Do you
celebrate "Easter"? The resurrection of Jesus is a very important celebration for us as Christians. But does the name "Easter" have anything to do with the resurrection? Why do eggs and
rabbits appear at this time of the year?
Where did the name "Easter" come from? Eostre was the Teutonic goddess of spring and a festival was held every spring called Eostur. They celebrated this pagan goddess and the new life that came from the earth.
So how did
we as Christians come to celebrate "Easter"? In the early centuries, the Roman Catholics began using the pagan name of "Easter" in the celebration of the resurrection. In
Deuteronomy 12:1-4, God tells the Israelites that they were not to use any of
the pagan objects from the lands they conquered in their worship of Him. They also were told to destroy their names from their places. We also
should not use objects or names from pagan festivals in our worship to God. The use of the
name "Easter", eggs, and rabbits (a pagan symbol for fertility) all have pagan
roots, yet every year Christian churches have these as part of their celebration of the resurrection of
Christ.
The name "Easter" does not have anything to do with the resurrection of Jesus. We cannot
take these objects that are linked to pagan practices and attach Christian
meanings to them. This is only paganism dressed up in Christian clothes! Everything about our Christian life pivots around the death, burial, and
resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He delights when we keep our focus on Him in the celebration of His works.
You may say,
“But the word Easter is in my Bible.” Our English Bibles are translations of
the Hebrew and Greek languages. The Greek word that was translated “Easter” in
the King James Bible is the word “pasca” or “Passover.” During the time of the translation of
the King James Version the Christians had started using the name "Easter" for
their religious celebration. This is why they translated the word Passover as
“Easter.”
"Easter" has
long been known as a pagan festival and the American founders knew this. When
the Puritans came over to North America, they regarded the celebration of "Easter" with suspicion! It was not until after the Civil War that Americans even
began to celebrate "Easter."
Do your own research on this and let us honor
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by taking the name "Easter" out of our
celebration of His resurrection. Instead of saying we are celebrating "Easter", let's say we are celebrating Resurrection Day. We really celebrate Resurrection Day every Sunday, but it is good to have a special focus during this time of the year.
We hope your family has a happy
Resurrection Day!
~The Silveys
