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Show festival Time lf ' of Romance f Q- 1 ASTER has always been tlw time of budding romance. In i all ages numerous festivals have offered opportunities for the swains to press their suits upon the ladles of their choice. There was the "sugar cupping" to which only the unmarried came. The youths and maidens, armed with a cup and sugar or honey, came to the flower-decked well, and dipping the sugared cup Into the well, murmured an incantation to the spirit that dwelt there, and then drank the water. The Incantation It a secret, but It Is believed that the object was to make a wish, and promise prom-ise allegiance to the spirit. If the wish were fulfilled. It has long been considered a necessity, ne-cessity, on Easter day, to wear something some-thing new; otherwise the rooks, envious envi-ous of human finery, might cause your best clothes to tear. To avoid this the young people of European villages go to the market to buy a small article of wearing apparel. The custom of giving presents, especially gloves. Is common In New England. In France the custom of wearing something new prevails to such an extent that every woman considers herself very III treated Indeed If she has not a new cap to wear on Good Friday, and a new hat to wear on Easter Sunday. As a consequence, these days are called the feast of caps and the feast of hats. On the continent of Europe there are numerous parades, attended by great pomp und splendor. In comparatively compar-atively recent times the nobleman of the district, accompanied by his suite rode In state through the town scat terlng coins pell mell. the peasants standing by. loudly applauding sucli splendor. In Spain there Is t he custom cus-tom of the Easter king, who, wearins a tin crown and flourishing a kitchen , spit as a scepter, furnishes a ribald counterpart of the English Lord of Misrule. There Is also an ostentatious hanging and burning of a stuffed figure of Judas. After the fire Is out the merrymakers dauce over It, stamping and scattering the ashes of the eC'.gy. I |