The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-03-29

- sacregl0uS SHOUTS OF ApTil 1ooia
Or shall the youngsters exercise their right to
.spoor' each other and their elders on this day
which. by tradition and by custom, Is dedicated
to the practical joker7 Truly, it Is ''perplexfng
problem OF conduct" and one wonders how they
will solve 1t to the satisfaction of both them
selves and their elders.
Fortunately perhaps, such situation doesn't
arise very often. The rules by which the date
OF Easter Sunday is fixed allow this to happen
only about every II years. Within the memory
OF most people now living 1t has happened
only four times. In 1865 Easter Sunday came
on April l. again In 1877 and again In 1888
Logically Ii would seem that the next time would
be In 1899 but, due to the vagares OF our cal
endar, the eeven-year-od rule didn't work. For
In 1899 1t was one day off that schedule and
Easter Sunday In that year came on April .. Ii
didn't get back on the eeven-year rotation until
1928 when Easter Sunday and April Fools day
coincided That happens again this year and
will happen again IL years from now In 1915.
Although Easter Sunday and April Fools day
seem utterly inconsistent, so far as the essential
spirit OF each Is concerned, 1t Is interesting to
note that, historically they trace back to SINH
lar orgins-religious festivals among the an-
clients celebrating the coming of spring. Although
we moderns have changed the form and the
meaning of these festivals, we have retained some
of the very same symbols which those anclents
used.
The celebration of April Fools day Is usually
traced back to the festal rites OF the period OF
the vernal equinox In Persia. 1t was the day
when the Persian New Year began and was very
close to the old English New Years day OF
March Is. The sun was then entering into the
sign OF the frisky and playful Aries, so It was
appropriate that on that day the season OF rur-
al sports and vernai delights began In India
there was similar celebration on March 81,
called the Hull festival, which was time for
general holiday and many 1ests, including the
practice of sending people7on long and fruitess
errands.
From the Orient the custom came into western
Europe many centuries ago. The ancient Ro-
mans took delight In planning all sorts OF prac-
tcal jokes In connection with their feast OF the
Saturnalia and more particularly In playing
harmless though often very hnmiliating jokes, on
each other at the time OF the athletic tourna-
ment, held In honor OF Neptune, around April
/. One solemn antiquarian has declared that
the first big April Fool Joke In history was the
time the Romans invited the Sabines to attend
this Neptune celebration and then carried of
by force the Sabine women. 7
Just as April Fools day had Its origin In pagan
festivals, from which 1t has departed long
way, so did Easter have such an origin The
Christian peoples of the world OF course, cele-
brato 1t as the anniversary of the resurrection
OF Christ but In some OF Its elements includ.
Ing that essential one OF resurrection 1t traces
far lack beyond the beginning OF the Christian
ara to the religious rites of several different
ancient peoples 1t is associated with the wor
ship OF Astarte, a goddess Of the Phoeniclans
Isis of the Egyptians, Diana OF the Greeks and
Romans and Eostre OF the Teutons.
In fact, there are some who say that we &c
the name of Easter from this Teutonic goddess
Eostre. who was worshpped In the spring, al
though others claim that 1t Is derived from IN
word least" one Of the four cardinal points
ia also the cardinal point which has Away
been most important In all religious ceremone
OF ell races and creeds. This Is because 1t is tn
nart OF the heavens where the sun Is seen
rise-the sun, brlnger of light and heat, tn
very giver OF life itself. The most primitive IL
te]liqence OF the most primitive man recognize
the fact that the sun and life were inseparabl
associated and 1t was only natural that whe
he came to worship the thing which was create
than he. he should turn to the East whent
came that greater and higher thing which
recognized as being the life-glving power
The symbols which we have retained fro
these pagan festivals to associate with our ce
bration OF Easter include the white lily, the 70
bit and the egg The Greeks and Romans priz
the white lily above all other flowers and
their earlier civilizations 1t had already col
10 symbolic purity and virtue, hence an app
nriate symbol for festival celebrating renew