Palisadian., 1923-03-30

They merely represented the spirit and
joviality of the day. So there was the
custom Of playing ball in the streets.
The ball represented the sun, which
was popularity supposed to give three
hops when rising Easter morning. This
sport was engaged in by everyone, even
by the priests, bishops, monks and
mayors and corporations Of cities.
Another popular custom that grew
out Of the egg symbol for Easter was
egg chipping and egg rolling. Both Of
these games were to test the thickness
of the shells. We still have a survival
of this custom in the egg-rolling con-
test held annually for children on the
White House grounds.
The word Easter itself means April
and Is the name of the Anglo-Saxon
Goddess of Spring. At first it was
celebrated with all the licentious mum
merry imaginable to heather religion,
but as the centuries passed and the
Christians came, it became purely
religious festival. The meaning Of
the rites were lost, but the people OBJ
served them just the same. Surely
none of us feel that we are performing
heather rite when we give Easter
eggs to our friends.
In the early days Of the Christian re-
ligion no festivals were observed, not
even Easter. 1.-THE whole Of time Is
festival unto Christians because Of the
excellency of the good things which
have been given" explained st. Chry-
sostom.
Gradually, however, Easter became
the biggest festival in the calendar Of
the church. Everyone who professed
the religion Of Christ was supposed to
take communion on that day. If he re-
fused his name was to be excommuni-
Gated and at death his body to be
denied Christian burial.
How Date Was Fixed.
The dispute over the true time to
hold Easter was one of the Quarrels
that shook the early Christian world.
Those who had been Jewish wanted to
celebrate it on the 18th of the old Jew
ish month of Nisank-the beginning of
the Jewish festival of the passover.
Those who had been Gentiles said that
Easter should be observed on the fol-
lowing Sunday.
For years this dispute waXed warm
ly, until it was finally settled by the
great church council held at Nicea in
325 1t was decreed that Easter should
come on Sunday and that the date
should be the first Sunday following
the full moon after the vernal equinox
(March 21). The city of Alexandria,
then famed for its skill in astronomical
affairs, was given the duty of fixing
the date.
1t was a pagan custom to regard the
egg and the rabbit as symbols of pro-
creativeness. This Is about the only
Easter observance that Mas survived to
modern times. Our custom of filling
our homes with lilies and early flowers
seems to be custom Of recent origin.
Dozens Of Easter observances, no
less picturesque, have been forgotten
or overwhelmed in the seriousness of
these latter days. So on Easter Mon
day husbands struck their wives. but
on Tuesday the wives struck back. In
Germany the men and maid servants
observed the same custom, but used
switches in doing so. 1t was, also, the
custom for parents and children to try
and surprise each other in bed early
Easter morning. The tardy one would
receive a rough switching to remind
him or her of remissness.
Much Liberty Permitted.
In every way Easter day was day
Of special privilege. In Russia every
one who wished was allowed to go into
the churches and ring the bells as long
as he desired. Thousands of people
availed themselves of this opportunity.
In England the men ran joyfully about
the streets lifting the women from the
ground three times. The one so favored
had to give the male either silver