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Show BLESSING HOUSES AT EASTES. Meanwhile the contadini have returned re-turned to the Campagna to prepare their egg9 and cakes for the Easter blest'ing. In Rome, after the church j ceremonies of Holy Saturday, the priests, attended by acolytes, go forth I to blecs the city. Every apartment, 1 house and store is blended. We were j once dining in a restaurant when the ' priest .came in to perform this cere-! cere-! mony. He walked through so quietly that he was scarcely observed, except by the strangers. On another occasion occa-sion we heard a young Italian apologizing apolo-gizing for the disorder of her apartment. apart-ment. "I come to bless, not to criticise," criti-cise," replied the priest. Before he left the basket of fresh eggs and loaf of Easter cake were brought for a blessing. There are so many priests in Rome that it is possible to visit every house on Holy Saturday, but in Florence they are obliged to begin this ceremony some time before Holy Week. The ggs and cake are then taken to the church on Easter morning morn-ing for their blessing. Poor, indeed, is the peasant who cannot furniah 'a blessed egg for each member of the family to eat at the mid-day meal on Easter. |