Okay, let's just say it.
Easter is a pagan festival, it isn't really about Jesus.
Today, we see a secular society celebrating the spring equinox, while religious folks celebrate the resurrection.
However, early Christianity made a decision to accept the ancient pagan celebration known today as Easter, that's what we have today.
The general symbolic story of the death of the son (sun) on a cross (the constellation of the Southern Cross, the Winter Solstice ) and the rebirth, overcoming the powers of darkness, was a story in the ancient world.
What is interesting to note here is that in the old world, wherever you had popular resurrected god myths, Christianity found lots of converts. So, eventually Christianity came to accept the pagan Spring festival.
Although we see no celebration of Easter mentioned in the New Testament, early church fathers celebrated it, and today many churches are offering "sunrise services" at Easter which is an obvious pagan solar celebration.
The date of Easter is not fixed, but instead is governed by the phases of the moon – how pagan is that?
All the fun things about Easter are pagan. Bunnies are a leftover from the pagan festival of Eostre, a great northern goddess whose symbol was a rabbit or hare.
Exchange of eggs is an ancient custom, celebrated by many cultures.
Easter is essentially a pagan festival which is now celebrated with cards, gifts and novelty Easter products, because it's fun and the ancient symbolism is still popular.
What better way to celebrate, than to bite the head off the chocolate bunny goddess, or helping yourself to a piece of pagan simnel cake?
Happy Easter everyone!
