The Easter Story

Origin if the Name

THE WORD EASTER originates from the old English word "EASTRE", which is the name of a spring goddess, in pagan times, an annual festival was held in her honor. The celebration focused around the vernal equinox in honor of the goddess. It is based on the circle of life (rebirth/regeneration), which begins in spring after a long winter.

SCHOLARS ACCEPTING THE source of the name Easter which was proposed by the 8th-century English Scholar St. Bede, who believed the name came from the Scandinavian "OSTRA" and the Teutonic "OSTERN" or "EASTRE", both goddesses of mythology signifying spring and fertility. 

EASTER IS A TIME of springtime festivals. In Christian countries Easter is celebrated as the religious holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the son of God. But the celebrations of Easter have many customs and legends that are pagan in origin and have nothing to do with Christianity.

SOME BELIEVE THAT the Christian church established the symbolic story of Resurrection by means of substituting the story of Christ and the Resurrection following the story of Adonia, originated from the Middle East, Judea, Syria, Egypt, Persia, Cyprus, Rome and Greece. Adonia was also believed to have died and risen again (Ezekiel, viii, 14 referred to as Tammuz). The mourning women were said to be desolate with grief and then rejoiced at this resurrection. A festival to commemorate Adonia is still celebrated for eight days, in these countries and in Alexandria and Assyria, called the "Festival of Adonis". The Adonis River is a stream near Byblos and is said to have run red, most likely with the soil brought down from the Lebanon. 

Easter Customs 

THE DATE OF EASTER: Since the Council of Nicaea in 325, the dating of Easter has been that it be celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox. In the West, only the Celtic church in Britain and Ireland refused to accept the date until 664 because of their own Celtic calendar.

EASTER SUNDAY mass did not exist in the early church. What is celebrated today as Easter occurred during the night hours preceding dawn on Sunday, the Easter Vigil. This emphasis has been returned today. In fact, Easter Sunday is the first Sunday of Easter... implying that Easter itself has already occurred

IN ANCIENT EGYPT and Persia friends exchanged decorated eggs at the spring equinox (they have always been symbols of creation, fertility and new-life) the beginning of the new year. These eggs were a symbol of fertility for them because the coming forth of a live creature from an egg was so surprising to people of ancient times. Christians of the Near East adopted this tradition, and the Easter egg became a religious symbol. It represented the tomb from which Jesus broke forth. They were often colored red to represent the blood of Christ by which all believers were given a share in this new life of Christ. In medieval times eggs were traditionally given at Easter to all servants, and to the children (it was one of the foods forbidden during Lent), along with other gifts. It seems that the custom of hiding the eggs is a universal one.

RABBITS WHERE ALSO a pre-Christian fertility symbol. Often they were used as images of Christ's post-resurrection appearances. These appearances were likened to the rabbits being seen and then disappearing and then being seen again somewhere else. The first mention of the Easter Bunny and his eggs seems to have come from Germany in the late 1500's. In many sections of Germany, the belief was that the Easter bunny laid red eggs on Holy Thursday and multi-colored eggs the night before Easter Sunday.

IN EARLY CHRISTIAN art the lily is a symbol of purity because of its delicacy of form and its whiteness. They did not exist in North America until about 100 years ago. The white trumpet lily, which blooms naturally in springtime, was brought here from Bermuda. They are popularly called "Easter Lilies" because they bloom around Easter time. The North American public quickly made it a symbolic feature of the Easter celebration.

PRAYERS FOR THE blessing of lambs, a significant symbol of Christ, dates back to the 7th century. From the 9th century, the main feature of the Pope's Easter dinner was roast lamb. The ancient tradition of the Paschal lamb inspired the use of lamb as a popular Easter food among all the faithful. in Europe, small figures of a lamb made from butter, pastry, and sugar are popular.

SOME OF OUR Easter customs came from this festival, others from the Passover feast of the Jewish people, which were observed in memory of the deliverance from Egypt. The Latin word "Paschal" means belonging to Passover or to Easter. Once, Passover and Easter were closely related.

THE RESURRECTION OF Jesus took place during Passover and the Christians of the Eastern Church originally celebrated Passover and Easter together. Passover can fall on any day of the week, and the Christians of the Western Church choose to celebrate Easter on Sunday, the day of the resurrection.

THE BUTTERFLY IS an ancient Easter symbol. Just as the butterfly which emerges from the cocoon is the same caterpillar in new form, so Jesus, emerging from the tomb is the same person - glorified.

EASTER WATER IS blessed solemnly at the Easter Vigil. Families are encouraged to bring home a container of this holy water to be used at home for family blessings on persons, house, etc.

SOME FAMILIES CLEAN out their fire-places on Good Friday and do without a fire until they bring home coals from the New Fire blessed at the Easter Vigil.