The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1931-04-03
Easter Egg
Old Symbol

II you should 60 into church on
Easter morning and find the clergy
playing ball you would be sure that
modern decadehce had reached its
pinnacle. Yet you would only be wit.
Messing a spectacle that was the ac-
customed scene in the churches of
England during the medieval period,
Helen Buckler writes, in the New York
Herald Tribune. The affair began in
nocently enough in q still older Gus
tom wherein the choristers in the nave
used to toss paschal egg from one
to another as the anthem was sung.
Evidently the egg was not boiled
one. Moreover, many OF the choris-
ters were not of the caliber to qualify
for big league team today. So a
more durable handball was eventually
substituted and that Is how the clergy
came TO play ball In the churches on
Easter day. In time, as the human
race grew older and inevitably more
decorous, even this pleasant custom
was abandoned.
The egg, however, still remains ir-
revocably bound to Easter, as you and
l admit when we breakfast upon the
golden dish, for how could we consid-
err any other upon Easter Sunday?
Inevitably we eat eggs on Easter,
though few of us realize how ancient
is the tradition we follow.
Egg Always Symbol.
From time immemorial, and If this
does not mean the Pleistocene age at
least 1t was long before Rome and
Jerusalem and even Athens, the egg
has been regarded by all people ev-
erywhere with admiration, not TO say
awe. It's mysterious life-giving prop
erty was reason enough. Perhaps It's
delicious versatility in the kitchen
was an added recommendation. AS
good gourmet, like to think So And
so, on all counts, natures master
piece became involved very early in
celebrations Of the resurrection of the
new year.
Together with the Greeks the an
cient Romans used eggs in their most
solemn sacrifices. To honor Ceres the
goddess of agriculture, they brought
ia platters of eggs with great pomp
So highly did the Ashantis regard the
tasty spheruie as the symbol Of crea-
tion, they were forbidden by the fet-
ish to eat 1t. In certain other parts
of Africa this restriction was applied
only to the unlucky feminine sex, al
ways the first to be called upon to do
whatever sacrificing happens to be in
vogue.
Old and Odd Beliefs.
Various mysterious meanings were
attached to eggs during the Lenten
season. Many old wives used firmly
to believe that to hang an egg On
Ascension day In the roof OF the house
"preserveth the same from all hurts" :"
Try 1t IL you want to. 1t will not be
as risky as attempting to carry a
Good Friday egg about In your pocket
or purse to propitiate the tickle gods
of chance, a custom, 1t seems to me,
much more likely to bring bad luck
than good. But that was another an
Client superstition, as was the one
whereby the French ate eggs laid on
Good Friday to protect themselves
from the fever. Just try nowadays to
catch any egg with the date on 1t !!
However, / myself prefer that super
stition to the one claiming that eggs
laid on Maundy Thursday and Good
Friday during divine service and kept
throughout the year would be effective
In putting out any fire into which they
might be thrown. Many people would
prefer to let the house burn down.
Time changes these things. Now
that incubators are SO efficient and
day-old chicks ride the trains like vet
erans we are no longer concerned 10
avoid gathering egss or setting hens
on Sunday, or, AZ others inAsted, aft
er dark on any day. 1t is no longer q
matter Of importance to us not to
carry setting eggs over running water
lest they be added. Nor do we mark
them with cross to keep away the
weasels, though I should not be sUS-
prised IL some of our own grand
nnafhnrc Htd h. Shf~-