The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-04-14

the early paintings of the Virgin. The ANGEL
Gabriel was depicted carrying them in annuncia-
ton pictures and it is because Of this that the
most beautiful of these flowers. Lilium condi-
dam, most used at Easter, is called the madonna
lily.
The custom of wearing new clothes at Easter
time was both pagan and Christian in origin.
Nature bedecked herself in fresh and attrac-
tive raiment and ii was thought only fitting that
the people, too, should signalize the great change
The Christian conception of "newness of life"
here and hereafter was symbolized appropriate
~ by the white robes worn on the occasion Of
their baptism by converts to the faith. These
robes also had reference to the garb of the
angels seen at Christs tomb.
During later years the custom of donning
new clothes on Easter Sunday became such a
fixed and universal one that nonobservance was
considered not only to be sign of eccentrcity
but also a forerunner of bad luck.
quaint custom. indigenous to Lancashire
England. was that of pinning bits of colored rag
on dresses of women on their way to church
While the origin and meaning of this practice
is doubtful, commentator suggests that it
probably originally referred to the palm branch
procession preceding the cruci6xion Of Jesus
when the children thronged his path and their
elders threw clothes in the way as he rode
into Jerusalem
One does not commonly think of fire as an
Easter symbol, yet fires and the burning Of
efigies were features of Easter celebrations in
some parts of the world. Bonfires were lighted
in Great Britain in the early spring to honor
the sun. while in Athens Judas was burned in
effgy on Easter Sunday. Such efigies also
were burned elsewhere and the practice con-
tinued for many years, although it is a custom
that has not been followed for a long time and
never universal
The custom of sending Easter cards is one
that has grown tremendously, particularly in
very recent years. Cards are of every style and
kind and range from plain, inexpensive ones to
those which represent considerable hand labor
and costly in proportion
Perhaps nothing associated with Easter is q
better example of Christian adaptation of
pagan symbol than the eating of hot cross buns
on Good Friday. preceding Easter. They are
laden with miracles, the hot cross buns of Good
Friday. Legend says they do not grow moldy
Ike other buns, and that II cross bun baked
Good Friday is kept in the house, few
crumbs Of it grated into a cup of water viii
prove invaluable in curing indigestion
There have been hot cross buns on Good Fri
day for many centuries; time when they
were holy, and the eating of cross bun was
sacred ceremony; then the eating of a spicy
bun erusted with sugar and marked with cross
became custom kept up on Good Friday simply
because it was custom. But long before this
long before there was any Christianity to hallow
the Friday before Easter, there were hot cross
buns. and the hot cross buns of our Good Fri
day rhymes have history 1900 years old.
In Egypt where the moon goddess was be
Heved to have horns representing the crescent
moon, sacred cakes were offered to her. each
cake cut with horns
The Greeks adopted the Egyptian custom and
they also offered horned cakes TO the moon
goddess on the altar where the OK, her sacred
animal, was sacrificed. The Greeks called the
cakes bous. meaning oxcake. The accusative
case Of the word bous is boun-whence our word
bun Diogenes Laertes GOO A. d. said that the
Greek buns were made of fine -four and honey.
The sacred cakes were broken and a piece
was given TO each worshiper at the temple door
and in time it became customary to mark each
cake with two lines intersecting ar right angles
TO facilitate its being broken into equal parts
Sacred bread, thus cross-marked. was sold ar
the doors Of the Roman temples and offered to
the Roman gods. Two round cakes five inches
in diameter, and marked with the cross, were
found in the ruins Of Herculaneum
In fact the custom Of eating cross-marked
cakes in honor of the sun or moon god. espe-
cially at the time Of the spring equinox, was
found by the early Christian missionaries In
many parts Of the world especially Britain.
Mexico and Peru. 1t has been suggested that
the crossmark on the cakes was intended to
represent the four phases of the moon but In
the Christian symbolism this mark, Of course
represents the cross upon which the Christ
died
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