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Pagan Origin of Easter

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Pagan Origin of Easter

Which came first--Easter or the Easter Egg? Although Easter has been Christianity's holiest day for centuries, some of its traditions originate with ancient pagan customs related to spring and fertility.

  1. Name

    • According to the Venerable Bede, an 8th-century historian, the term "Easter" comes from "Estre," the name of an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and fertility.

    Date

    • The Roman Catholic and Protestant churches place Easter on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the equinox. The equinox was an important time for pagan celebrations of rebirth, fertility and planting.

    Symbols

    • Many popular Easter symbols derive from ancient European and Middle Eastern pagan rituals. Rabbits and eggs were early symbols of fertility.

    Easter Fire

    • Christians adopted the custom of the Easter fire, lighting a blaze atop a mountain to signify Christ's resurrection. A similar pagan fire-lighting custom demonstrated spring triumphing over winter.

    Resurrection

    • Many ancient pagan religions had resurrection stories to symbolize new life. For example, the Greek myth of Persephone tells of her annual return to earth from the underworld at springtime.

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  • Photo Credit Switzerland County (Ind.) Tourism/flickr.com

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