Year: 1867

The Origin of the Word "EastsE''
is involved in considerable doubt, and as Is
usual under such circumstances, the anti
quarians have puzzled themselves exceedingly
in order to discoverits true source and meaning.
BY some OF these disputants it is said 70 be de-
rived from EOstre, the name by which one OF
the old Saxon deties was known. The feast Of
Eostre was formerly celebrated in the spring OF
the year, somewhere about the time OF the great
Christian festival in honor of the resurrection
OF our Saviour; and it is claimed that, when the
character OF the least was changed from pagan
10 Christian, the old naue was still retained.
By some authorities the word is derived from
the Auglo-Saxon YSt,-a storm-irom the stormy
character of this season OF the year, while by
other authorities II Is maintained that the word
is deriJ led from Oster, which signifies ''rsing"
aud as the rising of Christ from the dead is the
circumstance in commemoratIon of which the
festival is kept, this last superstition derives ad
ditional weight thererom.


In addition to this dispute concerning the
origin of the term, there has been long
standing disagreement as to


When Easter Shall be Kept.
This great question at one time eonvulsed the
Christian world. By the churches of ASIA
Minor, the Paschal Feast was kept on the same
| day as the Jewish Passover-the l4th of Nissan,
| the month in the Jewish calendar which cores
ponds to our March or April But, as the resur.
! rection of Christ took place on the drst day OF
| the week, the Western Churches commemOrated
! it on the Sunday iollo wing the l4th OF Nissan,
|
| with the detested festivals OF the Jews, as well
as causing Easter to coincide With the precise
day of the resurrection. During the second
| century the dispute concerning the proper
day became quite warm, aud, 6nally, towards
It's close, Bishop Victor of Rome sent to the
heads OF the Eastern churches a peremptOry
letter ordering them to observe Easter on the
day that was customary in the Western
churches. But the Eastern prelates were found
to be in anything but yelling mood, and the
dispute renamed unsettled. becoming more and
innn al
schism between the two branches OF the Chris
tan Church; and after that all who insisted on
observing Easter on the l4th OF the month
Nisan, whether it chauced to be Sunday or any
other day in the week, were denominated by
their opponents Qudrtodecansdns.


The imperlection OF the Jewish calendar was
at the bottom of all this strife. Their year con-
tanned but twelve months, of twenty-nine and
thirty days each, alternately making in all but
1854. thirteenth month OF thirty days was
inter calated every third year. to make up the
, annual deficiency OF eleven days; but this still
kept them in advance OF the true period in the
solar year, the Passover being frequently OBJ
served before the Vernal Equinox. This was
particularly obnoxious to the Christians of the
West as by them the Vernal Equinox was re-
garded as the natural commencement of the
year, and they were quite unwilling to celebrate
Easter twice within one year and omit it alto
gether in the next, as was frequently done Dy the
! Eastern churches. To avoid any such dilemma
the fifth of the Apostolic canons decreed that
any bishop priest or deacon who celebrated
the holy feast of Easter before the Vernal Equi-
nox should be forthwith deposed.


The Emperor Constantine found the contro-
versy on this point so warm at the beginning OF
the fourth century, that he resolved to put an
end to It, and secure future uniformity at one
and the same time. Through his influence
canon was adopted by The Gcumenical Council
everywhere the great feast of Easter should be
observed upon one and the same day, which
day should be the Sunday following the Jewish
Passover. To prevent any possible chance of
dispute as to the time, 1t was likeWis decreed
that the 2lst day OF March should be accounted
the Nernsl Equinox; that the full moon happen
ing upon or next after the 2lst of March should
be taken for the full moon of Nissan; that the
Lord's.day next following that full moon
should be Easter-day; and that If the full moon
should happen upon Sunday, Easter-day
should be the Sunday after.


But even this did not settle the difficulty,
although, out of consideration for the supposed
excellence of the Egyptians in the science of the
stars, the Bishop OF Alexandria was appointed
10 give due notice to the Christian world of the
proper time for the celebration of the paschal
least. During the next age, recourse was had to
the golden Numbers OF the Metonic cycle, &C
cOIding to which the moon returned for her
changes to the same month and day of the solar
year once in period or cycle of nineteen years.
But although the changes of the moon hap
pened on the same month and day at periods
nineteen years distant from each other,
it was found that these changes took
place one hour earlier in the day during each
succeeding cycle, and in this way the whole
arrangement was again thrown out of order. A
cycle OF "a years was then adopted, and gene
rally accepted by the Western churches, It being
supposed that this would bring the changes OF
the moon not only on the same day OF the
month, but OF the week also. At the fourth
Council of Orleans, A. d. SAL, the victorian
period OF 532 years was adopted, and observed
thereafter by the Western churches. From this
rule, however, those of Great Britain and
Ireland departed, and continued 70 observe
their Easter according to the A,eGandrian rule,
by which the festival could not begin
before the 8th of March, while according
to the one followed on the Continent
IL sometimes happened as early as the 9th of the
month This gave rise TO such divergence that
the Britons were sometimes called QLdTtodeci-


mans aud were therefore supposed 10 be tainted
with Judaism, the worst possible form of heresy
The discrepancy was finally removed ia the year
A. D. 66I, when Oswy, King of N0rthum bria at
a council of the contendmg parties, decided
against the British practice, and in favor of that
n1rsued at Rome.


The result of an examination of this great con
troversy is anything bat satisfactory; but its i'm
pOrtance VIII be readily assented TO, when il is
remembered that upon its settlement depends
the time for celebrating the movable feasts and
fasts OF the year, all OF which are regulated by
the Easter festival.


The rule now followed is thus laid down in
the Prayer-book of the Protestant Episcopal
Church:-


Esslerday is always the first Sunday after
the full moon which happens upon or next
after the 2lst day of March; and II the full
moon happens upon a Sunday, yesterday Is
the Sunday aiter.n


The Customs OF Easter Week


vary considerably in different parts Of the
| Christian world. In this country the most
popular one is associated with the eating OF