Eggs beautifully colored are seen in almost every store, and hundreds of children crowd round them, buying as many as they can. Then they get together, and see who can win the most eggs by breaking both ends with one strong egg. These eggs are hard boiled, and when broken are eaten by the children, or sold to each other for a mere nothing.
On Good-Friday the Protestant residents (German, English, and American) go out to the Garden of Gethsemane, and hold a short religious service under the ancient olive-trees, singing favorite old hymns. Easter-morning services are held in the quaint Gothic English church, which is then often crowded with American and English tourists. The hymn "Jesus Christ is risen to-day, Hallelujah!" is sung with fervor; and when the clergyman reads the lesson for the day, one can almost picture to himself how Christ, nineteen hundred years ago, walked through this very city, blessing just such little children as those who now throng the streets selling bright flowers.
In the Church of the Holy Sepulchre services are conducted all Saturday night until Sunday at dawn, when hundreds of bells ring out their chimes that the Saviour is risen. The church is so crowded as to leave barely standing room, and the vast multitude, led by the priests and accompanied by the rich peals of the organ, sing the hymn of the Resurrection. After the blessing is pronounced, the congregation salute each other with "Christ is risen!—may we live to celebrate this feast another year!"
Easter-tide in Jerusalem is the children's great festival, more so than Christmas, because they receive more presents at this "Great Feast," as it is there called. Every child, rich and poor, has a new outfit made for this day, and cakes and candies in abundance. Besides the gorgeously tinted eggs there are bright-colored cards and other tokens suitable to the day, and amusements of every description are arranged.
Easter picnics continue during the two following weeks. The fields are at this time of the year all green with half-ripe grain, and bright flowers are seen everywhere. Nature is clothed in her gayest robes of beauty. In order to make these picnics more enjoyable for the children, many families and schools have a fashion of hiding brilliant eggs, colored in red, blue, yellow, pink, purple, and gold, among the mossy rocks and in the green grass amongst the flowers. The children are then sent to hunt for them, and a great deal of merriment is excited as they eagerly rush about, each one trying to find the most.
So to a Jerusalem child Easter is always associated with a crowded city of strangers from all parts of the world, clear blue skies, and bright green fields filled with beautiful flowers. Everybody rejoices and commemorates the glorious resurrection of the Son of Man, who, like themselves, was once a child in this very city, and witnessed similar scenes, when strangers came from afar to celebrate the Feast of the Passover at Jerusalem.