and profound religious signifi
ctnce which the day derives from the
resurrection. Thus from many sides
tie day acquires color OF new hopes
and expectations. The period of Lent
eliminates in fervid aspirational
celebration. AS the church turns from
the historic tragedy Of death to the
hope of new life, so humanity turns
from meditation to meet the splendid
symbolism of spring. Jerusalems egg
ceremonies today are duplicated In 8
picturesque variation by chIdren's
sports like those that have been held
every year on the White House
grounds. The opening door means
many different things to many different
eoples. just as the Great War affected
differently the scattered races of thu
world.
Different From Any Other.
Easter of 1910 In one respect Is diff
ferent from any of Its predecessors
1t comes at the end Of the creates