New Britain herald., 1930-04-18
Sword Dances, Silver Tom toms, Feet Washing and Chants Will Mark Cere- monies.

Jerusalem, April IS LP-All is in readiness today, Good Friday, for the ceremony of the holy fire tomorrow morning which will climax the preparation of the eastern churches for the celebration of Easter, their most popular religious festival.
 Some hours before noon tomor- row a procession of young peasants will push through the crowd to exc cute a, wild sword dance in the cen ter of the rotunda of the Holy Sepulchre. to the accompanlment or hoarscly chanted verses. The pells' meanwhile, will be changing to her aid the approach of the Orthodox patriarch, who will arrive soon' pre- ceded by his ecclesiastics clad Tn the most splendid vestments. When the priestly procession reaches the TO- tunda it will circumambulate the tomb three times, the choir first. then the priests and archimandrltcs, followed by the archbishops ana finally the patriarch clad in gold and white brocadc and crowned with jewelled miter.
 Reaching the door Of the tomb where the British district commls- sioner of Jerusalem will stand with his staff. following the precedent or his Turkish predecessor, the patrl- arch will be divested of his cope and miter and will enter the door Of the tomb, accompanied by an Armenian eCclesiastic.
 Lights Distinguished
 The usual procedure next is that in the body of the sepulchre every light is extinguished, and the ten sion for the next few minutes is al- most painful. Suddenly a terrific shout goes up from the crowd. Through a small hole on each side of the tomb a brand, held in the shaking hands of the patriarch and Armenian, appear, lit by a fire which the vast majority of the gathering believe to have como down from heaven.
 A desperate struggle now follows in the crowd, everyone trying to be the first 10 light his taper from the brand. thus to insure eternal salVa- ton. In a moment tho light is pass cd from taper to taper. Into every corner the divine" fire. is spread. and soon the whole building is mass of sparks. The frenzy and tur- mol of the delirous crowd mean while reaches it's highest pitch. The smoke and heat are becoming suffo- eating. but the crowd is oblivious to everything except the holy fire. Fe- verishly the worshippers apply the tapers to their heads and bodies to gain purihcation from the sins of their lifetime.
 Carried to Russia
 Nor is the fire kept in the holy sepulchre alone. but special runners bear it to Nazareth, Bethlehem and other parts of Palestine and Syria. And before the war, even, it was carried to Russia to purify devout believers who were not themselves able to make the pilgrimage.
 The Armenians participate with the Orthodox in this ceremony. A less miraculous and more tranquil Easter ceremony is that of the wash ing of the feet. Thursday, performed by the Orthodox, Armenians and Jacobites, each separately, a cere- mony based on the 18th chapter of St. Johns gospel.
 The Orthodox ceremony is held In the courtyard of the Holy Sepulchre, and now again, crowds of pilgrims and natives flock the lanes and sur rounding roofs and buildings. A platform has been erected in the middle of the court and on it sits 2 Orthodox ecclesiastics, representing the 12 apostles, and in the center the patriarch.
 Divested of his miter and vest ments the patriarch kneels before the right foot of each apostle" which he washes and dries. Then the three ccclesiastics, representing Peter. James and John, dispose themselves on the steps of the plat form where they fall asleep, arc awakened, sleep again. then are awakened again-a bit of acting