When I was a kid I asked my dad why we used eggs and rabbits symbolically for Easter. I grew up Catholic and some things did not add up. What do eggs have to do with the resurrection of Christ? Why bunnies? What do rabbits have to do with eggs!? My dad was really good at coming up with explanations, but he over explained so I knew that his story which lasted the entire drive from San Diego to Orange County that Easter was just a story made up by a very imaginative dad. Were the traditions also made up by imaginative men?
Today I know better but it took looking outside of the religion I was born into and opening up my eyes to the world around me to learn how rich and how forgotten much of our collective history is.
Here's a little bullet point list of facts regarding Easter's origins and history:
Easter before Christianity was a celebration of the Spring Equinox, with Winter over now everything was coming to life thus Fertility was very important for this celebration.
In 325AD the first major church council, the Council of Nicaea, determined that Easter should fall on the Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox. This is interesting since the day which Easter falls on is actually astrologically determined.
Rabbits and Eggs were associated with fertility by several pagan cultures in ancient times. The holidays were absorbed by Christianity and the symbols of fertility were associated with rebirth or the resurrection.
It is said that Easter comes from the Goddess of Spring, Ostara, and that the hare comes from the legend of Ostara turning a bird into a hare, thus the hare laying eggs... but there is much debate about this and not enough source information.
Springtime around the world:
In ancient times when we followed a lunar calendar, Spring marked the beginning of the year. Today many cultures still celebrate the coming of spring. In China, chūn fēn, the spring equinox, began Mar 20, and ends Apr 4 this year.
Many will travel to Mexico's Mayan sun pyramid at Chichen Itza during the spring and fall equinoctial periods, the sun appears as a snake crawling down the stairs of the structure. This symbolizes the joining of heaven, earth and the underworld. But also, large gatherings of people take place every year at Teotihucan pyramid, and thousands climb the steps to reach the top of the pyramid each day. People raise their arms towards the sky, and bask in the sun’ s heat. This takes place on either the 20 or 21st of March. Each year, thousands of people dress in white, and go to this location to soak up the energy for the new year.
In India, Holi is a beautiful festival dedicated to celebrating the end of winter and welcoming spring. The festival lasts for hours on end and includes lots of colors, celebrations, and joy. Some people throw colored powder at others while others dance and sing around fires. For safety reasons, it is advised to do some research about what happens during this event before you attend.
Today we hear about Easter the most as Christianity has adapted and incorporated the celebration of spring as symbolic honoring of the resurrection of Christ, and all possible previous pagan symbolism has likewise been absorbed and adapted. Yet, at it's core, it is synonymous with Spring and it is very obvious that culturally, at least in the US it has become a time to be with family and welcome the new season regardless of religion. For my pagan cosmic siblings out there, how do you celebrate this time of year?
Comments