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EASTER-
How
Did
an Ancient Pagan
Custom Become
''Christian''?
Where did Easter originate? Are Easter customs
real/y Christian? You may be astonished at the
origin
of
Easter and what the Bible says about it.
W
HAT
oo colored eggs and
bunny rabbits have to do
with Christ and H is teach–
ings? Have you ever wondered?
Where did the Easter parade and
hot-cross buns come from? What
about Easter sunrise services?
Millions of pcople assume that
these time-hallowed customs are
Christian and must therefore date
back to the early Christian Church.
Yet few know the real origin of Eas–
ter, or why the Christian-professing
world, today, observes this particu–
lar holiday.
The true story of the origin of
Easter is intriguing. In this article,
we will explore the earliest begin–
nings of the celebration of the
spring festival called Easter, dis–
cover the origins of many of today's
EASTER SUNRISE SERVICES
ore held
onnuolly ot the fomous Hollywood Bowl
in California. Multiple thousonds r ise
eorly in arder to porticipote in this mod–
ern version of an ancient rite of spring.
John Kilburn - Ploin Trulh Pholo
PLAIN TRUTH Morch 1973
byWilliom
f .
Dankenbring
Easter custorns, and see the amazing
manner
in
which this ancient cus–
tom wove its way into the fabric of
modem Christianity. No story is
more astonishing.
Day of a Pagan Godde ss
First, you should know that the
English word Eas ter and the Ger–
man
Ostern
come from a common
origin
(Eostur, Eastur, Ostara, Os–
lar),
which to the Norsemen meant
tbe season of the rising or growing
sun - the season of new birth. The
word was used by ancient Euro–
peans to designate the "Feast of
New Life" in the spring.
The word long antedates Chris–
tianity. Originally, it referred to the
celebration of the spring sun, which
had its birth in the East and brought
new life upon the earth. The ancient
Teutonic goddess of spring was ad–
dressed as
Eostre.
Easter, then, ante–
dates Christianity by centuries.
But what about the myriad cus–
toms that surround this day - the
chocolate bunnies, the Easter eggs,
the parades?
Again, you may be surprised to
learn that red, blue, yellow or green
eggs, as symbols of the renewal of
life, were part of a custom that goes
back centuries before the birth of
Christ. Eggs, a symbol of fertility in
many lands, are easily traceable to
ancient pagan !ore. So is the famous
Easter bunny. (Only the chocolate
rabbit is modern.) T h.is rapidly
breeding and multiplying animal
was an ancient symbol of fecundity.
And so modern children, eagerly
hunting for Easter eggs supposedly
deposited by a rabbit, are unknow–
ingly following an ancient fertiJity
rite.
What about the Easter parade?
Does that, too, date back to the days
of antiquity when pagans paraded
in the springtime, donning new hals
and clothes to honor their goddess
ofspring?
The answer is yes. Scholars can
trace the Easter parade to similar
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