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Show .Besi if e- . r ti22J , S , r- -.' pi"V-fl f "i I ,. , s - , t , " r . , . x A V ' ' v - .I i ' ... X "WV- ' ' '. .' k-'CX J' V '1?':'. . """. irf-l I T v . - V- J m mt l&r hKvr , s 4I i tr n t a y-LJLlf if- ! i l'v " By JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN tASTEK Day and All Fools' Day both fall on April 1 this year. This is bound to happen hap-pen every now and then because of the fact that All Fools' Day always falls on NV"" April 1, while Easter bobs around on the H calendar anywhere be tween March 22 and April 25. At first the Christian Easter synchronized syn-chronized exactly with the Jewish Passover. Tins was rejected in the Western Church on the ground that the resurrection took place on tiie first day of the week after the Passover Pass-over and should therefore be commemorated com-memorated on Sunday. After much controversy the particular Sunday was definitely fixed in the Sixth century to be the Sunday between the fifteenth and twenty-first days of the moon in the first month of the Jewish lunar year, the computation to be made according ac-cording to the tables of Victorius of Aquitalne which were Introduced in 475 A. D. Followed another century of controversy. Then the matter of the date of Easter was finally disposed dis-posed of at the synod held at Whitby, England, in 16G4. After this date the clergy of the British Isles conformed to the general practice of the Western West-ern Church. So now both Protestant and Roman Catholic churches observe Easter on the first Sunday after the full moon on or next after March 21. Thus Easter cannot fall earlier than March 22 or later than April 25. Easter seldom comes as early as March 22. In fact It was away back in 1818, more than a century ago, that Easter last fell on this early date. The nearest approach was March 23 In 1S56 and 1013. Between now and 1950 its earliest date will be March 24 in 1940. Thus Easter may fall more than a whole month later some years than other years. For example, it fell on April 25, the latest rossible date, In 1886. It will fall on the same date in 1943. It fell on April 24 In 1S59 and on April 23 In 1005 and 1910. Easter and All Fools' Day only occasionally oc-casionally fall on the same date. They coincide In the century 1850-1950, hut six times 1SGG, 1877, 18S8, 1923, 1934, 1945. "Well, what of it? What difference does It make whether Eastern falls early or late falls on March 22 or April 25?" As a matter of fact many of our American holidays have a nationwide nation-wide influence in many ways. Thanks- giving and Christmas, for Instance, create so great a demand for turkeys that thousands of people In turkey states like Texas and Missouri and Kansas bend all their energies to have their turkeys ready for the market at the psychological moment And when everybody wants turkey the general public eats less meat. Hence the butchers and market men have to keep a watchful eye open. Now, as everyone knows, Easter is preceded by the Lenten season of 4G days. During Lent the American people eat less meat than usual and more fish and oysters and more eggs. So it makes a lot of difference to a lot of producers whether Lent begins in February or in Marcn. Then there's the climax of the demand de-mand for eggs at Easter. Besides, the demand for baby chicks Is so great at Easter for advertising, display and gift purposes that many Incubators the country over have to set their hatchings with Easter Day in mind. In short, It seems a truism that holidays, whether of festivity or fasting, fast-ing, patriotism or prayer, are reflected In the busy marts of the country. And one of the most far-reaching In influence influ-ence Is Easter, with its month-loQg variation In dates. Easter Is the principal festival of the Christian church, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Nevertheless, Easter has an origin far antedating the resurrection of Christ one that goes back to the early days of man. Easter's original significance was the celebration at or near the vernal equinox of the beginning of a new year. It celebrated the end of winter win-ter and the approach of spring the coming of light and heat and life. At Rome the sacred fire In the temple tem-ple of the Vestal Virgins was kindled anew on March 1, which was the beginning be-ginning of the new year. A corresponding corre-sponding ceremony Is still common In various parts of Europe. Bonfires are lighted from a flame originated by the priests on Easter eve. These fires are kindled every year on the same hill, which usually is given the name of "Easter Mountain." The significance sig-nificance Is this: As far as the light of the bonfire reaches the fields will be fruitful and. the houses safe from fire and disease. As the flames die down, men, women and children leap through them as a protection against disease. When Christianity came to the front it adopted the pagan holiday of Easter. It explained that the extinction extinc-tion of the old-year fires on Easter eve symbolized the darkness of Cal- vary and of the grave. The i gating of the new fires symbolized the resurrection. resur-rection. It seems incongruous, nt flrsi thought that Easter the principal festival of the Christian church and All Fools' Day a day of practical jokes and horseplay should fall oil the same day and on Sunday at that On second thought however, there Is notldng Incongruous about It, excepting ex-cepting the fact that All Fools' Day should fall on Sunday and that Is the fault of our fearful and wonderful calendar. Both Easter and All Fools' Day had their origin, away back In the beginnings begin-nings of the race, In delight at th approach of spring. It may be easily understood that the winter was a hard season for many of the primeval peoples and that the Increasing warmth of the sun and the springing up of vegetable life meant literally a renewal of life. So the vernal equinox "elebration of primeval peoples peo-ples was largely expressed In actions of exuberant Joy. Even after the coming of Christianity Christian-ity Easter was celebrated with gaipes, songs, dances and dramatic shows In the Middle Ages It was the custom at Easter for the people to listen to amusing tales from the pulpits of t ie churches. Special cakes were baked -our modern equivalents are hot-crosa buns and simnel cakes. Brlghtl f-painted f-painted eggs were presented to friends. So there was originally little difference dif-ference in the celebration of the two days. In fact, the modern celebration of All Fools' Day is probably a survival sur-vival of the less serious features of Easter day. Anyway, All Fool's Da.' is apparently apparent-ly just as old as Easter. The Scotch call the victim of an All Fools' Day joke a "gowk" or "cuckoo." The French name for him is "un poisson d'Avril" April fish. The Romnns eel ebrated the Feast of Fools on February Febru-ary 17. The Hindus have their Hull festival on March 31. So it is likely that the popular celebration cele-bration in this country of "April Fool Day" Is the survival of some pagan festival of ttie ancient world largely devoted to horse play and the playing of jokes In sheer exuberance of spirit because of the coming of spring. The pictures show three phases of the celebration of April 1, 193. One shows a crowd of worshipers going into St. Thomas' church on Fifth avenue, ave-nue, New York city. Another shows a survival of prehistoric days the egg-rolling on the White House IawD by children on Easter Monday. The third suggests the pranks of All Fools' Day. |