Learning more about some of our fascinating Easter traditions can enrich your holiday gatherings. Easter is a time of celebration for many families. With it comes the thought of spring, rebirth, Easter egg hunts, Easter baskets and spending time with family and friends. But why do we have Easter egg hunts, and why does a bunny bring Easter eggs? What do Easter eggs have to do with the resurrection of Christ?
A Christian Holiday
Easter as we know it in the United States has its roots as a Christian holiday. Catholics and Protestants alike celebrate Easter as a time of great rejoicing. They believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead on Easter morning, and this belief is a fundamental part of their faith. Jesus was crucified on a cross, spent three days in the grave and then was resurrected to new life. Many fundamental Christians use the term "Resurrection Sunday" because of the pagan connotations that come with the term Easter.
Good Friday and Lent are part of the Christians' celebrations leading up to Easter. Catholics and some protestant religions celebrate Lent as a time of denying the flesh in preparation for Easter. Good Friday is supposed to be the day that Christ was crucified. Easter is always on the first Sunday following the full moon that occurs on or following the spring equinox.
Spring Equinox and Pagan Celebrations
As with many Christian holidays, some Easter traditions have been merged with pagan holidays and practices. The celebration of the Spring Equinox was important to cultures and belief systems all over the world for thousands of years before Christ. Many of these traditions have found their way into our Easter celebrations, but often without the same spiritual meaning they once held.
Spring Goddesses
Easter is said to have come from Eostre, Osatara or Ishtar, versions of the name for a pagan goddess of spring. The spring equinox was a time of worshipping and celebrating this goddess who represented fertility and plenty. The people of the area wanted to please her so that their crops would be blessed and they would bear children. Along with this symbol of fertility comes another symbol, the egg.
The Easter Egg
Easter eggs are a central part of any Easter tradition. Children everywhere have fun dyeing brightly colored eggs every year. Colorful plastic eggs are placed into Easter baskets and filled with goodies of all kinds. In many countries, the art of decorating Easter eggs requires much skill. But why eggs? Why not an Easter onion?
Eggs have stood for new life and fertility throughout the ages. Christians see it as a symbol of the new life brought to them with the resurrection of Christ. During the Middle Ages, decorated eggs were said to have been given as gifts. The ancient Persians decorated eggs to celebrate their New Year, which occurred during the Spring Equinox. For Jews, Easter coincides with the Passover, and eggs dipped in salt water represent new life.
The Easter Bunny and Egg Hunts
It is said that the hare was a symbol of the goddess Eostre. Rabbits and hares, like the eggs, represent fertility. Rabbits often make their nests in fields, and this gave rise to the children's belief that the rabbits laid eggs in the fields as well. Thus the Easter egg hunt was born.
In today's culture, the Easter bunny is a fuzzy, lovable character who brings Easter chocolates and Easter baskets to kids on Sunday morning. He is no longer a symbol of fertility as in days of old. Easter baskets are supposed to resemble "nests" for the eggs the Easter bunny will bring.
Hot Cross Buns
Hot cross buns may taste delicious on Easter morning but they are also rich in traditions. In pagan ceremonies, the cross on the buns was said to represent the quarters of the moon, or in some cultures the crossed horns of a bull. To Christians, the cross icing represents the cross that Jesus was crucified on.
The Easter Parade
Legend tells us that the Emperor Constantine may have started Easter parades. Supposedly he told his servants, court attendees and subjects to dress in their finest and parade up and down the city in celebration of the resurrection of Christ. This might also indicate when the habit of dressing in new clothes on Easter began.
Easter is a time of fun, food and fellowship, which has always been a part of any celebration, pagan or Christian. It is a time we set aside to rejoice in what we have and the newness of spring and the gift of life.
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As children look forward to a visit from the Easter Bunny, it's interesting to learn a little Easter bunny history about how this legendary rabbit first got its start and how it has evolved into today's beloved character. |
Ash Wednesday, also known as the Day of Ashes, is a solemn occasion in the Catholic Church. Dating back to the eighth century, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the 40-day spiritual preparation time before Easter. |
Considered the day when Jesus Christ was brought before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, sentenced to death and crucified, Good Friday is a solemn day in the Christian calendar, usually accompanied by reverent observances in congregations throughout the world. |
