by M. Bradley McCauley
Member since:
April 21, 2006

Easter and Pagan Advent of Spring

March 23, 2012 11:02 AM UTC (Updated: March 23, 2012 11:11 AM UTC)
views: 0 | 15 people recommend this | comments: 22

 

Easter celebrations were held hundreds of years before Christ was born as festivals of spring honoring Eostre, the great mother goddess of the Saxons. This name was fashioned after the ancient word for spring, Easter.

 

The goddess Ostara was the Norse equivalent whose symbols were the hare and the egg. From this comes our modern tradition of celebrating Easter with eggs and bunnies.



Pope Gregory the Great ordered his missionaries to use old religious sites and festivals and absorb them into Christian rituals where possible.


The Easter sunrise service is derived from the ancient pagan practice of welcoming the sun on the morning of the spring equinox, marking the beginning of spring.

The ancient Babylonian religions had rituals involving dyed eggs, as did the ancient Egyptians.

The Christian version of Easter is celebrated after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.The pagan rituals were celebrating the birth of spring.

The green grass symbols in Easter baskets, pastel hued painted eggs, marshmallow bunnies, all symbolize the advent of Spring.



 

 




Comments: 22

Richard Lynn Livesay Mar 23, 2012, 11:43am UTC
thanks for the easter history lesson...cultures and religions share many things...I found that the Acadian King, Sargon was put into a basket of reeds as a baby and floated down a river

thanks for sharing with Surreal circus
M. Bradley McCauley Mar 23, 2012, 12:07pm UTC
shades of Moses. Thanks for the info.
Len Maxwell Mar 23, 2012, 12:25pm UTC
An excellent compilation of facts concerning Easter.

Thanks for sharing with The Triple Name Club.
Rachel D. Mar 23, 2012, 12:39pm UTC
And reproduction - spring is the time of spawning! Everyone go to the zoo and see all the pregnant and new mommies. :D
William M. Mar 23, 2012, 12:39pm UTC
Excellent job. Very interesting,.
Pam Brittain Mar 23, 2012, 3:30pm UTC
Thank you, I didn't now much of this and it's fascinating. It also tells me why I was laughed at as a kid, because I would say eternal equinox, thinking that was absolutely correct. Oops - vernal equinox.
Peter Joseph Swanson Mar 23, 2012, 4:56pm UTC
Happy Easter! Everything certainly seems to rise from the dead in MN!
Peter Joseph Swanson Mar 24, 2012, 8:15pm UTC
(in "spring" that is, I mean, LOL)
libramoon .. Mar 23, 2012, 5:04pm UTC
http://www.wisdom-of-astrology.com/astrostarsarticles/aries-new-moon-spring-equinox-2012
Aries New Moon & Spring Equinox 2012

Susan N. Mar 23, 2012, 5:48pm UTC
Yes, seems the early Christian kings wanted to make Christianity palatable for all......

Love all the Easter and spring celebrations!
Vj McMullan Mar 23, 2012, 8:17pm UTC
Interesting
Kathryn Flynn Mar 23, 2012, 10:35pm UTC
Very good
Larry H. Mar 23, 2012, 11:33pm UTC
THANKS FOR SHARING
Anita D. Mar 24, 2012, 2:29am UTC
Persian New Year is near the Spring Equinox. One of the items is a plate with decorated eggs ... 1 egg for each member of the core family.

In the article "The New Year of Iranian Peoples", author Dr. Ali Jafari, states that Norooz had its origins some fifteen thousand years ago, during the reign of the mythical Persian King Jamshid. Since life, at that time, revolved around the seasons, spring was seen as a time of new growth, new life and that of abundance. According to Dr. Jafari, it was Jamshid who introduced and started the Norooz celebrations. The prophet Zoroaster, however, later added and put in place the many additional festivals and rituals associated with this celebration. To Zoroastrians, Norooz was a celebration of Ahura Mazda and the Holy Fire.

Read more at Suite101: Norooz: Persian New Year: The Customs and History of New Day Celebrations | Suite101.com http://cyrus-dehkan.suite101.com/norooz-a19564#ixzz1q0sWnsWg
Jan S. Mar 24, 2012, 3:43am UTC
Pagan or not, Easter is a hopeful season with wonderful traditions. Interesting to know how these came about.
Sharon P. Mar 24, 2012, 2:44pm UTC
Many of the old God types had the same rituals of the dying and resurrected young God to bring the harvest.
CL Mareydt Mar 24, 2012, 3:00pm UTC
A big Hallmark Card day ... oops that's another ritual!
Angela A. Mar 24, 2012, 10:27pm UTC
Lovely post, thank you
Ms Lee P. Mar 25, 2012, 4:01pm UTC
I actually knew all this and I'm delighted to see that someone has actually written about Easter's orgin for all of Gather to read. I don't think God had the Easter Bunny in mind when Jesus arose from the grave. I've eaten my share of dyed Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies in my life and I sure hope God doesn't get mad at me for getting it all mixed up with Jesus's resurection. I wonder if God compromises?
Marilyn S. Mar 26, 2012, 1:46am UTC
If we take out all the ancient traditions (those before Jesus) I wonder how many families would still celebrate Easter and how would they be celebrating?
Patricia J. Mar 26, 2012, 8:13am UTC
Thank you, Mary for the information on the ancient rituals that now coincide with Easter.
Jean R B. Mar 30, 2012, 10:58am UTC
Thank you, Mary I had forgotten most of this.

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