Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1932-03-24
Flowers Even In Mems
Minds At Easter Time

Easter is the oldest festival known
to mankind. 1t was instituted by Ma
ture, herself, and was originally cele-
brated in honor of the spring. PRINT
tive man could not fathom the spring
miracle, but he could appreciate it,
and celebrate this joyous Festival OF
breaking bud and scented breath"
Every nation had its own name and
legend for spring-the resurrection OF
life. Each year, when Nature lived
and blossomed anew, the tender
beauty of the flowers stirred the hui
man mind to wonder and deep specu-
lation. Literature is rich in beautiful
legends of the flowers, which tradition
says first bloomed in Heaven.
When the evil angels were driven
from Heaven they snatched their
arms full of flowers and carried them
away. But God would not permit his
celestial blossoms to be taken to Hades
so he caused the wicked angels to be-
come tired, and, one by one, they
dropped the flowers over the earth
before they reached their destination.
Another old legend which accounts for
the beginning of the flowers states
that Venus sprinkled nectar into the
blood Of the wounded Adonis and
flowers sprang up. The word flower
itself comes from Flora, goddess of
flowers.
Although the flowers were originally
connected with pagan customs and be-
liefs, most of them are now closely
woven, by Christian traditions, to the
event of the resurrection of Christ.
In all ages and lands the white lily
has been closely associated with the
two greatest mysteries of human life
birth and death. Juno, the queen
of the Roman gods, chose the lily as
her symbol, and the classics tell lis of
feasts given among the lilies. Joan
of Arc was crowned with white lilies
to typify the purity and sacredness of
her mission.
The first lily used as a symbol of
the resurrection was the Madonna, or
Annunciation lily in their pictures of
saints, angels and the Madonna. In
the Madonna pictures there are fire.
quently three lilies on stem to repre-
sent the trinity, or the annunciation,
conception and birth of the Savior. A
pot of these lilies over doors and win
dows is symbolical of the Virgin in
ecclesiastical art and architecture but
lily pillars, or columns, typify the
resurrection.
In modern times the Easter lily has
taken the place of the Madonna lily
both in America and Europe, because
it is harder plant. The Easter lily,
or Bermuda lily was originally a ma
tive Of Japan. More than 200 years
ago a pirate sea captain brought some
of the bulbs to Bermuda, where it
grew larger and more beautiful than
in the Orient It became known as
the Bermuda lily, and for generations
its care and cultivation were handed
down from father to son, until it be-
came one of the household gods of the
island planter. Until very recent years
America was entirely dependent upon
China, Japan and Bermuda for bulbs
of the Easter lily, but through pains
taking experiments the United States
government has learned to produce
our own bulb supply.
Not only the Christians. but all
other religions Of the world have used
the lily to typify consolation and hope.
The lotus lily is sacred to the Budd-
hists, and to it they dedicate cease
less prayers which are printed on
parchment and fastened to constantly
revolving cylinders in the great tenn
Piles of Thibet. From Egypt to China
superstitions and great love abounds
for the sacred lotus. Tradition also
relates that Judith, the Israelite hero
inc of the Apochrypha, wore crown
of lotus lilies when she went upon her
mission to destroy Holofernes. And
all the world knows that Cleopatra
wore lotus blooms in her hair.
There is legend old as Christianity
which says that the Virgin spilled a
few drops Of her milk on the ground,
and from these drops sprang the
dainty little lily Of the valley, those
fairy bells that bring incense to the
spring. But in some Of the old Eng
lish country villages this precious little
flower is called the Ladder OF
Heaven" The ancient Druids believed
that 1t symbolized future happiness,
and they used 1t at weddings to insure
welded bliss to the bride and BRIDE
groom. in the old days all marriages
were celebrated in the spring. Few