What do bunnies and eggs have to do with Jesus?

Question

It seems a little strange that fertility symbols from the worship of the pagan goddess Oestre (Easter) would be used to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus... should a Christian really be involved in celebrating Easter? Please support your answer with scriptural references ;)

Answer 1

It's not True Christian



Jesus told his followers to remember his death, which occurred on Nisan 14, A.D. 33. His followers were to celebrate his death by keeping the Lord’s evening meal each year at that date. “Keep doing this,” said Jesus, “in remembrance of me.” (1 Cor. 11:24, NW) What about his resurrection on Nisan 16, A.D. 33? Jesus gave no command to celebrate it. Nor did the apostles who talked with the resurrected Christ give any command to celebrate his resurrection. His death was the only event to be memorialized by a Christian feast.



Since Easter is not authorized by the Bible, where did it and its name come from? In the book Great Catholic Festivals, by Jesuit James L. Monks, there are some clues. This book, bearing the imprimatur of Cardinal Spellman, tells us on page 33: “It often happens that when pagans are converted to Christianity they retain some of the customs of their former life and Christianize them, as it were. The pagan Anglo-Saxons used to celebrate a festival of their goddess of spring, who was named Eôstre. When they became Christians and celebrated our great festival, which always comes in the spring, they kept the old name which became our Easter.”



It becomes apparent, then, that Easter is a pagan name and that the event is associated with a pagan goddess of spring. But let us now go back to the time when Easter got its official start. It was A.D. 325, long after Christ’s resurrection. By now apostasy had set in and there were many false Christians, Christians in name only. The pagan emperor Constantine was one of them. Constantine, who was still chief priest of the Roman pagan religion, assembled a large number of these apostate Christians together at the Council of Nicaea.

Answer 2

Not a thing as they are symbols of fertility and connected to pagan observation of Oestre or Easter. It is not the resurrection that is all important but the death and Ascension in to heaven to be at the right hand of Jehovah that is. The only thing we as Christians are to observe is the Memorial of Jesus's death. It will be celebrated March 22nd after sundown. If you read and study the scriptures you will see that Jesus was on earth 40 days from resurrection to Ascension.

Answer 3

Nothing really. Christ was resurrected around the 6th of April. It just so happens that a pagan God is worshipped on the same day. Somewhere in the early life of Christianity (Catholicism) someone put 2 and 2 together and came up with a fertility, life thing that correlates. I have no scriptures for you. You already should know all the scriptures that talk of the resurrection of Christ. Mathew, Mark, Luke, John, and many old Testament prophets. It is the greatest event for all mankind. All will be resurrected. The event on Thursday night is the most significant event. That is when, in the Garden of Gethsemanee he took upon himself the sins of the world.

Answer 4

OK Modern day religions especially Jedo-Islamic-Christianity, are nothing more than a jumble of stories from the ancients who worshiped astrology (provided they are in the northern hemisphere). Halloween, marks the onset of "death" as most died during this time, winter. Christmas is the turning point where the Sun stops moving south in the horizon, pauses for three days (notice any similarities with Christianity? Also the three wise men were stars that lined up at around the 25th of December pointing to the sun) then starts it journey back toward the spring equinox ( "darkness is overtaken by light") and the days become longer and warmer. What better way to celebrate this than with a fuzzy warm bunny, eggs symbolize new birth and fertilization of the ground.

Just think, if fossil fuels would have been in use starting 12k years ago, god would not be referred to as the "light", but possibly as the "dark stuff that burns" or "thick ooze" etc.

Answer 5

they have no longer something to do with one yet another. The remembrance of the dying and resurrection of Jesus some distance outweighs previous pagan rituals. Handing out candy or ingesting an egg is a few thing that's truly useful to do for exciting yet the two are no longer related in any way nor does it have the comparable meaning that pagans gave it. do no longer you detect it ironic that Jesus has lots extra magnitude on at present? Any day that Jesus is remembered makes each thing else insignificant. and that's the way it consistently would be.

Answer 6

Has nothing to do with the Bible.



It is pagan, taken by RC church centuries after the Bible was done to get pagans into the church.



They denounced the Bible celebration of Jesus death on Nisan 14 as heretics. So they only Bible commanded holy day is considered Satanic/heretic by mainline churches.



Lutheran Encyclopedia Easter entry....

Easter.

The day of Christ's resurrection from the dead. “Easter duty” obligates RCs to receive Holy Communion at Easter time (1st Sunday in Lent to Trin. Sunday in the US; Ash Wednesday to Low* Sunday in Eng.; Ash Wednesday to the octave of SS. Peter and Paul [July 6] in Ireland; 1st Sunday in Lent to the octave of the Ascension in Scot., or in some places to Low Sunday). See also Church Year; Easter Controversy; Pasch; Sunday Letter.



Easter Controversy.

Arose from lack of uniform time of celebrating the Christian Passover. The E Ch. commemorated the death of Christ on the 14th (hence “Quartodecimans,” from Lat. for “14th”) of Nisan, and as a result on any day of the week; the W commemorated the death of Christ on a Friday and the resurrection on the Sunday following. The former practice emphasized Christ's death, the latter His resurrection. The difference was discussed by Polycarp* and Anicetus.* Under Victor* I it almost led to a schism. The 325 Council of Nicaea* declared itself against the Quartodecimans, who were henceforth treated as heretics. In the W the controversy was ended by the Syn. of Whitby.* See also Church Year, 7; Polycrates; Sunday Letter.



Easter Dates.

Gregory* XIII ordered the Julian calendar revised 1582 in this way, that Thursday, October 4, be followed by Friday, October 15, giving the month 21 days that yr.; the Eng. parliament adopted this New Style when it ordered that in 1752 Wednesday, September 2, be followed by Thursday, September 14, giving the month 19 days that yr. The resultant calendar in common use among us is New Style Gregorian (see Gregorian Calendar), with Easter dates (“M” is March. “A” is April):



http://www.lcms.org/ca/www/cyclopedia/02/display.asp?t1=E&t2=a



The Roman Catholic ones say even worse about the pagan origin and name of the goddess yet do not correct themselves. Hebrews 10:26



Easter

The English term, according to the Ven. Bede (De temporum ratione, I, v), relates to Estre, a Teutonic goddess of the rising light of day and spring, which deity, however, is otherwise unknown, even in the Edda (Simrock, Mythol., 362); Anglo-Saxon, eâster, eâstron; Old High German, ôstra, ôstrara, ôstrarûn; German, Ostern. April was called easter-monadh. The plural eâstron is used, because the feast lasts seven days. Like the French plural Pâques, it is a translation from the Latin Festa Paschalia, the entire octave of Easter. The Greek term for Easter, pascha, has nothing in common with the verb paschein, "to suffer," although by the later symbolic writers it was connected with it; it is the Aramaic form of the Hebrew pesach (transitus, passover). The Greeks called Easter the pascha anastasimon; Good Friday the pascha staurosimon. The respective terms used by the Latins are Pascha resurrectionis and Pascha crucifixionis. In the Roman and Monastic Breviaries the feast bears the title Dominica Resurrectionis; in the Mozarbic Breviary, In Lætatione Diei Pasch Resurrectionis; in the Ambrosian Breviary, In Die Sancto Paschæ. The Romance languages have adopted the Hebrew-Greek term: Latin, Pascha; Italian, Pasqua; Spanish, Pascua; French, Also some Celtic and Teutonic nations use it: Scottish, Pask; Dutch, Paschen; The correct word in Dutch is actually Paasen Danish, Paaske; Swedish, Pask; even in the German provinces of the Lower Rhine the people call the feast Paisken not Ostern. The word is, principally in Spain and Italy, identified with the word "solemnity" and extended to other feasts, e.g. Sp., Pascua florida, Palm Sunday; Pascua de Pentecostes, Pentecost; Pascua de la Natividad, Christmas; Pascua de Epifania, Epiphany. In some parts of France also First Communion is called Pâques, whatever time of the year administered.



Debbie

Answer 7

Nothing...unless you take the apostasy into account.

No, a Christian should NOT be celebrating this pagan custom.

Unless, of course...

YOU don't mind...

[offending the one true God; see Jer 7:18}



Llloonngg b4 I came into the truth

I had wondered about this as well.



When I started studying w/ Jehovah's Witnesses,

I would research Everything I was being taught...

otherwise; "How could I be sure,

I was being taught the truth ?...? ummm?

when I found out it was of pagan origin / religion,

I was awed...so that's where the rabbits & eggs came from.



The origin of easter & the customs associated w/ it:



In the book The Two Babylons, by Alexander Hislop,

we read: "What means the term Easter itself ?

~~~It is not a Christian name.~~~

~~It bears a Chaldean origin on its very forehead.~~

Easter is nothing else than Astarte,

one of the titles of Beltis, the queen of heaven,

whose name,... as found by Layard on the Assyrian monuments, is Ishtar....

~~~Such is the history of Easter.~~~

The popular observances that still attend the period of its celebration amply confirm the testimony of history as to its Babylonian character.

The hot cross buns of Good Friday, and

the dyed eggs of Pasch or

Easter Sunday,

figured in the Chaldean rites just as they do now."-----

(New York,1943) pp. 103,107,108;

compare Jeremiah 7:18.



Jeremiah 7:18:

The sons are picking up sticks of wood,

and the fathers are lighting the fire,

and the wives are kneading flour dough in order to make

sacrificial cakes to the 'queen of the heavens' ;

and there is a pouring out of drink offerings to other gods

for the purpose of offending me.

Answer 8

About in the 200AD area the "Catholic" group started to make what you could all waves just to allow other groups of people from any & every area around the world. That is 1 reason that there is NO SNOW around when CHRIST died.



As when CHRIST Himself died it was just after The Festival of Matzah known as PESECH. It occurs at our Easter. When is our Easter?? SPRING...



Christ Himself was born in the Summertime (July) as if you look back to when a COMET was going over at that point, you will see the date is in JULY not December.

Answer 9

Your reasoning is backwards. Christianity took the pagan symbols & festivities and added Jesus & the resurrection to them. Oestre was celebrated at this time of year, long before Jesus was.

Answer 10

Scriptural references?



Your question wrongly assumes bunnies and eggs have anything to do with Jesus.



Easter is in the Spring. Many critters take advantage of the time to have little critters. (Hence, bunnies and eggs.) Spring being the "new life" and, in a sense, resurrection, time of year. (In the sense that some critters awaken; plants "resurrect" from their dormant state.)

Answer 11

Bunnies and Eggs are about springtime and renewal and have nothing to do with Jesus. How you celebrate Christian holidays that have evolved into secular holidays is a personal decision, personally I don't think god would care if you added some chocolate bunnies and games hiding eggs to a Christian holiday to help get kids excited about their religion. It's no different from Santa and penguins at Christmas.

Answer 12

Jesus wasn't born with an egg tooth



rabbits are mammals

symbology in culture shouldn't be over simplified

Answer 13

Who knows.



Makes about as much sense as the Demonic Halloween Satan Pumpkin representing the cleaning out of our wicked hearts and filled with His Light.

Answer 14

Robin is absolutely right. You have added Jesus to Easter.



I see no reason why you can't celebrate both Jesus' resurrection AND the dawning of spring, rebirth, renewal, etc.

Answer 15

Look we don't support gods and stop trying to do that...

The egg represents Birth.....Like a birth

A baptisms is a birth of new Life

An egg is a beginning

And I don't think there scripture on an egg...

Answer 16

yes we know.. Jesus had nothing to do with bunnys and eggs.i think the christens should re name the day that Jesus died and rose to Jesus day and let the pagans have there Holiday back.

Answer 17

Of course Cristians should celebrate Easter. It is the day that Christ rose from the dead.



Easter eggs are for a new beginning. They were originally died red because of the blood Christ shed for our sins.



They also, used to think hares laid eggs because they made burrows and resembles the lapwing nest.

Answer 18

Sweet.



http://www.religioustolerance.org/spequi2.htm

.

Answer 19

It has absolutely nothing to do with Christs resurrection,as you pointed out! Thanks! Many integrate pagan beliefs into their religion with the excuse like"its for the kids" If they wanted to do something for the kids they should tell them the truth not fairy tales.

Answer 20

Didn't you see that informative episode of south park? Turns out St. Petter was a rabbit....aka Petter Rabbit.

Answer 21

Christianity is a result of the most successful marketing campaign in the history of the world.

Answer 22

you are missing the link with chickens and dyed eggs



ps it is more to show that spring is near and they use pastel colors and "spring like" animals

Answer 23

I already told you that the Easter Bunny is one of the Origenal (sic) Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Answer 24

Absolutely nothing! (It is no different than takin' your kid to an amusement park or to an arcade!).

Answer 25

Maybe its a hint that Mary was not quite the virgin she said she was.

Answer 26

nothing

Answer 27

Nothing!



EASTER NOT FOUND IN THE BIBLE

"The English word 'Easter' came from the Anglo-Saxon Eastre or Estera, a Teutonic goddess to whom sacrifice was offered in April, so the name was transferred to the Pashal Feast. The word does not properly occur in Scripture although the AV (King James Translation) has it in ACTS 12:4 where it stands for 'Passover' as it is rightly rendered in RV (Revised Version). There is no trace of Easter celebration in the New Testament..." (INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPEDIA VOL.2, P.889). The word 'Easter' has confused some but the word in the original form is "Pascha" meaning "Passover". It occurs 29 times in the New Testament & everytime it's translated Passover except in Acts 12:4. If you read carefully (ACTS 12:1-4); it says that Herod killed James and was trying to kill Peter in an effort to "vex the church"(Please the Jews). Then in VERSE 3 "were the days of unleavened bread"; see LEV.23. He put him in prison intending to try him "after Easter" (KJV). Now if Herod was trying to "please the Jews" & "vex the church" Why would he have delayed the trial until after 'Easter?'" If this was a "Christian holy day", especially one in honoring Christ's resurrection, he would surely not be pleasing the Jews, Wouldn't it be more pleasing to the Jews to vex the church by killing one of it's Apostles on it's own "holy-day," would it not?



ORIGIN OF EASTER: WHERE DID IT COME FROM?

Easter was never observed by the Apostles of Christ or Christ's Religion. "The name 'Easter' comes to us from the mythlogical writings of the Ancient Teucrians (who lived 1200BC along the southern coast of Palestine) where it's known as 'Ostern'" BY GROVER STEVENS. "The name 'Easter' is merely the slightly changed English spelling of the name of the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian idol goddess, Ishtar (pronounced eesh-tar)." WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY says "Easter is from the pre-historic name of a pagan spring festival." THE OXFORD DICTIONARY OF ENGLISH ETYMOLOGY says, "Easter is derived from the name of goddess whose feast was celebrated at the vernal equinox." THE SCHOLARY NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA says, "This goddess is also widely known as Astarte...The cult originated in Babylonia and spread to Assyria, Mesopotamia, Syria & Palestine, then through the Phoenicians to all of the Meditteranean peoples...Ishtar was in fact primarily and chiefly identified as Venus, the most beautiful of celestial objects & from the terrestrial side, the primarily motive of the worship of Ishtar was the impulse to deify sensuous and sensuality." ALEXANDER HISLOP SAYS IN THE TWO BABYLONS (P.103), "Easter bears its Chaldean origin on its forehead. Easter is nothing else than Asarte, one of the titles of Beltis, the queen of heaven..."

http://family.webshots.com/photo/1370351068049373547hLMhYB

http://www.matrifocus.com/IMB04/spotlight.htm

http://www.albatrus.org/english/festivals/easter/is_easter_pagan.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishtar

http://www.lcg.org/search/search.php?query=easter&type=and&results=10&search=1

http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/cgi-bin/tw/telecast/tw-telecast.cgi?category=Media1&item=1104435600



The Easter Bunny and eggs deal with fertility of the goddess Ishtar. "Eggs, the obvious symbols of fertility and reproduction, were used in ancient fertility rites. They were painted with various magical symbols and then cast into fires or buried in the earth as offerings to the Goddess. In certain parts of the world, Spring Equinox eggs were painted yellow or gold (sacred solar colors) and used in rituals to honor the Sun God. Easter, like every other Christian religious holiday is rich with an abundance of Pagan overtones, customs and traditions such as Easter eggs and Easter bunny. Eggs, as previously discussed were ancient fertility symbols and offerings to the Goddess of the Pagans and Witches in both western and eastern cultures, including the Goddess Ostara, whose escort was a rabbit. "

http://www.nobleknights.com/~eagle1/eostre1.htm



Easter Bunny Origination

http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-&p=easter%20bunny%20come%20from--Ishtar--pagan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Bunny



EASTER EGGS

Note: these sites tell where Easter Eggs came from.

http://www.nobleknights.com/~eagle1/eostre1.htm

http://www.rightdivision.com/html/easter_pagan_influences.html



VERSES-- DEUT.4:19,28-31; 11:26-28; 17:3 & GAL.4:8-10.



EXODUS 20:3 = "Thou shalt not have other gods before me." It tells us in verse 5 = "not to bow to them nor serve them".

(Pagan means no religious beliefs; in the 1984 New Concise Webster's Dictionary--Pagan defined : "A heathen; one having no religious beliefs")



Here are the texts of gods that should not be worshipped:

EXOD.20:23; 32:3,4,8-10,19-23,30

DEUT.4:19,28-31; 11:26-28; 17:3

JER.10

EZEK.8:13-18

DAN. 3:1-18 (tried to make Daniel's friends to bow to the image, but they didn't)



New Testament Texts:

GAL.4:8-10 (pagan feasts are: New Year's, Valentine's-Cupid, Patrick's Day, Easter-Ishtar, Halloween, Christmas, Sunday-sun{from sunset Sat. to sunset Sunday = GEN.1:5), Monday-moon-{worship after sunset Sunday which would be Sunday evening(Sun.even to Mon.even)= considered to be Monday according to GEN.1:8}. Birthdays come from pagan origin too. = (only 2 birthdays are mentioned in Bible; they are: Pharoah and King Herod)

You can find most of things in sources like encyclopedias, history, etc. that tell you it's pagan or that it comes from pagan origin.

*******************************************

As for Jesus's resurrection; Jesus wasn't resurrected Easter Sunday.

A good foundation (1Tim.6:19) has solid ground evidence. The foundation should include 2Tim.3:16; Isaiah 28:9-10; 2Peter 1:19-21; 1Thess.5:20-21 & Ephes.5:9-10,13. To understand deeply--you must use these websites:

http://www.bbmhp.org/visaids/nt/crucweek.html

http://lcg.org/search/search.php?query=sunday&%24results_per_page=10&search=1



If you read Daniel 9:27; it says "he died in the middle of the week"; that would be Wednesday. This is followed by "3 days & 3 nights" = Matthew 12:40 which equals 1-24hr.day x 3days equals 72hrs. in grave. Next the Bible tells us it would be "after 3days" and not before = Matt.27:63-64 and Mark 8:31. It tells us in three days (John 2:19-21) and not after. The Bible also reminds us a day is 12hrs. not including the night(John 11:9-10). Remember also Gen.1:5 and Lev.23:32 tells us "evening to evening" is considered to be a day.



HEBREW CALENDAR-month of Abib or Nisan (APRIL 31AD)

**JESUS DIED WEDNESDAY APRIL 14, 31AD at 3pm.



Wednesday 14

Lord's Supper--Tues.Even

Put in grave Wed.Even

LEV.23:5--[14TH DAY=PASSOVER]

DAN.9:27--["DIED IN MIDST OF WEEK"]

JOHN 13:1; 18:39--[FEAST OF PASSOVER]

JOHN 19:14,31--[PREPARATION OF PASSOVER; NEXT DAY WAS A SABBATH HIGH DAY]

LUKE 22:13--[PASSOVER]

MATT.27:57--[EVENING CAME AND JOSEPH BEGGED THE BODY OF JESUS]

MARK 14:12; 15:42--[PREPARE TO EAT PASSOVER; THE DAY BEFORE THE SABBATH]]

LUKE 23:54--[SABBATH DREW ON]



Dictionary: Drew=to pull or drag. On=over & in contact with.



Thursday 15

Wed.Even= 1night

Thurs.Even=1day

Annual Sabbath

Feast of Unleavened Bread

NO WORK!

EXODUS 13:3,4,6,7--[NO LEAVENED BREAD; MONTH OF ABIB; ONLY EAT UNLEAVENED BREAD FOR 7 DAYS]

LEVITICUS 23:6-7--[15TH DAY; HOLY CONVOCATION]

MATT.27:63-64--[AFTER 3 DAYS]

**CLUE = MATT.26:5 --[NOT ON THE FEAST DAY]

ISAIAH 66:23



Friday 16

THURS. EVEN= 1 NIGHT

FRIDAY EVEN = 1DAY

PREPARATION DAY

MARK 16:1--[probably Thurs.Even or Friday morning--BOUGHT SPICES AFTER SABBATH]

LUKE 23:56--[PREPARED SPICES BEFORE WEEKLY SABBATH]

**NOTES--YOU HAVE TO BUY BEFORE YOU CAN PREPARE! ALSO IT TAKES ALL DAY TO PREPARE SPICES!



Saturday 17

FRIDAY EVEN=1 NIGHT

SAT.EVEN= JESUS ROSE! = 1 DAY

WEEKLY SABBATH

"SEVENTH DAY"= 7TH DAY

NO WORK!

GEN.2:2

EXOD.20:8-11

LEV.23:3

HEB.3:18-19; 4:1-11

MARK 2:27-28

REV.14:7,12

**NOTES= SABBATH IN ENCYCLOPAEDIA AMERICANA, VOL.24, PP.68-69 AND/OR DICTIONARY.



Sunday 18

SAT.EVEN

SUN.EVEN

"FIRST DAY"= 1ST DAY

GENESIS 1:5

MATT.28:1,6,13

MARK 16:6,9

LUKE 24:1,3,6

JOHN 20:1,19

**NOTE: COULDN'T OF BOUGHT BECAUSE MARY & MARY MAGDALENE WENT TO THE GRAVE AFTER THE SABBATH.

THE NEW AMERICAN ROGET'S COLLEGE THESAURUS--

DAWN=DARK, EVENING, TWILIGHT, ETC.



Now I know this is true because the MAJORITY(Matt.7:13) is always wrong. Also there's many clues that it wasn't a Friday crucifixion and a Sunday resurrection; look at 2Tim.2:18. But you will point out Mark 16:9 which says "Now when Jesus was risen[the perfect tense is correct here--he was already risen] early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene." Now the original Greek didn't have no punctuation. If the King James translators put a comma after the word "risen" and not after "week", this would make complete sense. The Centenary Translation renders it this way: "Now after his resurrection, early on the first day of the week he appeared first to Mary Magdalene

http://family.webshots.com/photo/2504347540049373547CSHBBj

http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/cgi-bin/tw/tw-mag.cgi?category=Magazine29&item=1104248897