LINK The Medieval Origins of Easter Traditions | Tor.com
It’s pretty fitting, then, that Christianity’s story of Jesus rising from the dead should be associated with the spring. Most resurrection and/or fertility deities are.
Among a long list of such figures, it’s worth it to point out one: Ēostre. She was a Germanic goddess of the dawn, bringing life back into the world after the cold death of night. The spring equinox would have been her most important festival, representing her overcoming the frigid grasp of Old Man Winter and such. Her importance to the moment led to her name being applied to the month of the equinox (“Eostur-monath,” as the Venerable Bede recorded it in his 8th-century work, The English Months). This popular pagan name survived past the conversion of the populace, so that the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection (in which the “light” of the “son/sun” conquered the “darkness” of “death/night&rdquo
came to be called, in many Germanic areas, Easter.
It seems likely, too, that Ēostre gave Easter more than its name. As a goddess bringing new life, she would have had strong connections to fertility, which could be symbolized by both eggs and rabbits (for obvious reasons).
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Medieval? No, no, no, much older than that.
Spinliesel
Level 9
Apr 29, 2018
0
What do you mean? The 7th and 8th centuries were the Medieval times weren't they?
@zblaze quote:According to the British historian Bede (673-735 CE) the word “Easter” comes from the name of a Germanic fertility goddess named Eostre, ...That is based on Ishtar, the babylonian fertility goddess 1895 BCE–619 BCE
@Spinliesel It's not about Ishtar.....
Awesome. After seeing people post crap explanations about how it was named after Ischtar all day on social media platforms, and only one posting the real one, it's good to see a real proper explanation. Thanks. Nice link.
Apr 1, 2018
Reply 6
Ludo replied Apr 1, 2018 3
@Nickbeee, it's nice to know I'm not the only one who gets bombarded with that insipid Ishtar meme every year about this time. Yes, Christianity stole the name and all associated symbols for this holiday from other, pagan religions, just as they have for every other holiday. But this ain't the one.
And don't forget Christmas. Sol Invictus ("Unconquered Sun" ) was the official sun god of the later Roman Empire and a patron of soldiers. On 25 December 274 AD the Roman emperor Aurelian made it an official cult alongside the traditional Roman cults. Eventually, the Roman Catholic Church made this into the celebration of the "Unconquered Son" of God.
Heraclitus
Level 8
Apr 16, 2018
1
Easter is on the 1st sunday after the 1st full moon after the vernal equinox. Unless the full moon falls on a sunday then it is the next sunday. Not that you can look at the night sky and work it out for yourself because the full moon is an ecumenical one. As the monks who drafted this back in the 600`s were crap at astronomy.
Hope that clears things up for you folks
273kelvin
Level 8
Apr 14, 2018
0
This is all great stuff. I just got enlightened on something I am happy to say thank you.
It is incredible how the biblical holidays and pagan celebrations relate both in time and story. Then to think that some people take it literally that the bible is solid with original god words.
EMC2
Level 8
Apr 9, 2018
1
I can understand the symbolism of eggs. For women were given eggs to be fertilized. But rabbits?
Come on...
JackMichaelson
Level 4
Apr 1, 2018
2
This is why rabbits : Rabbits gestate for only 30 days, and usually have litters of between 4 and 12 babies (kits), depending on the breed. Once the babies are born, the doe can mate and get pregnant again as soon as the following day. Fertility anyone?
I wonder how many children have gotten the idea that rabbits lay eggs from the Easter Bunny? 
Thanks for sharing, zblaze. Passover, too, was celebrated with the arrival of Spring. I'd imagine the world over celebrations sprung from Mother Nature in one form or another
crazycurlz
Level 7
Apr 1, 2018
2
And we still burn Easter fires every year from collected and or donated wood and couples wishing to conceive will jump hand in hand across the waning fire.
Spinliesel
Level 9
Apr 1, 2018
3
Awesome. After seeing people post crap explanations about how it was named after Ischtar all day on social media platforms, and only one posting the real one, it's good to see a real proper explanation. Thanks. Nice link.
Nickbeee
Level 8
Apr 1, 2018
5
Ludo:
@Nickbeee, it's nice to know I'm not the only one who gets bombarded with that insipid Ishtar meme every year about this time. Yes, Christianity stole the name and all associated symbols for this holiday from other, pagan religions, just as they have for every other holiday. But this ain't the one.
@Ludo Yes, it amuses me that they can get it so upside down!!! That meme drives me up the wall.. I tried explaining the significance on Amen Ra, Amon etc .. How amen was used by bhuddist, pagans and everyone until Christians screwed it up.. And that Amon was the first know being proclaiming a direct link between king and god (like the uk monarchy lmfao) .. Was like sewing a battleship from sand in a force ten gale.
@Nickbeee The use of " Amen " predates christianity. I seem to remember it being used at my daughters bat mitzvah. As for the divine right of kings? That goes back a long long way. The reason I think that the king is never actually taken in chess but only mated. I have posted a very detailed explanation of our church/state relationship in the UK called antidisestablishmentarianism. You might care to read it.
@273kelvin It is from Amon RA the Phaoe King .. He was the first king to claim a direct link to God (as far as anyone can tell) allegedly lol
That is really interesting about bar mitzvah as well!!!! Never knew that - it crop up from European Celtic Paganism, All across Russia, China, Japan, Indonesia and just about everywhere else !!
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