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History of Easter
On Easter, Christians celebrate Jesus resurrection, which Christians believe occurred on the third day after being crucified. Easter is the most important religious feast in the Christian church calendar. Many pagan spring rites and symbols have become part of this celebration.
Easter's Date
Easter and the holidays related to it are not fixed in relation to the civil calendar. The date is calculated following the cycle of the moon rather than that of the sun and the seasons, as does our civil calendar. Easter may fall between late March and late April each year.
Easter's Name
The name of Easter derives from Eostre, an ancient Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn. Spring is considered as the dawn of the year, therefore a pagan festival was held in her honor during this season. Being associated with spring she was also associated with fertility, as the earth becomes fertile again during spring. Thus, the rabbit, the most fertile animal known at the time, was the symbol of the goddess.
History of the Easter Egg
In pagan times, the egg represented the rebirth of the earth. Many pagan spring rituals involved eggs due to spring being the season when the earth is reborn. During Christianity, the egg's symbolism of the earth's rebirth changed to represent the rebirth of man, such as the resurrection of Jesus on Easter.
History of the Easter Rabbit
During pagan times, the hare and the rabbit were the most fertile animals known, therefore, they served as symbols of the new life during the spring season. They were worshipped by Anglo-Saxons during the festival held in spring for Eostre, their fertility goddess.
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