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

a
~ Eostur was given in honor of Spring
long before the Christ was born Easter, as we
know it today, is the commentator OF an
event and not an anniversary, for no one knows
the exact date that Christ rose from the dead.
Because of the poetic resemblance of the resur-
rection of Jesus to the rebirth of nature the
early Christians grated the festival Of Eostur
onto the pagan celebrations of Spring.
Ever since the world began all nations have
expressed their inherent thankfulness Tor
Springtime by elaborate national feasts. Eacn
country has it own name and legend Tor Sucn
celebrations. To the japanese 1t is the merry
festival of the cherry blossoms while the Chi
nese burn the Spring and scatter Its ashes
over the land to insure good crops.
When the waters of the Nile rise In the
Spring and threaten to ruin the new crops the
angry river is appeased with young bride
In ancient times beautiful virgin was clothed
in rare silk and glittering jewels and cast into
the foaming waters-wedded to the Nile. In re-
cent years the living sacrifice has been spared
and King River is offered dummy bride m
stead.
In some countries near the Equator the
Southern Cross is worshiped because it Is be-
Iieved that the crops come from the south
But the Brahmins dedicate the Tamil new year,
or the Spring. to the spirits of their departed
ancestors. They think that people, like nature,
live anew in the Spring. In India, Sprtngtime
is considered the marriage season. Madana and
Rati, the god and goddess Of love, are wor-
SHIPPED at this time by public ceremonies ana
dances in which great garlands of flowers are
used.
CPRING is truly q season of promise, the
~ resurrection of the sun brings new life
and food after the hard, cold Winter Nature
is reborn, but what about man? For untold
centuries philosophers and scholars asked the
question. Finally it answered-in the
Christian relgion-by the dramatic event OF
the resurrection of Christ. On a Sunday morn
ing He rose from the dead, and this day became
Easter the most joyous festival of the Christian
calendar 1t commentaries the great histori-
cal fact and fundamental truth upon which the
whole structure of the Christian religion rests.
Although every one pagan and Christian
alike, knew, when Spring came no one could
determine the date of the resurrection For
more than three centuries after Christ bitter
uuarrels waged as to the proper date of Easter.
All factions agreed on one thing, that Christ
rose on Sunday neutrality-suspicious. the cock
crew. But which Sunday? The early Christians
relished controversies THEY used to fight over
hypothetical questions, such as the number OF
angels that could pirouette simultaneously on
the point of needle. Is it any wonder then,
that they could not decide among themselves
the exact date of the resurrection?
Finally the matter was referred to the Coun-
Gil of Nice. That august body decreed IN
324 AID. that Easter should always fall on the
FIRST Sunday after t. full moon which comes
on or next after IT, vernal equnox-which Is
March 81. 1t may come early as March ~
or as late as April IS. Between the years 1915
and 1865, Easter occurs 40 times in April and
10 times in Mar n. In the beginning OF the
fourth century Emperor Constantine passed q