Show IRON mON COUNTY RECORD CEDAR CITY UTAH UTAn j D of man A Aa a r 01 t i rH r H h t t at i r t i Pert ti M. M atM try 1 0 ft T iu 4 r By Dy ELMO SCOTT WATSON iTS iT'S TS T'S an early curly Easter Kaster this year ear for forT forI T I Easter Laster Sunday falls fulls on Murch larch 27 21 I X I Last year ear It collie on April 3 and next jear ear It will come couie on ou April I 10 lU IFor For all the red letter r days IlUs on ou our calendar Easter Is la the most variable le The rhe only thing certain a about out It Is that It always always al al- ways was comes on a Sunday and It Is limited to either one of two months March and anil April Then rhen there aro are other limits too that 1 Is It cannot come earlier than March larch 22 nor later than April 25 Why nil all this variation In la such an Important annual festival The rhe reasons go back Into an- an dent clent history The festival now known as Easter was celebrated celebrated celebrated cele cele- by ancient Israel as the for many centuries before the birth of ot Jesus Christ It was based upon the events e whIch took place when the Hebrews were saved savell from the destruction destruction tion which was visited upon the Egyptians as given In to Exodus 1227 The first Christians being beIng being be be- ing In the main Jews continued for tor a long timeto time timeto timeto well other ancient to observe the Passover Passo as as ceremonies nut lint gradually these early followers of ot the Cross began to substitute the Christ forthe for forthe forthe the paschal lamb of ot Israel In the Passover cere cere- monies Eventually there arose a n difference of opinion between the Christians of ot Hebrew descent and those of ot Gentile descent as to the time when these the ceremonies should be celebrated celebrate Those of ot Hebrew descent declared that the day of ot the death of ot Jesus should ll I be the date of the ending of ot the paschal fast which in Hebrew rites always was Wall on the fourteenth day of the moon In the L ci h I ADA t er 4 f es tl ca 1 u hf c 1 t even evening i ng T t me e Busier as Ln followed might fall on any day of the tile week Those of Gentile descent however howe wanted the first day of the week Sunday to be the first day of ot the resurrection festival Thus the Friday preceding would be he observed ell as the date of ot the crucIfixion without paying paling any attention to the day of the month the fast continuing until midnight of ot Saturday The dispute over o this point was complicated by the Irregularities of the time tinge of full moon In relation to the year ear The Hebrew sacred year began at the Instant of ot the vernal equinox but this time Is subject to slight changes due to the astronomical fact tact of perturbation of ot the motion motion motion mo mo- tion of ot all bodies In the solar system The Hebrews bawd based their years on lunar changes whereas we now determine the tIle exact length of ofa ofa ofa a year by the sun and stars which Is more ac ac- curate It is notable that the ancient Hebrews always had trouble with their chronology because because be be- cause they based the beginning of ot each month on the first sIght Bight of the new moon The trouble was principal lue to the fact that the moon revolves resolves arout earth In 27 i seconds and minutes and days das 7 hours 43 the earth around the sun In 3 seconds Therefore the moon makes revolutions to also out of the earths earth's one moon Full-moon times are equinox and this fact harmony with the spring caused trouble In determining time In ancient times The result of alt all these complications wa was that by applying the Jewish rules rull's to Easter I aster the dates of the crucifixion and the resurrection two days daYI which were supposed to be bp fixed for all time varied constantly the Chris Chris- between For years the y of ot Jewish lies descent cent and those of ot Gentile continued Not being a able le to decide the descent of the early recurrence of ot Easter the council Christian church finally appealed to the astronomers astronomers astronomers astron astron- omers In Alexandria Egypt for tor aid ald However the scientists were not of much assistance for they had no lunar ta tables such as we now have by master mathematicians They attempted attempted at at- computed of the variations the tempted to make rules but would not the to year In reference full tull moon more than Sunday any cause Easter to fall faU on wanted If It to come on Sunday other day All AU any that celebrated to I suit Itself so nation so each on that day Thus In A. A P. P would come It In the celebrated Faster Easter J- J aster on March 21 1 In Egypt It fell on Italy It ft fell on April 18 IS and April 25 2 the selection of a certain Sunday Eventually during the Sixth century A.D. A.D. A. A fixed was definitely the Sunday between the designated as D. D It was In to the of the moon days dus fifteenth and twenty first It was lunar years ears month of the Jewish first should be made that the computation directed tables of of according to the of the Introduced In A. A D. D Because taine of the Britain had hall ceased to be a part fact that did not empire the Sixth century decree and It con con- at first church h the previously pr basis on a J Easter n calculate 11 tt ted tod to dis- dis d finally Tbt matter was ip III ro 1 at 1 A 1 President Hoover greeting the crowd gath path gathered gathered ered eyed for the annual Easter egg rolling roiling on the lawn of the White House Houe 2 Sunrise services on Easter morning In the Garden of the Gods near Colorado Spring Springs Colo 3 The Easter Illy lily one of the loveliest of all Easter Euter symbols 4 The Hollywood Bowl Hollywood Calif where an impressive Easter morning service Is I. I held every year posed of at a synod held at Whitby In Yorkshire In t GG-t A. A D D. after which the clergy of the British Isles conformed to the general practice of ot the western church Accordingly Easter Is now observed by both the Roman Itoman Catholic and Protestant churches on Mio a 1 HIA tl to f full u 11 moon moon vor or f our our- tl Hie 11 t o fi un rs t Sunday tuner me u w. w day Ilay of the moon on or next after March 21 So It cannot be earlier than March 22 nor later than April 2 23 25 Thus It Is possible for the astronomers and mathematicians to tell teU In advance advance ad ad- vance on what dates Easter will come each year and the they are now known for tor more than a century In advance ance That of or course Is based upon the assumption that our calendar will continue unchanged But nut there Is a possibility that some time within the next few years ars a n new calendar system will be adopted and In that case Easter l aster Sunday will be bea bea a fixed flied date Instead of ot a variable one So In case youre you're Interested In knowing what will be the Easter dates for the next few tew years here they are 1033 1133 April 10 16 1034 1934 1 1 April 1 19 1033 3 April 21 1930 April 12 1037 1937 March 28 lJ 1039 1939 April 17 loan 1039 April 0 9 1010 1910 March 24 2 1011 1911 April 13 1012 1912 April 5 b 1043 ll April 25 1044 1 April 9 April 1 1010 1910 April 21 l 1017 1117 April 0 a 1914 March 23 3 v 1040 1919 April 17 1050 1950 April 9 O OJust Just as Easter Is now a variable date so has hus It Ita Ita ita to different people To a variable le meaning many the child who cannot grasp Its religious significance sig It means a n day whose sm symbols ol are rabbits rabbits rab rab- bits little Utile chickens and Easter eggs To those children too who like to think of any festival eat Easter time In terms of ot something good to and other candy rabbits time means candy eggs ggs candy symbols of ot the day not to mention those fragrant sugary piles pile of ot the mystically marked confection known as US hot cross buns How did dill a bakery product come to be associated associated asso asso- back to the elated with Easter Enster anyway It goes days of the ancient Saxons who worshipped Easter as goddess of ot the dawn and benign giver of new life with the coming of ot the ernal vernal before they had ever heard nox nor That was long of Christianity and the Resurrection In their life Ute In tn the springtime joy at the return of ot new they brought the Easter goddess their sweetest numbers of time eating great cakes at the same them themselves They clung to this cu om m even after they had embraced Christianity Some of the early Chris ChrIs- ChrIstian Christian tian leaders were a bit dubious of preserving such suds a relic of a heathen religion but some tolerant tolerant tolerant tol tol- person who was also a It genius for tor compromise compromise com com- promise suggested to tie priests that they bless the pagan cakes marking them with the cross Thus the Saxon Salon Easter biscuit was made fit for tor Christian consumption and for tor centuries after afterwards wards It was felt that they were endowed with some special spiritual qualities A few faw cross cross- buns baked on Good Friday I not only would not molder as would other bread but If it kept throughout through through- out the year ear they would be an efficient medicine for tor various arlous Ills when crumbled In a cup of water and thus taken Into the he body To most people Easter means a time for coming comIng coming com com- ing forth fortis In new clothes and althou although h some of ot our philosophers have bavo bewailed the extravagance of ot the Easter style parade as a sign that we have lost the spiritual 1 significance of ot the day Y In reality It Is In keeping with the essential spirit sp of ot Easter which Is shared by Christian and pagan alike It Is the tho Idea of resurrection resurrection resurrection tion of revived rl life lite after apparent death It marks the climax of the tho year when all nature awakes from sleep Bleep throws off the like death-like chill of winter and beings to live anew With all nature pointing the way by bedecking herself In new raiment It Is only natural that mankind should cell celebrate rate the surge of new life lite by putting on new apparel So when milady dy appears at ot church on Easter Sunday In a It new frock an and a new hat It Is not mere human buman vanity expressing Itself She puts them on because she must I She has responded to the fundamental Instinct by responding thus to the call of spring to the message of renewed life Ute There Is an old British tradition that It Is good luck to wear something new on Easter Easterday Easterday Easterday day but that Is a It mere outgrowth of the essential essen Idea of the Eastertide I Far as some of the symbols of Easter and their meanings for tor different people may seem to be removed from the essential spirit of ot Easter they are ore In reality not so far removed For alt all altof of ot them are based upon the ides Idea of ot and If it resurrection Is the spirit and the message of Easter then the Inmost essence of that spirit can be summed up In the one word Immortality If It man can find an answer to the theold theold old old question that has troubled him through the ages ag's the question Does death end all becan he h. can find It In the message of Easter Enster It Is reassurance reassurance reas rens that he does not face a hopeless task I Even Ien en If it he did dIll not have hue the comfort of ot his religion religion religion re re- ligion to help him arrive arrhe at that belief he finds It ItIn ItIn In the mere fact of living Each day each year pur and ami each lifetime ho he sees the cycle ccle repeated The sun comes up In tho morn morning In and goes down Into darkness at night But nut he knows that It will come up again the next morning Each 24 1 hours he sees the tho miracle of ot resurrection New life lite Is manifest In the animal and vegetable getable kingdoms with each recurring spring It ripens In the heat of ot summertime and mellows Into maturity In the autumn only to die In the cold of ot winter But he knows know that life lite will begin again next year Each I ach 12 months month he sees sels the miracle of resurrection A baby Is tl Isborn Isborn born passes through childhood grown Into Info youth reaches mans man's estate and then declines Into old I age What If the darkness of ot death Is I. only a matter of ot a few years away He Ile has hns seen Jeen the I recurring miracle of resurrection every 24 2 hours houri and every ery 12 months Why should not man I reasoning logically from this evidence e of ot which I he Is aware every day of his life lite believe that the cycle of a lifetime Includes a resurrection Just as does the dally daily cycle and the yearly cycle He lie does so believe and from that belief bellet com comes I his hI belief bellet In the life lite everlasting e In Im Im- mortality Perhaps It would be more accurate to say he be chooses to believe belle For lor few men of any have ever solved the riddle of life to their utter sat They constantly grope for tor the truth seeking always seeking the answer to the unsolved unsolved un un- solved problems of life fife They have the never never- ending longing In their hearts for tor everlasting life and they choose to believe belle and take comfort from the belief that they shall have it So whether he be primitive man or moll modern ern civilized man whether fie tie be Christian or heathen the e essential spirit of Faster Easter tho message ot of Easter laster Is the same same-it same K Is a mes message ge of ot hope o a message of ot j jy y y and a promise and a fulfillment fulfilment In one 31 Ot t to western |