SC - Easter and eggs
Jeff Gedney
JGedney at dictaphone.com
Thu Mar 16 09:33:40 PST 2000
A while ago someone sought to find reference to the giving of eggs in
period for Easter.
I found the following in Hakluyt's voyages. It is from an Account of the
Manners of the Russian People - written in 1557 by Richard Johnson
(text has been altered form the original only in that the spelling was
updated by the editor of the book I used. I compared certain sections to
sections I have in facsimile, and verified that not language alterations
other than spelling have been made in the edition I took this from. I did
not have this section in facsimile. )
"The rest of this week until Easter Day they kept very solemnly,
continuing in their houses for the most part, and upon Monday or
Thursday the Emperor doth always use to receive the sacrament,
and so do most of his nobles. Upon Good Friday they continue all
day in contemplation and prayers, and they use every year on
Good Friday to let loose a prisoner in the stead of Barabbas.
The night following they go to the church, where they sleep until
the next morning, and at Easter they have the resurrection, and
after every of the Lents they eat flesh the next week following, Friday,
Saturday, and all.
They have an order at Easter which they always observe, and that
is this: every year against Easter to dye or colour red with brazil a
great number of eggs, of which every man and woman giveth one
unto the priest of their parish upon Easter Day in the morning.
And moreover the common people use to carry in their hands one
of their red eggs, not only upon Easter Day but also three or four
days after, and gentlemen and gentlewomen have eggs gilded which
they carry in like manner They use it, as they say, for a great love,
and in token of the resurrection whereof they rejoice. For when two
friends meet during the Easter holy days, they come and take one
another by the hand; the one of them saith, "The Lord, or Christ, is
risen", the other answereth, "It is so of a truth", and then they kiss
and exchange their eggs, both men and women, continuing in kissing
4 days together."
- -brandu
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