Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-03-31
EASTER, OLDEST FESTIVAL
ON CHRISTIAN CALENDAR.

tAOH VI tit OdFioui VI IldlIhIHu >
and, to the secular mind, the for
NAL opening Of the springtime sea-
son; but observed as a festival of
JOY and feasting by both, is the
oldest Of all the festivals in the
Christian calendar. 1t is the day
which marked the beginning of
the preaching Of the Gospel OF
Christ Easter even antedates
Christmas as a fixed event, while
the day of the Resurrection has
been observed from the foundation
Of the Christian religion, it was
not until four centuries later that
the natal day of Jesna IF Nazareth
began to be celebrated.
Not less a fixed event than
Easter is Good Friday, comment
orative of the day of the Cruel.
fXion and observed on the Friday
Immediately preceding the Easter
Festival. Increasing Importance
has been attached by Christian
communities in later years to
Long, or Good or Gods Friday, as
it is variously known. 1t is prob
ably, as the day on which Christ
offered up His life for the re-
demption Of the world, the most
sacred and solemn of the Christian
year. In most Of the churches
on that day the affairs are stripped
of all decorations, the Cross is
draped in black and the hangings
are of a similar sombre hue, and
the day is given over largely by
the deyout to prayer and medita-
ton. This note of sacredness and
solemnity is reflected even in the
affairs of the secular world, many
of the states of the union in de-
ference to its deeply religious sig
nificance, having made it legal
holiday The custom of celebrat-
ing the day is involved in OBJ
security, except for the fact that
it is the day on which Christ was
nailed to the Cross on the Hill of
Golgotha; but during early times,
every Friday among Christians
was regarded as a fast day, as ev-
cry Sunday has been feast day;
and the connection between the
Crucifixion and the other as
marking the day Of the Resurrec-
tion is easily traced.
One of the most interesting
facts in connection with Easter
is that its origin dates back to the
old Jewish Feast of the Passover.
According to church historian:
The first Christians being deriv-
ed form or intimately connected
with the Jewish chruch, naturally
continued to observe the Jewish
festivals, though in new spirit, as
commemorative of events Of
which those had been shadows. The
Passover, ennobled by the thought
of Christ as the true Paschal Lamb,
continued to be celebrated, and
became the Christian Easter"
Early differences arose as to
the precise day on which the East
er Festival should be observed. In
the Jewish calendar the. Passover
occurs on a fixed day of the month;
while the Christians, from the
earliest days, assigned the Easter
Festival to fixed day of the week,
Sunday, that being the first day of
the week and the day, according to
Scripture upon which Christ rose
from the dead. Astronomical prob
lens Of confusing character were
largely responsible for these diff
ferences which continueduntiI year
325 A. D., when the Council Of
Nice decreed that everywhere in
Christendom Easter should be cele-'
brated on the same day. But it
was not until the adoption of the
Gregorian calendar in 1852 that
this decree secured anything like
general acceptance; and even to
this day in the churches of Greece
and Russia as well as in some of
the Oriental congregations where
the modern calendar has not been
accepted. Easter falls sometimes
before and sometimes after the
date on which the Festival is cele-
brated by the Western churches.
According to Barry, one of tn,
historians of the Episcopal Book
Of Common Prayer" the name
Easter is derived by Bede from
East9e, Saxon goddess in whose
honor the great Spring Festival