Evening star., 1928-04-07
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

any scene in that story with the festiv-
tiles of today's millinery and the pomps
and vanities Of the crowded meeting
places?
What is the symbolism Of Easter eggs?
Next Monday thousands OF children VIII
play the game of rolling Easter eggs at
each other upon the lawn Of the White
House. Could any Of those children
give the slightest idea as 70 the con-
nection of eggs with Easter? Eggs are
symbolic of life. but do they signify
the resurrection? Surely those eggs
have never lived before and viii never
live again. And how comes it that
these eggs are brightly colored?
Many pious effort has been made
to connect them up with the risen
Christ. but the truth is that the origin
has nothing whatever TO do with the
sacred significance Of Easter or the
resurrection.
Hundreds Of years ago. the Duchess
Rosilina Won Lindenberg, in the nlzdsr OF
war, fed from her palace ana took
refuge in a small poverty-stricken W.
lage of miners. The people treated ner
with kind hospitality. though they were
so impoverished. She was accompanied
sent to the camp Of the army TO get
news of her husband and OF the war.
She bade him 20 bring her a coop fuu
of poultry. for the mining village pos
sessed no fowls. Chickens were un-
known in that region.
When Easter came. the duchess
wanted TO give the villagers Q surprise
and treat. so she told all the children
TO prepare nests in the hedges. and
into these nests she and her servant
deposited eggs. which they had made
pretty by boiling in native moses 10
color them. One of the children dis
covered 4 hare fleeing from her nest.
and started the tale that the hare had
laid the colored eggs. That IS al there
Is to Easter eggs-a bit OF German
folklore.
The game OF egg-rolling originated
in Germany, where It is pracuceo on
Easter evening. by the children slttlns
In two rows facing one another and roll
no the hard boiled eggs at one another.
The eggs are guided by wooden tracks
made by parallel sticks laid on the
grass. Apples and cakes are rolled, as
well aS eggs.
while there is no symboliSu-historic
or poetic-in boiled eggs. il must De
recognized that there is true symbolism
in budding flowers and foliage. reyivIng
upon trees which have appeared dead
through the cold Winter. yet now come
back TO life and beauty. Easter comes
from EaSt-vhere the dawn Of new
day is seen. The Power that gives life
to dormant nature, which has lain for
months in the grave sheeted BY the
ice and snow. can give II again and
forever. The Power that, as ali CHRIS
tianS, regardless OF denomination, BE-
lieve. raised the dead Christ. and
annually reSurrects the dead flowers.
can and viii raise all who accept Him.
Just as the rainbow SymboiixeS Gods
mercy. SO the lily and the green foliaSe
and all blossoms become the rainbow OF
life and resurrection.
Says liberal preacher: Some o. the
faithful believers read the story IN one
expresSion--the Passion Play: others
in another language which says IL IN
flcwers'-even perhaps in millinery
flowers, So let Us not Judge our neigh
bor's decorations. lest we, too. be
judged. whether we are ATtecs or
faShionahleS Of the church.
There may indeed be significance
and symbolism even In the fine clothes
for in Christian temples alleged 70 have
been found IN the CataeonahS (hut con-
tradicted by todayS Roman guideSl the
peacock Is pictured as the symbol OF
Immortality. just as 1t had been SO
recognized by the PaganS. centuries
before our FIRST Easter. Ladies' hats
have too few flowers today and we md
too few of them with the PAGAN peacock
symbolism. For the Creator who became
the tragic ngure Of death Is the Man
who eade US consider the hlies' and
he gave the beauties Of nature.
How can the Christian point only
TO the tranSientneSS OF the flowers, m
stead OF 70 their perpetual beauty IN
unendiag reSurreetions"
tconyrsSht. 1898. Nv Paul ", cNlllasN