| Easter is the time of year when all Christians | | | | year around what we now call spring time and |
| celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ after he | | | | bestowed light and warmth to the land. To mark the |
| was crucified on the cross. It is probably the most | | | | coming of Eostre the pagans laid on huge |
| celebrated occasion in the Christian calendar. It is | | | | celebrations in her honor so as not to upset the |
| even more important than Christmas itself. | | | | goddess. |
| Easter itself is the culmination of forty days in which | | | | There are other events that claim to be the original |
| time Christians pray, fast and reflect. That time is | | | | Easter celebration including: |
| called Lent. The forty days are said to represent the | | | | The Jewish Passover |
| forty days that Jesus was out in the wilderness | | | | Another version is the Jewish Passover with some |
| alone and where he overcame many temptations of | | | | people believing this Hebrew tradition was the basis |
| the devil. | | | | of Easter. The Jewish people celebrated around |
| The week before Easter itself is the Holy Week. | | | | Easter time to herald the freedom of the Israelites |
| Thursday is known as Maundy Thursday and is the | | | | from incarceration and slavery. This, along with the |
| day Jesus had the last supper with his disciples then | | | | resurrection of Christ which happened around the |
| Good Friday is the day Jesus was crucified. As we all | | | | same time as the Jewish Passover contributed too |
| know Easter Sunday is the day in which we | | | | many Jews considering the Passover and Easter |
| celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and should not be | | | | being one. |
| forgotten when we celebrate Easter. | | | | Even the word Easter is a little mysterious in it's |
| Christian Church | | | | origins. |
| The Christian church was looking for a time to hold a | | | | Lost in Translation |
| celebration for the resurrection of Christ and changed | | | | The word Easter itself is said to have come from an |
| the pagan celebration of Eostre into their own | | | | actual translation error. The Latin word Alba or white |
| celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. They also | | | | is thought to have been mistranslated when |
| changed the day on which the celebration took place | | | | translated into German. The Alba word means white |
| and decreed that the new date was after the first | | | | but it can also mean sunlight and its thought that the |
| Sunday after the full moon on or after the Vernal | | | | sunlight translation was used and therefore the word |
| Equinox. This also meant that the date changed from | | | | Easter was born. |
| year to year and is now celebrated between the | | | | Easter Bunny and Brightly Painted Eggs |
| 22nd March or in some cases as late as the 25th | | | | It has become a much commercialized event too |
| April. | | | | with the integration of Easter eggs, chocolate and |
| Many centuries before Jesus was resurrected from | | | | the Easter bunny being at the forefront of the |
| the cross civilizations celebrated the coming of spring | | | | commercialization. The original Easter bunny and eggs |
| with grand festivals and rituals so it's no coincidence | | | | originated from pagan times when they associated |
| the Christian church used this time to celebrate Jesus' | | | | them with the coming of spring and fertility. The |
| life and death. | | | | pagans would paint them with bright colors and hang |
| Warmth, Light and Fertility | | | | them in trees and bushes and also give them out to |
| Even before Christianity began people celebrated the | | | | family and friends. But it was the Germans who |
| coming of spring by organizing grand festivals and | | | | carried on with the tradition, so much so that around |
| sacrifices to honor their goddesses of spring. They all | | | | the 18th century the first chocolate Easter eggs |
| knew that if their goddess was pleased with them | | | | were created by them. Since then we have seen an |
| then she would reward them by warming and lighting | | | | explosion of people giving chocolate around Easter |
| up the land, give new life to overwintering flowers, | | | | time but it should not be forgotten why Easter is |
| trees and shrubs and to bring new life into animals | | | | important for another reason. |
| and birds too not to mention the fields upon which | | | | Never Forget why we Celebrate |
| they grew their food. | | | | No matter how or why we celebrate Easter there is |
| But where did the Easter celebration come from? | | | | one thing that all Christians must never forget. You |
| Well we are not quite sure but it's almost certain that | | | | should never forget the reason why the world over |
| it is from one of these events: | | | | people celebrate Easter, and that is the resurrection |
| Goddess of Fertility and Spring | | | | of Jesus Christ. |
| The word "Easter" could be derived from the pagan | | | | For that very fact Easter is an important date in the |
| word Eostre who was the goddess of fertility and | | | | Christian calendar and possibly more important than |
| birth. The pagans believed she returned to earth each | | | | Christmas itself. |