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The
Holiday Spot Website |
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Easter Egg
Myths coming
down to us from an incredibly distant past have shown man's relationship
with the egg to be
a very deep seated one. This is caught in old Latin
proverb: Omne vivum ex ovo ("all life comes from an egg").
Eggs were said to be
dyed and eaten at the spring festivals in ancient
Egypt, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The Persians of that time gave eggs as
gifts at the
vernal equinox.
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But it is not very clear how those colored
eggs have come in to dominate the Eastern countries. It is speculated that
it was introduced in Europe, or, rather Western Europe, during the course
of the fifteenth century. This was when missionaries or
knights of the
Crusades
are thought to have brought in the concept of the coloring of
eggs westwards.
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Easter
Bunny
These
fictional animal that delivers Easter eggs has become the most favorite
Easter symbol. It's universal and
secular in its appeal. And, most
important of all, it relates to Easter historically. However, one fact has
got to be made clear. It is the
hare, and not the rabbit, that should be
treated as the true symbol of Easter. Though both of them belong to the
rodent family and have most of things in common, there are some
differences. |
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Since the ancient times the hare has been a symbol for the
moon. Not the rabbit. And the legend says, the hare never closes its eyes,
not even for a single blink!
The reason for having such a belief may be
rooted in the fact that hares are born with eyes open, and rabbits are
born
blind. The ancient Egyptians
related hares to the moon.
Egyptian name
for hare was 'un', meaning 'open'. And they were beloved to be watching
the full moon opened eyes throughout the night. Also the hare and eggs
were
regarded to be emblems of fertility. And this fertility factor may
hold the key in making rabbit more familiar as Easter symbol in America,
as against the traditional hare (rabbits
beat hares by being more
prolific).
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Easter
Lily
In fact,
these lovely white
trumpet-shaped flowers trumpet lily have been enjoying
a great favor in being included as a principal item for church decoration
for quite some time. But its acceptance in America, as such,
dates back
around the 1800s. It came in with the rise in the Easter observances by
the Protestants in America. And, strangely, it took some more time to find
a widespread acceptance.
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For, the early Americans those days were not used to seeing a lily
waiting to be picked up for the Easter decor.
The native
American lilies, for example, the garden or Madonna lily,
bloom in the
early summer. Though it could be forced to bloom earlier using the
hothouse conditions, the
hassles associated did not allow it to be
accepted widely. And custom did not find a widespread growth until a lily
was imported.
In the 1880s, while in Bermuda, Ms Thomas Sargent became
familiar with a beautiful lily that blooms naturally in springtime, and
she brought its bulbs in back home in Philadelphia. There, a nursery man,
called William Harris,
fostered its popularity among other florists.
Following this
it did not take long for the flower to win the hearts of
million to be the main flower of the Easter floral arrangements.
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SOURCE:
The Holiday Spot Website |
GLOSSARY |
a very deep seated one: from long ago (establecida
desde hace mucho tiempo)
dyed: colored with dye (teñidos)
vernal equinox: March 21, the equinoctial point that lies in the
constellation of Pisces (equinoccio vernal, de primavera)
knights of the Crusades: military expeditionaries in the 11-13th
centuries when Christian powers of Europe tried to recapture the Holy Land from
the Muslims (los caballeros de las Cruzadas)
are thought to have brought in: are supposed to have brought in (se
supone que han introducido)
secular: concerning those not members of the clergy
(laico)
hare: timid long-eared mammal larger than a rabbit (liebre) |
not even for a single blink:
with no eye blinking (ni siquiera un ínfimo parpadeo)
blind: unable to see (ciegos)
related hares to the moon: made a logical or causal connection
between hares and the moon (relacionaban las liebres con la
luna)
regarded: considered (considerados)
beat: are superior (les ganan a las)
trumpet-shaped: with the shape of a trumpet (atrompetadas, con
forma de trompeta)
dates back around: appeared in (data aproximadamente de)
bloom: produce or yield flowers (florecen)
hassles: annoyances (molestias)
fostered: promoted (promocionó, divulgó)
it did not take long: not a very long time went by (no pasó mucho
tiempo) |
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