This is now indeed a most heavenly night,
The Savior is risen in glory and light;
He rose when dawn was approaching soon.

All things do rejoice on this morning so fair;
The fire, the water, the soil and the air,
The stars above, and the paling moon.

So stand we and sing in the dawn's early glow,
Till Easter day brightens the valley below:
Hail, Christ, thou Light of eternal noon![53]

A universal celebration was held in the Middle Ages at the hour of sunrise. According to an old legend, the sun dances on Easter morning or makes three cheerful jumps at the moment of rising, in honor of Christ's Resurrection. The rays of light penetrating the clouds were said to be angels dancing for joy. In Ireland and England people would put a pan of water in the east window and watch the dancing sun mirrored in it. The English poet Sir John Suckling (1641) refers to this custom in his Ballad upon a Wedding:

Her feet beneath her petticoat
Like little mice stole in and out,
As if they feared the light;
But, oh, she dances such a way,
No sun upon an Easter-day
Is half so fine a sight.

All over Europe people would gather in open plains or on the crests of hills to watch the spectacle of sunrise on Easter Day. The moment of daybreak was marked by the shooting of cannon and the ringing of bells. Bands and choirs used to greet the rising sun as a symbol of the Risen Christ with Easter hymns and alleluia songs. This morning salute is still performed in the Alpine regions of Austria.

On the island of Malta, a quaint custom is practiced at sunrise on Easter Day. A group of men carries a statue of the Savior from their church to a hilltop of the neighborhood, not in slow and solemn procession but running uphill as fast as they can, to indicate the motion of rising.

In most places the crowds would pray as the sun appeared; often this prayer service was led by the priest, and the whole group would afterward go in procession to the parish church for Easter Mass. From this medieval custom dates our modern sunrise service held by many congregations in this country on Easter Sunday. One of the oldest of these services, which has preserved the character of medieval tradition, is held annually at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, among the Moravians. At three o'clock in the morning a band, playing Easter hymns, awakens the sleepers. An hour later they gather in large numbers at the church yard to celebrate the Resurrection with prayer and singing until the sun rises and a church service ends the impressive solemnity.

As the newly baptized Christians in the early centuries wore white garments of new linen, so it became a tradition among all the faithful to appear in new clothes on Easter Sunday, symbolizing the "new life" that the Lord, through His Resurrection, bestowed upon all believers. This custom was widespread during medieval times; in many places a popular superstition threatened with ill luck all those who could afford to buy new clothes for Easter Sunday but refused to do so. It is an ancient saying in Connemara, Ireland: "For Christmas, food and drink; for Easter, new clothes." On Easter many children in Ireland dress in green, white, and yellow: green hair ribbons, yellow dress, and white shoes. It is also an old tradition for some children there to wear little crosses made of multicolored ribbons on the right arm on Easter Sunday (perhaps a substitute for those who cannot afford new clothes). This ancient tradition of new clothes is still adhered to, although its meaning and background have long since been forgotten by many. Actually, in many a modern family this is, perhaps, the one and only Easter custom that is still faithfully practiced.

Another picturesque old Easter Sunday custom is the "Easter walk" through fields and open spaces after Mass. This is still held in many parts of Europe. Dressed in their finery, the men and women, especially the younger ones, march in a well- ordered parade through the town and into the open country. A decorated crucifix or, in some places, the Easter candle is borne at the head of the procession. At certain points on the route they recite prayers and sing Easter hymns, interspersed with gay chatting along the way. In some parts of Germany and Austria, groups of young farmers ride on richly decorated horses (Osterritt). After the Reformation this medieval Easter walk lost its original religious character and gradually developed into our present-day Easter parade.

One of the highlights of Easter in this country is, of course, New York's famous Fifth Avenue fashion parade, where for many years people from all walks of life have paraded their Easter finery after the Sunday morning church services. In late years many abuses have occurred, when press agents and publicity-seeking celebrities put on unbecoming stunts to attract the attention of the crowds. Things got so out of hand that now strict enforcement of proper behavior is in order, and no longer can sensation seekers make a field day out of this custom.

On Easter Sunday open house is held in most Christian nations. Relatives, neighbors, and friends exchange visits. Easter eggs and bunnies are the order of the day, and special Easter hams are the principal dish at dinner. In the rural parts of Austria, any stranger may freely enter any house on Easter Sunday; he will be welcomed by the host and may eat whatever Easter food he wishes. Among the Christians in the Near East the whole Sunday (after Mass and breakfast) is spent in visiting friends and neighbors; wine, pastry, and coffee are served, and children receive presents of eggs and sweets.

On Easter Sunday afternoon most people in the villages and towns of central Europe come back to church for the solemn services of Vespers and Benediction. At the sermon that preceded this afternoon service, a quaint custom was practiced in those regions during medieval times. The priests would regale their congregations with funny stories and poems, drawing moral conclusions from these jolly tales (Ostermarlein: Easter fables). The purpose of this unusual practice was to reward the faithful with something gay after the many sad and serious Lenten preachings, a purpose easily achieved as the churches rang with the loud and happy laughter of the audience (risus paschalis: Easter laughter). This tradition is found as early as the thirteenth century. From the fourteenth to the eighteenth centuries the custom was widespread, and a number of collections of Easter fables appeared in print.[54] The reformers violently attacked the practice as an abuse, however, and it was gradually suppressed by the Church during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

It is an ancient custom in Slavic countries (Russia, Ukraine, Poland, etc.) to ring the church bells with short intervals all day from morning to night on Easter Sunday, reminding the faithful that it is the greatest feast of the year.

One of the most impressive Easter sights in the world, admired by people of all faiths, is the annual illumination of St. Peter's Church in Rome on the evening of the feast day. The whole majestic cathedral becomes a mass of flickering lights against the dark sky, every detail of its architectural structure outlined. From all parts of the city, but especially from the Pincio, tens of thousands watch this breathtaking, unforgettable sight in silence. After an hour or two, the lights slowly change to a reddish hue, and gradually fade away.