In the "Calendar of the Anglican Church," published in 1851, is a statement which shews the high veneration in which the Virgin was formerly held in England, as she still is in Catholic countries, namely, that no less than 2,120 churches were named in her sole honour, besides 102 in which her name was associated with that of some other saint.

PALM SUNDAY.

The Sunday before Easter is so called because the boughs of palm-trees used to be carried on this day, in imitation of those which the Jews strewed in the way of Christ, when he rode on an ass into Jerusalem. In Roman Catholic countries sprigs of boxwood are still used as a substitute for palms.

Newton, in his "Herball for the Bible" (1587), after mentioning that the box-tree and the palm-tree were often confounded together, adds: "This error grew (as I thinke) at the first for that the common people in some countries, use to decke their church with their boughes and branches thereof on the Sunday next afore Easter, commonly called Palm Sunday; for at that time of the yeare all other trees, for the most part, are not blowen or bloomed.”

Branches of the yew-tree were also substituted for palm, as is proved by Caxton's "Directions for Keeping Feast all the Year," printed in 1483, where he

says: "But for encheson that we have none Olyve that berith green leaf, algate therefore we take Ewe instead of Palme and Olyve, and beren about in processyon."

In Nichols's "Extracts from Churchwardens' Accounts," are the following items from the Parish of St. Martin Outwich: A.D. 1510-11-"First paid for Palme, Box floures and Cakes iiijd.;" 1525-" Paid for Palme on Palme Sunday ijd. ;" and "Paid for Kaks, Flowers and Yow, ijd."

In Coates's "History of Reading" is the following extract from the Churchwardens' Accounts of St. Laurence Parish: "1505; It. payed to the Clerk for syngyng of the Passion on Palme Sunday, in ale, Id." 1509; “It. payed for a q'rt of Bastard, for the Singers of the Passhyon on Palme Sondaye, iiijd."

The Church of Rome has given the following account of her ceremonies on this day :

"The blessed Sacrament reverently carried, as it were, Christ upon the ass, with strewing of bushes and flowers, bearing of palms, setting out boughs, spreading and hanging up the richest clothes, &c., all done in a very goodly ceremony to the honour of Christ, and the memory of his triumph upon this day."

The slips of the willow-trees with the flowers or buds have been for some time past, and still are in this country, gathered and carried about for palm, and are also used to decorate churches.

There is a very solemn procession in the RussianGreek Church on this day.

MAUNDY THURSDAY.

The term MAUNDY, as applied to the Thursday before Easter, is derived from the distribution of food, as an act of charity, in baskets or maunds; and the words maund and maundy came to signify acts of kindness. By the Roman Catholics, and High Church clergy, this day is called Holy Thursday. On this day the Queen's Maundy money is distributed to a certain number of poor persons at the Chapel Royal, Whitehall.

GOOD FRIDAY.

This day has been observed as a solemn Fast by the Church from the earliest times.

Before the Reformation the religious ceremonies in the churches were of the following kind :-A dressed figure of Christ was mounted on a crucifix, and borne round the altar by two priests, with doleful chants; then laying it very tenderly on the ground, they kissed its hands and feet, accompanied with piteous sighs and tears, the other priests doing the like in succession. Afterwards the people came to worship the assumedly dead Saviour, each bringing a small gift,

as corn, eggs, &c. Lastly, came a most ceremonious burial of the image, along with the singing bread; amidst lighted torches, and the burning of incense, and strewing flowers over the grave.

The kings used to go through a ceremony of blessing certain rings, which the fortunate recipients believed to be an infallible cure for the cramp. This custom is supposed to have been originated by that superstitious monarch, Edward the Confessor.

At Rome, notwithstanding the peculiar solemnities of the services in the churches, the public offices and places of business are all open, which contrasts strongly with the Roman Catholics in Scotland (where the day is not observed by the nation generally), who abstain from business on that day.

The origin of the custom of having hot cross buns on this day is given in another part of this volume.

EASTER.

Easter Day is distinguished by its peculiar name through our Saxon ancestors, who at this season of the year held a great festival in honour of the goddess Eastor, probably the Astarte of the Eastern nations. Others think it is so called from the Saxon Oster, to rise, being the day of Christ's resurrection. The French call this Festival paques (from the Greek word pascha,

and Hebrew pesech, i.e. passover), whence we derive the word paschal, as applied to the Lamb in the Last Supper.

The custom of distributing pace or pasche eggs, which was once universal amongst all Christians, is still observed in many of the rural districts of the North of England, and has, to some extent, been revived in London and other parts of the country, paice eggs, of various colours being offered for sale in many of the shops at this season.

"In Russia," says Köhl (the celebrated German traveller) in his "Panorama of St. Petersburg," "Easter eggs play a very important part, and that, on a moderate calculation, there cannot be less than ten millions used at Easter in St. Petersburg alone; for, as it is always customary at Easter on greeting an acquaintance, to press an egg into his hand, many an individual may consume his hundreds."

Some of the eggs have verses inscribed on them, but the usual inscription is the Easter greeting "Christohs vosskress" (Christ is risen), or "Eat and think of me," &c. Many artificial eggs are also manufactured, some of crystal, with cut flowers and figures. The wax-fruit makers and confectioners produce elegant boxes filled with eggs of all sizes, from the ostrich's to the nightingale's, all in wax and sugar.

The scene on Easter Eve in the Russian churches