Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 July 1890 — MEN KISS EACH OTHER. [ARTICLE]

MEN KISS EACH OTHER.

Interesting Scenes at tne Dunkards yearly Love Feast. Reading, Pa., dispatch. The peculiar religious denomination known as the Dunkards are holding their yearly love feasts in most of the German counties of Pennsylvania in the eastern part of the State; The meeting held lately at Ziegler’s meet-ing-house, near Rehrersburg, was one of great interest. There were thousands Qf people! in attendance. an#' nearly all of them were Dunkards. The solid old farmers, attired in the ancient dress peculiar to their faith, and hundreds of women and children, made the occasion before the opening of the meeting a lively one. The meeting-house is just as peculiar as the religion and the people. The floor slopes from both ends to the center. This makes it possible to look over the heads of those seated in the central portion of the church. On the second floor are two large rooms. These were occupied last night by the brothers and sisters who came from a distance. One room was occupied by the men and the other by the women and children. These apartments are furnished with bedsteads and cradles. The cooking is done in the basement. Some sixty men. women and children occupied these sleeping rooms last night. An ox weighing 580 pounds was slaughtered for the meals. After a sermon or two the interesting feet-washing ceremony took place. When the Bishop had finished reading the biblical chapter, which describes Christ washing the feet of the Disciples, the Dunkards gave a very fair imitatation of the ceremony. One brother kneeled down and washed both feet of three or four brothers sitting on a bench in a row, while another brother, girt with a towel, followed and wiped the feet. The women, all Of whom wore white lace caps, washed each other’s feet in the same way while an appropriate hymn was being sung. Loaves of bread and tin dishes containing soup made of rice and beef having been placed on the table, all the members partook of the Lord’s Supper. Every set of four brothers and every set of four sisters ate soup out of one dish, two sitting on each side of a narrow table. The members arose after eating and embraced each other in a fervent manner. The salutation of the holy kiss followed, when each imprinted a kiss on the lips of the member next to him. The loud smacks resounded through the meet-ing-house. Communion service, the breaking of unleavened bread and the drinking of unfermented grape wine were also observed. The unleavened bread was in strips, some 6 inches long, 2 inches wide and % an inch thick. A piece was broken off by a brother, who broke another piece off and handed the remainder to the brother next him. The meeting lasted two days and finally adjourned amid warm embraces of affection and the giving of the holy kiss.