The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-03-31
EASTER MARKS
RESURRECTION
OF SAVIOR
the Oldest Festival on
The Christian
Calendar

castor, concentrating to the
Tristan believer the Resurrection
{ the Saviour of mankind; and, to
he secular mind, the formal opening
the springtimc season; but OBJ
erved as a festival of joy and feast
hg by both is the oldest Of all the
festivals in the Christian calendar.
is the day which marked the be-
inning of the preaching of the Cos
81 of Christ Easter even antedatcs
hristmas as Il fixed event; for,
lille day Of the Resurrection has,
cen observed from the foundation Of
he Christian religion, it was not un-
ii four centuries later that the natal
nv of Jesus of Nazareth began to be
celebrated.
Not less a fixed event than Easter
Good Friday, commemorative Of
he day of the Crucifixion and OBJ
crved on the Friday Immediately
receding the Easter festival. In
reasing Importance has been attach
ID by Christian communities jim later
ears to Long, or Good or Gods FRI
ny, as it is variously known. 1t is
probably, as the day on which Christ
ffered UP his life for the redemp-
ION of the world, the most sacred
nd solemn of the Christian year. In
,ost of the churches on that day the
liars are stripped of all decora-
ions, the Cross is draped IN black
md the hangings are all of SINH
~, sombrc hue, and the day is given
,ver largely by the devout to prayer
md medi tation. This note OF sacred
ness and solcmnity is reflected even
n the affairs of the secular world
many of the state of the UNION IN
Difference to its deeply religious
ignificance, having made it legal
halliday. The custom of celebrating
he day is involved in obscurlty, eH-
,ept for the fact that 1T is the day
am which Christ was nailed to the
ross on the Hill of Golgotha; bu'
rom the earliest times, every frlaa!
among Christians has been regarded
* n fast day, as every Sunday has
nccn n feast day; and the connection
between the one as marking the oaS
Of the CrucifiXion and the other IL
norkirp the day of the Resurrection
Is easily traced.
One of the most interesting facts II
Connection with Easter is that ltS
oripin dates back to the ola Je"lsn
rcast of the Passover. According tt
church historian: 1.-The first chris
;ans being derived from or intimate
" connected with the Jewish church
NATURALLY continued to observe tn'
Iewish festivals, though in new spirit
as commemorative of events OF wh's'
those had been shadows. The fass
over, ennobled by the thought %
Christ as the true Pascal Lamb, CON
tinued to be celebrated, and becah'
the Christian Easter. =,
Early differences arose as TO th'
brecise day on which the Easter les
ival should be observed. In the Jew
sh calendar the Passover occurs OF
fixed day of the month; while the
christians, from the earliest days, as
signed the Easter Festival to fiSee
L}av of the week, namely, Sunday
that being the first day OF the weef
and the day, according to Scripture
upon which Christ rose from th'
dead. Astron omical problems OF
confusing character were largely re
sponsible for these differences, whlcf
continued until the year 325 A. u.
when the Council of MEGA dccreee
hat everywhere in Christendom Eas
err should be celebrated on the same
hay. But it was not until the adop
ion of the Gregorian Calendar II
5S2 that this decree secured any
hing like general acceptance; ant
,yen to this day in the churches o.
ireece and Russia as well as in some
uf the Oriental congregations where
he modern calendar has not been ac
Eepted the date of Easter varies.