THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the
NOME PUBLISHING CO
NOME. ALASKA
Telephone: Main 125 P. O. Box 618
$1.50 PER MONTH $16.00 A YEAR
W. A. Boucher ..Owner-Publisher
*
Entered as second class matter October 14. 1043. at the postoffice
•t Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3. 1879.
Nome, Alaska. Friday, April 7, 1950
Easter Is Rich In Folklore
Many Pagan Customs Survive in Christian Festival
U/P) Newsfeaturesl
The Easter parade, Easter dawn
services, Easter eggs and the East
er rabbit are so mixed up with re
ligion, paganism and folklore that
only a powerful story like that of
the Recurrection could survive to
dominate this custom-cluttered
spring day.
When you put on your new
Easter bonnet and other spring
finery you are perpetuating one
of the oldest traditions of Chris
tendom—the donning of white
robes by the newly baptised.
Your children may wake up
early to surprise you—an ancient
custom — and they'll hunt for
Easter eggs — primitive symbols
of the germinating life of early
spring. You’ll tell them the eggs
were laid by the Easter rabbit—a
pagan emblem of fertility.
In fact the very name of Easter
is pagan — an old AngloSaxon
word that derived from Eostre, a
Teutonic goddess of the rising i
light of day and spring.
Joy Means Noise
Don't be annoyed if the chil
dren are noisy—noise has accom- i
panied the joy of Easter since
earliest times. Until rece n 11 y ;
throughout eastern Europe, any
one was permitted to enter the
belfries and ring the church bells
on Easter. The noise was kept up
for most of the day.
The joy of Easter has been vari- j
ously interpreted in eyery country
and in every century of the Chris
tian era. The Catholic Encyclo
pedia tells how priests of Bavaria
in the 15th century thought it per
mitted them to tell funny stories
in their sermons to make churches '
ring with laughter.
“This Easter laughter,” says
the encyclopedia, “giving rise to
grave abuses of the word of God,
was prohibited by Clement X tin
the 1070’s) and again by Maximil
ian III in the 18th century.”
Easier Egg's Origin
The Easter egg remains the
most universal symbol of the day.
It seems to have had its origin in
the fact that eggs were forbidden
during Lent. When they were
brought to the festive table on
Easter Day, they were colored red
to represent Easter joy.
There is a church in London
that carries on the practive of giv
ing each member of the Easter
congregation an egg bearing the
words “My Redeemer.”
And this habit of getting up
early to find eggs and to surprise
each other is purely an ancient
church tradition. Before the 10th
century in France, when a canon
was absent for first plasms of the
morning, the others would take
the processional cross and the
holy water, march to the absen
tee’s house, and finding him in
bed, they’d sprinkle him with wa
ter to wake him. Then he was led
to church. In punishment he was
compelled to provide breakfast
for the others.
Switching in Bed
The bishops eventually put a
stop to that, but the custom sur
vived among the people. In many
parts of Europe parents and chil- ;
dren tried to surprise each other I
I on Easter morning. Instead of us
i ing holy water to waken the sleep
I ers, they used “health-giving” pa
I gan switches.
Today this early rising is per
petuated with Easter dawn serv
ices, popularized by many of the
Protestant churches in outdoor
settings, such an natural amphi
___
theaters and mountainsides. And
although thoroughly Christian,
these services stem directly from
pagan sun dance ceremonies of
greeting the spring sun from a
hilltop.
How Paganism Perseveres
“A great many pagan customs,
celebrating the return of spring,
gravitated to Easter,” admit the
historians. Ajid some of these
customs are odd, indeed.
On Easter Monday, for instance,
women are supposed to have a right
to strike their husbands—on Tues
day the men may strike their wives.
In northern parts of England,
men parade the streets on Easter
Sunday and claim the privilege of
lifting every woman three times
from the ground. In payment for
such feats of male strength they
get a kiss or a silver sixpence.
The next day women are permitted
to try the same trick on the men.
They Crucified Him
—From the Painting by Gustave Dore.
The Lord Is Risen
—From the Painting by Gustave Dore.
<i/P) Newsfeaturcs)
AND THERE WERE also two other malefactors, led with Him to
be put to death. And when they were come to the place, which is
called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the malefactors, one
on the right hand and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Fa
ther, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they
parted His raiment and cast lots. And the people stood beholding.
And the rulers also with them derided Him, saying, He saved
others; let Him save Himself, if He be Christ, the chosen of God.
And the soldiers also mocked Him, coming to Him, and offering
Him vinegar, And saying, If Thou be the king of the Jews, save
Thyself. And a superscription also was written over Him in letters
of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE
JEWS. And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on
Him saving, if Thou be Christ, save Thyself and us. But the other
rebuked him, and he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when
Thou comest into Thy kingdom. And Jesus said until him, Verily
I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with Me in paradise. And it
was the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth
until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of
the temple was rent in the midst. And when Jesus had cried with
a loud voice, He said, Father, into Thy hands I commend My
Spirit: and having said thus, He gave up the ghost.
Condensed from Luke 23:32-46
NOW UPON the first day of the week, very early in the morning,
they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had
prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone
rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found
not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were
much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in
shining garments: And they were afraid, and bowed down their
faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living
among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how Hfc
spake unto you when He was in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man
must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified,
and the third day rise again. And they remembered His words,
And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto
the eleven, and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdelene, and
Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that
were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. Then
arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down he
beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves. And they returned to
Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together. Saying, The
Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And as they
thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith
unto them, Peace be unto you.
Condensed from Luke 24:1-36 ,
[CHURCHES
LAVINIA WALLACE YOUNG
MISSION (METHODIST)
Rev. Paul B. F Carlson, Pastor
Esther McCoy, Director
Rev. Kobt. Treat, Methodist pastor
Sunday—
10:00 a.m. Eskimo Speaking
Service. ,
11:00 a.m. Sunday School.
7:30 p.m. Evening Service.
Wednesday—
2:00 p.m. Children’s Miracle
Book Club.
Thursday—
7:30 p.m. Mid-week Service.
* 1 —
CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE
Third and Division
Pastor—Lewis I. Hudgins
“Jesus Christ gave hihnself for
us, that he might redeem us from
all iniquity, and purify unti him
self a peculiar people, zealous of
good works.” Titus 2:14.
10:00 a.m. Singspiration and Sun
day School classes.
7:00 p.m. Young People’s Meeting.
7:30 p.m. Singspiration and special
music.
8:00 p.m. Evening Message.
Wednesday: 7:30 p.m. Melody and
Prayer.
Come and bring your Bible.
You are ever welcome to attend
j these services.
THE METHODIST CHURCH
(FEDERATED)
Rev. Robert S. Treat, Minister
EASTER SUNDAY
7:30—Union Sunrise Service at
High School.
9:45—Sunday School; Easter pro
gram of songs by the Beginners
and Primary classes, the story
in flannelgraph.
11:00—Morning Worship; Recep
tion of members and recogni
tion of preparatory membership
class. Anthems by the Junion
and Senior Choirs, and message,
“He Hath Made All Things
New.”
3:00—Hospital Service.
8:00—Evening Service; Anthems
by the Senior Choir: “He Is
Risen,” "Behold A Host,” and
“The Seven Fold Amen."
Masons attending in a group.
Message — “Christ Frees From
The Grave.”
Wednesday — Noon, preparatory
membership class.
7:00—Senior Choir.
HOLY WEEK SERVICES
CATHOLIC CHURCH
Good Friday—
Mass of Pre-Sanctified—
6:30 a.m.
Seven Last Words—12 noon to
3 p.m.
Stations of Cross—7:30 p.m.
Holy Saturday—
Services begin at 6 a.m.
Confessions 5 to 5 p.m., 7:30 to
9:00 p.m.
Easter Sunday—
Masses 8 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
No Mass at Base.
DAILY MASS SCHEDULE
Monday and Tuesday—7:30 a.m.
Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday.7:00 a.m.
Saturday .8:00 a.m.
ASSEMBLY OF GOD
Third Avenue West
Faslor A. E. Capener
Sunday Morning—
10:00 to 11:40: This service is
designed to meet your neoa
with Bible class studies for ev
ery age group, followed by a
message from the Pastor to the
Assembly.
Wednesday—
7:30 p.m.: Bible study and pray
er; bring your Bible.
FRIDAY—
7:30 p.m.: This meeting is con