Evening star., 1936-04-12
Symbolic Services
Essentially Same in
Recognizing Sea-
son of Birth and
Resurrection.

avenues as gay as ever, and the men
and women of many races. creedS and
occupations united in the enjoyment
of a new Springtime. With wide diff
ferences of tradition and background,
the many who make Washington their
home are one in appreciation of the
Easter morning loveliness of the Ma
tional Capital
Easter may be called by many names.
The Latin nations use words derived
from the Latin Pascha, the Greek
Pascha and remotely from the Hebrew
Pesachh, meaning the passover:
whence the French Paque, in Spanish
Pascua, in Portuguese Pascos and in
Italian PaSwua, with nc distinctly
Christian name existing for the res
direction festival, but the same spirit
underlies each name, inspiring a
wide divergence of traditional celebra-
ton.
Most pervasive of all old beliefs as
sociated with Easter is the superstition
that new dresses must be worn on
Easter to insure good fortune in love
during the year. From this may we'll
have come the custom of the Easter
hat. Certainly in Washington it would
seem that all have united this year to
carry out this phase of the Easter
celebration. Local milliners estimate
that we'll over 100000 Easter bomets
have. been sold through Washington
stores and shops in the pre-Easter
weeks. With total buying population
of 254986 women, this is a record
purchasing and foretellS an unusually
gala Easter parade for the day.
In score of languages the question
Rain or shine for Easter" has been
asked during the past few days. And
it is safe to say that rain or shine, the
usual program Of the day will be car
ried out in the majority of families.
the Easter breakfast, church and the
after church parade, the leisurely
stroll along the avenue, dinner. drive
through the parks and along the
Speedway, and then the Easter tea.
In fact, in many circles the Easter
tea has become the important social
function of the day, for with all the
Easter finery and every one so pleas
antly spic and span, it is real delight
to go about making Easter calls, hav-
ing tea, seeing and being seen.
THE visitor in Washington will find
the bright beginnings Of the
Easter parade in half a hundred
historic churches of the city.
There is the famous st. Johns.
across from the White House on the
Avenue of Presidents. Here nine Of
the Nations Chief Executives have
worshipped. and the old building is
as interesting as it stands today.
with only few minor alterations, as
when 1t was built in 1916.
There is the Church of the Cove
nant. sometimes called the Church
of the Government" Here President
Harrison attended services.
Foundry Methodist, dating from
1914, was the church of Presidents
Madison and Hayes. At Grace Re-
formed Theodore Roosevelt occupied
pew No. 5. Metropolitan NJ E. Church.
with its east wall overgrown with
ivy from the tomb of Martin Luther,
is remembered as the church of U.
S. Grant, William Mckinley, Of Vice
Presidents Colfax and Fairbanks and
Of Chief Justice Chase. The First
Congregational was the Coolidge
Church" and Christ Church, South
east, numbered Jefferson among its
communicates.
Old Christ Church, built in George
town in 1917. had as its second rec
tor Charles p. McIllvaine, later Bish-
op of Ohio, and Francis Scott Key,
author Of the Star Spangled Banner"
was member here.