Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-20

blazing Southern Cross, which is still Worship
ed by scattered tribes in the South Sea Islands
because it typif1es the South-the home OF
Spring.
For unknown ages inhabitants along the
Ganpes River have taken their annual bath
in the Spring. This yearly immersion IS not
so much for bodily cleanliness as to purify the
soul and give it a new me-to wash away all
sins.
THE first temple to Ceres, the Roman goddess
of grain, was built in 496 BIC. to COM
memorate the deliverance from a great famine.
At the ancient Festival of Ceres it was prac-
tice to fasten burning brands to foxes tails.
The foxes-or corn spirits as they were called
were turned loose and left to burn, SO that
their ashes might charm the grain and pro-
duce an abundant crop. During this festival
grain was scattered about the earth and thrown
upon people, because it represented fertility
the germ of life. Our modern custom OF throw
ing rice on newly married couples can De traced
to this old pagan festivity.
Long before Christ the Romans burned
newborn calf and scattered the ashes over the
soil to induce the earth to yield mucn gram.
This custom was later introduced into Cnna'
and as late as 1904 porcelain images OF cows
were presented to farmers in the Spring 70
bring a good rice crop.
In North Germany, Scotland and England
the shepherds used to worship Pales, the shep-
herds god in the Springtime The sheep were
first purified by brushing and washing, then
sulphur was burned about them. At night the
shepherds lighted great bonfires and danced
among their sheep by the light OF the moon
and the fires. In the morning the shepherd
looked to the east, toward the resurrected sum-
and washed his hands in dew. In some Sec
tions of Europe the shepherds still dance at
EaStertime among their sheep, which now
typifies the slain Lamb of God. But holy water
takes the place of the dew in the Christian
ceremony.
The lamb is one of the earliest symbols of
the resurrection. Among the Christians OF the
East young lamb is always eaten on Easter
Sunday During Passion week hundreds OF
Spring lambs are brought into the market places
and sold for the Easter feast. This is great
time for the children of the household who
make friends with the lamb as soon as it is
brought home. They tie ribbons around its
neck, legs and tail and hang garlands of flowers
about its body. Often the father finds 1t diff
cult to separate the lamb from the child. But
lamb must be slaughtered for the Easter feast,
so two lambs are usually bought-one for the
children and one for the festival. The spared
lamb becomes the children's inseparable play
mate. At bedtime they argue with each other
to decide who shall sleep with the lamb. Per-
haps this old custom inspired the famous
nursery rhyme, Mary had a little lamb and
everywhere that Mary went the lamb was sure
to 60"
In England and France 1t is considered
good omen to see lamb on Easter morning
when one first looks out of the bed room VIM
dow. If the lambs head Is turned toward the
house any wish that Is made will come true.
1t is commonly thought that the devil can take
the form of any creature in the world except
the lamb and the dove.
In Mechlenburg the peasants wash In Easter
water, which must be rain water or dew. This
act Of washing is supposed to ward of sickness.