The Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1918-1919, 1919-04-17

S'"'s' ro' 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
la'ilng to put on some single new
item OF dress. 1t was many wears he
fore the Christian world gave Chris
t'an significance to pagan rites of
celebration that 1t could not root out.
Easter probably derives it's Teutonic
name from the festival of the goddess
Ostara, in Anglo-Saxon Eastre, which
the SaxOns of old were wont to cele-
ofate about the same season. The
Ahslo-SaXon name of April was EstOr.
monath, and it is still known in Ger.
many as Ostermonat. With her usual
Echcy the church endeavored to give
christian significance to such of the
rl1es as could not be rooted out. and
IN this case the conversion was mr.
tlcelarly easy. Joy at the rising of
til" natural sun ana at the awakening
u nature from the death of winter be-
csme JOY at the rising of the sun of
righteousness, at the resurrection of
Christ from the grave.
Inc proper time for the celebration
o. Easter has Occasioned no little con.
t1oVersy. In the second century n dis.
pute arose on this point between the
eastern and western churches. The
great mass Of eastern Christians Gel
DRAFTED Easter on the fourteenth day
OF the first Jewish month"; consider
ing 1t to be equivalent to the Jewish
passover. The western churches cele-
hrated it Oh the Sunday after the four.
teenth day, holding that it was the
ccmmemOratiOn 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 a fixed Sunday, after the
21st of March, should .ot 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 81; 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 wide vari-
city of motives. Whether it happens
early or late, Easter always has a re-
lation to spring which time has sane
toned in a curious diversity of ways.
spring. 1t opens the door to new
season. Fashion has taken the lib
erty of making it dividing line over
Which it likewise takes the liberty of
stepping whenever 1t chooses. In a
church sense the day holds the high
poetry and profound religious signifi-
ccnce 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. Jerusalem's egg
ceremonies today are duplicated in a
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 1919 in one respect is diff
feIent from any of its predecessors.
It comes at the end of the greatest