The Coolidge examiner., 1934-03-30

- Emcr&leElous shouts ~ April fool !" :
or shall the youngsters exercise their right 20
spool" each other and their elders on this day
which. By tradition and by custom. is dedicated
90 the practical 3oker1 Truly. II Is -perplexins
problem % conduct ard one wonders how they
VIII solve u % the satisfaction of both them
selves and their elders
Fortunately perhaps such a situation doesn't
arise very often. The rules By which the date
% Easter sunday Is axed allow this 10 happen
only about every II years wifhln the memory
of most people now living u has happened
only four times. In 1865 Easter sunday came
on April l. again in 1877 and again 10 ISsS
Logically Il would seem that the next time would
b. In isg9 but due 20 the yagarles of our cal.
cndar the cleven-year-old rule didn't work. For
IN lsso Il vas one day OF that schedule and
Easter Sunday In that year came on April ? Il,
dldn't get hack on the elcven.year rotation until
1893 when Faster Sunday and Aprfi Fools 6ay
culnclded That happens again this year and
viii happen again II years from now In 1885
Although Easter Sunday and April Fools day
seem utterly Inconsistent so far as the essential
spirit of each Is concerned. Il ls interesting 10
note that Historically. they trace tack 20 sInl.
lar origins-rellgious festivals among the an
clients celebrating the coming of spring Although
We modsrns have changed the form and the
meaning % these festivals we have retained some
az the very same symbols which those anc!en,s
used
TIE celebration % April Fools day is usually
traced hSsk 20 the fesial rites % the period OF
the vernal squluoV in Persia IL Was the day
when the Persian New Year began and was very
close TO the old English New Years day Of
March -. The sun then entering into the
sign u the frisky and playful Aries 10 IL was
appropriate that that day the season of rur-
nj sports and vernal elights~ began In India
sfar. ufu
called the Huli festival. which was a time for
general holiday and many jests. including the
practice of sending people on long and frultlcss
errands
From the Orient the custom came into western
Europe many centuries ago The ancient Ro-
mans took delight In planning all sor-s OF prae.
teal jokes In connection with their feast OF the
SAturualia and particularly IN playing
harmless though often very humlllat.ng Jokes. on
each other at the time OF the athletic tourna-
meut 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
Just as April Fools day had It's origin IN pagan
festivals. from which il has departed long
way. so did Easter have such an origin The
Christian peoples OF the world ~ course cele-
hrate * as the anniversary OF the resurrection
of Christ. but IN some ~ its elements inclnd.
Ing that essential one of resurrection, II traces
far hack beyond the beginning Of the Christian
era 20 the religious rites of several different
ancient peoples. IL IL associated with the wor-
ship Of Astarte. goddess OF the Phoeniclans
Isis ot the Egyptians Diana of the Greeks and
Romans and Eosire OF the Teutons.
In fact there are some who say that we get
the name OF Easter from this Teutonic goddess
Eostre. who was worshipped In the spring al
though others claim thar IL Is derived from the
word "east." one of the four cardinal points II
IS also the cardinal point which has always
been most important IN all religions ceremonies
of all races and creeds This IS because II IS the
part of the heavens where the sun is seen TO
riSe-the sun. bringer Of light and heat the
very giyer OF life itself The most primitive In
telligence of the most primitive man recognized
the fact that the sun aud life wert inseparably
associated and Il was only natural that when
he came to worship the thing which Uss greater
than he. he should turn TO the East whence
came that greater and higher thing which he
recognized rs being the Ife-riv-Dg power.
The symbols which we have retained from
these pagan festivals 10 associate with our cele-
hratlon of Easter include the white lily the rab-
bit and the egg. The Greeks and Romans priced
the white Ily above all other flowers and in
their earlier civilizations it had already come
60 symbolic purity ard virtue hence an appro-
pirate EymbOl for .eKrlvri celebrating renewed
Ete