Easter
Its Origins,
History, and Traditions
Origin of the word
"Easter" =
This symbol ">"
means: "comes from"...
> Easter (middle English) > Ester
(old English) > Eastre (dawn goddess) > East (Indo-European base
word).
Middle English was the English used from
1066 A.D. to 1500 A.D.
Old English was the English 450 A.D. to 1100 A.D.
Easter is the original name of
English Spring Festival < (derived from) Eastre, dawn goddess <
(derived from) IE
(Indo-European) base: EAST (because the sun rises in the
East.
(SOURCE:
Webster's New
World Dictionary, Third College Edition, 1986)
Brief History of Easter
No one knows exactly
how old Easter is. I can tell you
factually that it is
older than the Christian religion by centuries (perhaps millennia). It probably
originated in northwestern Europe as a festival that celebrates the
renewal of life that happens in nature in the spring. It was held on the vernal equinox (first day of
spring), which is March 21 or 22. It is called "EASTer"
because the sun came from the EAST (and lasted longer and longer in the
sky)!!!!!
The so-called "Easter"
holiday,
which exists today, is somewhat different than the original Easter
holiday,
but some rituals still exist, even though the meaning of the holiday has
changed.
How this
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changed to...
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this.
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This is how things
changed:
Around 300 A.D.,
while people in
Europe were still celebrating Easter as a spring festival, the Emperor Constantine of the
Roman Empire made Christianity the
state religion of the whole empire. Then, the idea was to
"ease" the conversion of pagans into the Christian religion by incorporating as much of the local
traditions as possible into the new state religion. Easter was one
of the traditions that was incorporated. Easter nearly coincided
with the Christian festival of "Pasch" ("Pascua" in
Latin), which is the Christian celebration of the Jewish 'Passover',
which also coincides with the commemoration of Jesus'
resurrection.
Clipart from ClipartLibrary.com
So, in essence, modern day Easter is a combination
of at least three festivals: (1) festival of Easter, (2) festival
of Pasch, (3) festival of Jesus' resurrection. We still practice some very ancient rituals in
the U.K., U.S.A., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South
Africa. Please
let me share...
Easter Traditions
Clipart from ClipartLibrary.com
#1: Coloring Easter
Eggs
AND the Easter Bunny:
On the night before Easter, children color hard boiled eggs and set them
out for the Easter Bunny. While the children are sleeping the
Easter Bunny comes and hides the eggs around the home. When the
children wake up, they hunt for the eggs and then eat them for
breakfast.
Royalty-free
clipart from Clipart Library
Since around 300
A.D., Easter has been chiefly a Christian holiday,
commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But even
non-Christians can (and often do) participate in the ancient rituals of
coloring and hunting for Easter eggs. In fact, it is very common
for schools and various organizations to hold special Easter egg hunts
before Easter day, in America.
Why Eggs and Bunnies?
Eggs (especially
chicken eggs) and
bunnies (rabbits) are symbols of fertility. Originally the Festival of
Easter was held to insure fertility of crops and families. Eating
eggs and carrying rabbits feet around were thought to insure fertility.
Why? Well, the answer is because eggs are symbolic of procreation, and rabbits are a symbol of plentiful offspring or
abundant reproduction.
Now, ...
Why Fish?
#2: LENT (fasting
from red meat and subsituting the eating of fish)
The word
"Lent" literally means "lengthening of days"
referring to how the days are getting longer and longer.
(Source: Online
Etymology Dictionary).
To Christians, it
refers to the 40 days before Easter (always starting with Ash
Wednesday). It commemorates the 40-day fast that Jesus did in the
desert before his ministry. While Jesus possibly fasted from all
food (not water); Christians are only asked to fast from red meat and
for their protein just eat fish for those 40 days.
It is falling out of
tradition, but the Catholic religion still holds this practice.
But, why fish instead
of chicken?
My best guess is
because Jesus' disciples were mostly fishermen (by the sea of Galilee),
and all of them were fishers of men.
And now,...
What does the moon have to do with Easter?
#3: The Timing of
Easter: *When is Easter?* Why is Easter on a different day
each year?
Nowadays Easter is always
celebrated during the Catholic Pasch, which is always on
the Sunday nearest the first full moon after the vernal
equinox. An 'equinox' is when the sun passes the
equator, making day and night of equal length in all parts of the earth.
The vernal equinox occurs about March 21 or March
22.
The actual day of
Pasch is
different every year on the Gregorian calendar (which the world
collectively uses today). Why? Because it is based upon the moon. Just like the Chinese New Year is on a different
day by the Gregorian calendar each year, because the Chinese
New Year is based upon the Chinese lunar calendar.
So, people usually have to consult a
calendar to find out when Easter is. Furthermore, Easter (Pasch) is always on a Sunday because
traditionally, Christ was resurrected on a Sunday.
DATES of EASTER
(Pasch) by the Gregorian Calendar
2022, 4/17
2023, 4/09
2024, 3/31
2025, 4/20
2026, 4/05
Easter is a
very important day to Christians, especially Catholics; BUT IT WAS NOT
INVENTED by them. They just "borrowed" the ancient
traditions of Easter and dedicated them for their OWN
purposes.
See also
Leon's Page on Earth Day
BONUS SECTION (for the adults)
RE: EASTER
ESOTERICS
Astro-theology and Easter?
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