I was browsing the web last night, gathering nuggets about the origin of Easter. I knew it's origin was not, of course, as a Christian holiday. With their usual political panache, Christian leaders adapted various events in the life of Christ to existing pagan holidays. After all, how did we end up with bunnies and eggs symbolizing the resurrection of Christ? Or Santa Claus at the birth of Christ? Perhaps he was he the fourth Wise Man - unmentioned until later?
I did find a number of new and interesting things in my search last night, however. Not only related to the rabbits and eggs (I often heard friends ask over the years why a rabbit would be found with eggs - an explanation at last), but to the name Easter, itself! In a website called
there was the winning article (in my personal contest) called "Exploring the Origins of Easter" authored by Shawna Burreson. I'm not sure if Eastern religions celebrate this holiday, or if they do who their goddess might be...maybe I should have asked
OK, I'm kidding - but with his personality he would probably have enjoyed the question. Such a great sense of humor this holy man has...the best giggle... You can read the article in it's entirety here:
Named for a goddess whose symbols include rabbits and eggs, Easter is a mix of modern-day religion and pagan pratices.
While most Americans celebrate Easter with pastel gift baskets filled
with colored eggs and chocolate bunnies, others know the holiday of
light and rebirth by a different name—Ostara.
Celebrated today as one of the eight sabbats of the neo-pagan
religion Wicca, Ostara's roots are as ancient as they are varied. Known
by many names, including Eostre, Austre and Eastre, the day is named
after a goddess of springtime in almost every culture she was found in,
including along the Mediterranean Sea, the British Isles and northern
Europe.
The word Ostara itself is of Germanic origin, where she was revered
as the Great Mother Goddess. But even goddesses of love and beauty—such
as Aphrodite in ancient Greece and Freya of Norse mythology—share
several characteristics with Ostara, including her notable companion,
the rabbit.
Celebrated at Spring Eqinox on March 21, Ostara marks the day when
light is equal to darkness, and will continue to grow. As the bringer of
dawn to the world after a long winter, the goddess was often depicted
with the hare, an animal that represents the arrival of spring as well
as the fertility of the season. In earlier times, a crop's fertility was
of significant importance, as was human fertility.
A time of rebirth for nature and all its creatures, when bunnies
multiply and buds long dormant are coaxed to blossom by longer days and
warmer weather, one of the most revered aspects of Ostara for both
ancient and modern observers is a spirit of renewal. Round, endless and
full of the promise of life, nothing symbolizes renewal more perfectly
than the egg.
In Germanic traditions, it is said that Ostara healed a wounded bird
she found in the woods by changing it into a hare. Still partially a
bird, the hare showed its graditude to the goddess by laying
eggs as gifts.
With so many cultures honoring a springtime goddess, countless ways
exist to celebrate it, especially when it comes to eggs. For some, it
was customary to bake a cake out of them. Still well known today, the
saying "that takes the cake!" is actually based on cakes prepared for a
traditional Easter celebration in the old days in Ireland and Scotland,
acording to
Kindling the Celtic Spirit by Mara Freeman.
Touted as a symbol of the abundance of spring, the cake was often
decorated with flowers and animals—both real and imaginary—and placed at
a crossroads, where people danced around in a circle vying for the
title of best dancer. The winner's prize was the cake.
Another way to pay homage to the goddess is simply by connecting to
nature. Irish Celtics held a deep reverance for nature that carried over
to Christian times, and they believed trees were among nature's most
sacred beings. Many of their heros were named after trees, and it was
once illegal to cut certain trees down.
Taking a walk, going for a picnic, gardening or even planting a tree
are all ways modern observers of Ostara can celebrate the holiday. For
many, enjoying nature just isn't the same without a crackling fire, and
that's probably as true today as it was in olden times. Luckily,
bonfires were also a huge tradition wherever Ostara was celebrated.
Not only did fires siginify the new light brought into the world, the
burning of wood released the spirit of the trees and assured fertile
lands for future harvests.
While many of these celebrations were practised alongside Christian
Easter traditions, they were eventually replaced by the new religion,
which shared strong similarities to earlier pagan festivals, such as
Roman ones around the spring equinox in 200 B.C. honoring Cybele and
the resurrection of her consort, the god Attis.
A later version of the Greek god, Dionysus, Attis was known for being
born to a virgin mother and for the remarkable fact that he was reborn
every year.
No matter what country or century it's practiced, Easter has managed
to retain the same spirit of renewal, rebirth and the return of light.
Whether a religious holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus
Christ or a time for family to get together, decorate some eggs and
revel in all things bunny related, the true meaning of springtime lives
on today.
