The Archbishop of York objects to chocolate eggs; should he not also object to the term 'Easter'?

Question

The word 'easter' derives from the pagan goddess of fertility (eggs and hares etc.) and was celebrated on 21st. March.
The French word 'Pâques' derives from the Hebrew word 'passach' - passover, and is in no way related to any pagan belief.
Jesus was crucified at the end of Passover.

Answer 1

Oh dear, hasn't this made them rave!



Just from memory, the Latin, which predates the French, is Pasqua, and the lamb of Christian imagery is called a Paschal Lamb in heraldry.

The English word Easter is closer to the German Ostern, which is, as you say, pre-Christian.



I think we and everyone else should ignore John Sentamu. His periodic ravings are an embarrassment to the Church of England, he was only appointed as a sop to the Afro-Caribbean community (and I've been told that the Caribbean majority of that community find him an embarrassment too), and I'm sure most people would be happier if he were to retire on health grounds.

Answer 2

Nous - I am sorry to spoil your fun, but Easter is not a pagan festival (come to that Christians don't worship it but celebrate it, but never mind.) It is supposed to correspond with Passover for obvious reasons.

The goddess Eostre never existed. The Venerable Bede, trying to reconcile the fact that Easter was called 'Easter' in England and variations on the word 'Pasch (from Pesach, Passover) on the Continent, speculated that the word was derived from a goddess called Eostre. As this is the only mention of her anywhere in antiquity it is a fair bet that she never actually existed.

Rabbits were only established in the wild in England in the 12th century, so their chances of being a pagan symbol of spring are not great. It seems more likely that they gained an association with Easter in the 18th century, when rabbit shaped cakes, accompanied by representations of droppings were popular in Germany.

An egg is a fairly obvious symbol of the resurrection - something apparently dead which breaks open to reveal life.

Do remember that when the Puritans (for instance) objected to 'pagan' festivals being celebrated they actually thought the festivals were too Catholic.

Answer 3

A person can know with certainty Catholicism is the One True Faith by reciting daily and with care the angelic psalter of the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.

Answer 4

You could be right, except Jesus wasn't crucified.

Answer 5

As a Christian who does not celebrate Easter, partly because I don't see it as a Christian day promoted by Christ, I see the quagmire involved with trying to get other people into what I might be sensitive about. So I don't do that. Romans 14 gets into that; one man sees one day above another, another sees every day alike, let each one be convinced in his own mind. That sort of thing. So, I give my opinion out when it is asked for, but I really do not try to change people's mind over to my mind. That is what legalists do; they try to make whatever everyone else is doing a sin. I'd like it much more if I don't do it if I can help it.

Answer 6

Easter is set by the first full moon after the vernal equinox. This is the one day in the year when day and night are roughly equal!



It varies by more than a month over the years and so it simply cannot represent the date of anyone's death!!!



It is in fact a combination of several pagan festivals most notably the spring festival.



The name Easter comes from “Eastre” an Anglo-Saxon pagan goddess. Also the Norse goddess,Ostara who took her name from the Teutonic lunar goddess Eostre



Even the Chinese have the festival of Ching Ming where flowers and sweets are put on their ancestors graves!!



The egg and the rabbit are symbols of springtime and rebirth along with the custom of giving flowers etc!!



The Venerable Bede, an early Christian writer pointed out that the Christian church absorbed Pagan practices when it found the population unwilling to give up the festivals. Thus a lot of what Christians now see as Christians practices are in fact pagan!!!



The Pope said last year that Easter should now have a set date to make it Chrsitian!



Fun to watch the Christians worshiping a pagan festival though - makes it just like Christmas when they do the same thing!!!



Christians are getting so desperate to force their religion onto others!