"The holiest of
holidays are those
Kept by ourselves in silence and apart;
The secret anniversaries of the heart."
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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Easter
in Cyberspace: a Christian Perspective
This site gives the view of Easter from the religious view. |
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The
History of Easter & it's Custom
by Mani Niall An historical account of Easter. |
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Easter - Its Origins and Meanings Information and a group of links to articles on Easter: its history, origins, traditions. |
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Easter
- Wikipedia Eastertide, the season of Easter, begins on Easter Sunday and lasts until the ... Pascha (Easter) is the primary act that fulfils the purpose of Christ's .. |
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The Story of Easter
Brief account traces the evolution of Easter from a pagan festival to a Christian celebration. |
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 A Brief
HistoryLike Christmas it too had its foundation in pagan and Jewish traditions. St. Bede, the 8th century scholar, believed that the term Easter most likely came from the Teutonic goddess Eastre. She was the goddess of offsprings and spring. Pagan festivals were held in her honor, at the vernal equinox in celebration of the end of winter and the rebirth of the Earth in spring. Greek myth celebrates the return of Persephone, daughter of Demeter, goddess of the Earth from the underworld. Her return dramatized the resurrection of the Earth and the end of winter. The Phrygians believed that their god slept during the winter and awakened during the spring. At the beginning of spring they had festivals of music and dancing to awaken him. Second Century missionaries trying to convert the pagans of Europe adapted their pagan customs to the developing Christian traditions. Early Christians were Jews and since Jesus' resurrection happened during the Passover (Pesach) they felt comfortable with the celebration. Another word for Easter is Pasch, which is derived from Pesach. |
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According to the New Testament Jesus was crucified and arose from the dead on the eve of the Passover. Thus setting the time frame for the holiday. However disputes arose over the actual date and different parts of Europe celebrated the event at different times and days. Constantine called the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. and tried to clarify the issue in the Easter Rule. It states that Easter was to fall on the first Sunday that occurs after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox, thus the first day of spring. His goal of clarification was somehow truly lost and for centuries they argued over its date. The colored Easter egg has its roots in Saxon traditions. They saw the egg as a symbol of rebirth. It was dyed using leaves or petals of certain flowers (the rich wrapped them in gold leaf). To some it represented the sunlight of spring. They were used the as gifts or in rolling contests. The Easter bunny came from the goddess Eastre whose earthly symbol was the rabbit. The Saxons worshipped the rabbit as a symbol of fertility. German immigrants brought it to the United States after the Civil War. The Australians are trying to eliminate the symbol of Easter because they see the rabbit as an ecological disaster. (It is not native to the continent). They are trying to replace it with a mouse with big ears. The Cross is a symbol of the Crucifixion not the Resurrection. It became the official Resurrection symbol by Emperor Constantine after the Council of Nicaea. Prior to that time the fish was the symbol. We now have a mired of new traditions such as Easter parades, hats, special dinners, new clothes, toys and gifts that have made the holiday more secular and child centered. It has become a holiday that blends new traditions with those of our Jewish, Pagan and Christian customs. |
