The Ordway new era., 1919-04-11

OI pagan origin antedating recorded
history. For example. the fashion pa
rnde which marks the day in large
cities undoubtedly had Its beginning in
the superstition that bad luck for the
coming year was the lot of the person
falling to put on some single new
item of dress. 1t was many years be-
fore the Christian world gave n 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 cele-
brate about the same season. The
Anglo-Saxon name of April was Estor-
monath, and 1t is still known in Ger
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
ticularly easy. Joy at the rising of
the natural sun and at the awakening
| OF nature from the death of winter be-
come 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-
troversy. In the second century dis.
pute arose on this point between the
eastern and western churches. The
great mass of eastern Christians cell
brated Easter on the fourteenth day
OF the first Jewish month. consider
Ing 1t to be equivalent to the Jewish
Passover. The western churches ceIe-
hrated 1t on the Sunday after the four
teenth day, holding that 1t was the
ccmmemoratlon of the resurrection of
Jesus. The council of Nice 1925 A. d.
cecided 1t In favor of the western
usage. This, however. only settled the
point that Easter ought to be held, not
upon certain day of the month or
moon, but on Sunday. 1t was debat-
ed. at the time of the Introduction
of the Gregorian calendar, whether
Easter should continue to be movable
or whether n fixed Sunday. after the
21st 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 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 wide vari-
city Of motives. Whether 1t happens
early or late, Easter always has a re-
lhtion to spring which time has sane
toned in curious diversity Of ways.
In the social sense, Easter unlocks
spring. 1t opens the door to new
senson. Fashion has taken the lib
erty of making 1t dividing line over
which 1t likewise takes the liberty of
stepping whenever 1t 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 n color of new hopes
and expectations. The period of Lent
eliminates In a 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. Jerusalem's egg
ceremonies today are duplicated in n
picturesque variation by children'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
peoples, just as the Great War affected
differently the scattered races of the
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 greatest