Is observation of easter pagan?

[Bradigans]

Should bona fide sons of God be celebrating/observing pagan holidays such as easter? What does a bunny have to do with anything? Someone told me that easter really celebrates some goddess of fertility... Does anyone else have anything on this?

[Ivellious]

Some Christian holidays (Christmas included) were given dates that did not correspond to what they were celebrating, but rather they were designated to coincide with different major pagan holidays. This was done either to disrupt the previously-in-place pagan holiday or to make it easier for missionaries to convert the pagans by making the Christian holidays similar to the pagan ones. For instance, the Christmas tree is directly taken from the pagan holiday that Christmas later overlapped.

I don't think that makes it "bad" to celebrate these holidays as such...It is good to be educated on the matter though so you don't sound silly when somebody asks you what the significance of December 25 is. Hint: don't say Jesus was born on that day That was some time in May.

[Katabole]

Hi Bradigans

Well, the word Easter only occurs once in the KJV translation of the Bible.

Acts 12:4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

The word Easter from Strong's concordance is:

3957
pasca
pas'-khah
of Chaldee origin (compare pecach 6453); the Passover (the meal, the day, the festival or the special sacrifices connected with it)

The Greek word Pasca occurs I believe 27 times in the New Testament and it is transliterated 26 times as the English word Passover. It was mistransliterated in Acts 12:4 as Easter and it should read "Passover".

From what I understand, the name originates from a pagan goddess Ishtar. Yes, you are right. She was fertility goddess associated with the blessing of planting crops in the spring of the year. A festival commemorating her was held on the first full moon after the Spring Equinox. During this festival men would roll eggs down a hill and whichever man had his egg roll to the bottom of the hill without breaking, acquired the virgin of his choice, supposedly popular within the Celtic tradition. A popular meal at the festival was rabbit.

The modern Jewish calendar was adopted by the Catholic church and it follows the lunar cycle of the moon. The ancient Hebrews however, celebrated Passover on the fourteenth day after the Spring equinox according to the solar calendar, not the lunar calendar, using the Sun instead of the moon. New Years Day for the ancient Hebrews was not our January 1 but rather occurred when the sun was directly over the equator. It changes from year to year. It is either on the 20th, 21st, or 22nd day of March. This year it was March 20th. So Passover would occur on April 3. Many Christians will celebrate Easter on April 5th.

During the Middle Ages when a great deal of converts from paganism joined the Christian church, instead of the church outlawing their idolatrous practices, they instead encouraged it and it has been part of Christian tradition ever since.

From a personal point of view, I don't celebrate Christmas or Easter because I believe they are pagan. I do however, celebrate the feast of Tabernacles near the end of September (which I believe to be Christ's birthday), Passover and Pentecost which will be in May. You see, if Christ was born on September 28th or 29th which I believe He was, He was born on the High Sabbath, the second holiest day of the Hebrew calendar during the feast of tabernacles, a feast God arranged for the coming of Passover and when He died, he died on the holiest day of the Hebrew calendar, another High Sabbath; the Passover.

Isaac Newton in his book 'Observations on the book of Daniel and the Apocalypse of John' claims Christ was crucified on April 3, 33 AD, which according to the Hebrew solar calendar would have put the Hebrew New Year on March 20th of that year.

Hope that helps.

[Canuckster1127]

The meaning of a Holiday is what the person celebrating it takes from it. The history is interesting and Easter indeed is a word that is supposed to have derived from the pagan goddess, Eostre and is similar to many other cultural celebrations in the northern hemisphere which marks the change of the seasons from winter to spring and with it the symbolism and new life. For this reason, some Christians choose not to call the celebration "Easter," opting instead to use the term "Ressurection Sunday." The timing of it however in coincedental in one sense because the timing for the Christian is tied to the actual history and timing of the Jewish Passover. The symbolism from the fertility festivals is pretty easy to tie-in (Christ coming forth from the tomb, life from death) and that's why bunnies and eggs are tied in for their obvious fertility connections.

Frankly, since I'm not tied into institutional church to any great degree any more, the use of liturgy and recurring calendars is something that doesn't rate high on my list anymore. I don't see it as anything inherently wrong or forbidden by means. I don't see much difference between the law based observations of the Old Testament and the law based observation of a regular sabbath and special sabbaths.

Col 2:16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

So, we're free. If we want to celebrate or not celebrate that's up to us. It doesn't buy us any favor with God. It it's something that is meaningful to us and serves to draw our attention to God then that's great. The only real issue is whether it serves to keep Christ in the center of our lives and attention.

[Bradigans]

Hi Bradigans

Well, the word Easter only occurs once in the KJV translation of the Bible.

Acts 12:4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

The word Easter from Strong's concordance is:

3957
pasca
pas'-khah
of Chaldee origin (compare pecach 6453); the Passover (the meal, the day, the festival or the special sacrifices connected with it)

The Greek word Pasca occurs I believe 27 times in the New Testament and it is transliterated 26 times as the English word Passover. It was mistransliterated in Acts 12:4 as Easter and it should read "Passover".

From what I understand, the name originates from a pagan goddess Ishtar. Yes, you are right. She was fertility goddess associated with the blessing of planting crops in the spring of the year. A festival commemorating her was held on the first full moon after the Spring Equinox. During this festival men would roll eggs down a hill and whichever man had his egg roll to the bottom of the hill without breaking, acquired the virgin of his choice, supposedly popular within the Celtic tradition. A popular meal at the festival was rabbit.

The modern Jewish calendar was adopted by the Catholic church and it follows the lunar cycle of the moon. The ancient Hebrews however, celebrated Passover on the fourteenth day after the Spring equinox according to the solar calendar, not the lunar calendar, using the Sun instead of the moon. New Years Day for the ancient Hebrews was not our January 1 but rather occurred when the sun was directly over the equator. It changes from year to year. It is either on the 20th, 21st, or 22nd day of March. This year it was March 20th. So Passover would occur on April 3. Many Christians will celebrate Easter on April 5th.

During the Middle Ages when a great deal of converts from paganism joined the Christian church, instead of the church outlawing their idolatrous practices, they instead encouraged it and it has been part of Christian tradition ever since.

From a personal point of view, I don't celebrate Christmas or Easter because I believe they are pagan. I do however, celebrate the feast of Tabernacles near the end of September (which I believe to be Christ's birthday), Passover and Pentecost which will be in May. You see, if Christ was born on September 28th or 29th which I believe He was, He was born on the High Sabbath, the second holiest day of the Hebrew calendar during the feast of tabernacles, a feast God arranged for the coming of Passover and when He died, he died on the holiest day of the Hebrew calendar, another High Sabbath; the Passover.

Isaac Newton in his book 'Observations on the book of Daniel and the Apocalypse of John' claims Christ was crucified on April 3, 33 AD, which according to the Hebrew solar calendar would have put the Hebrew New Year on March 20th of that year.

Hope that helps.

Thanks alot... Appreciate your input.. This definitely helps.

[Bradigans]

Some Christian holidays (Christmas included) were given dates that did not correspond to what they were celebrating, but rather they were designated to coincide with different major pagan holidays. This was done either to disrupt the previously-in-place pagan holiday or to make it easier for missionaries to convert the pagans by making the Christian holidays similar to the pagan ones. For instance, the Christmas tree is directly taken from the pagan holiday that Christmas later overlapped.

I don't think that makes it "bad" to celebrate these holidays as such...It is good to be educated on the matter though so you don't sound silly when somebody asks you what the significance of December 25 is. Hint: don't say Jesus was born on that day That was some time in May.

Amen.. And thanks.

[Bradigans]

The meaning of a Holiday is what the person celebrating it takes from it. The history is interesting and Easter indeed is a word that is supposed to have derived from the pagan goddess, Eostre and is similar to many other cultural celebrations in the northern hemisphere which marks the change of the seasons from winter to spring and with it the symbolism and new life. For this reason, some Christians choose not to call the celebration "Easter," opting instead to use the term "Ressurection Sunday." The timing of it however in coincedental in one sense because the timing for the Christian is tied to the actual history and timing of the Jewish Passover. The symbolism from the fertility festivals is pretty easy to tie-in (Christ coming forth from the tomb, life from death) and that's why bunnies and eggs are tied in for their obvious fertility connections.

Frankly, since I'm not tied into institutional church to any great degree any more, the use of liturgy and recurring calendars is something that doesn't rate high on my list anymore. I don't see it as anything inherently wrong or forbidden by means. I don't see much difference between the law based observations of the Old Testament and the law based observation of a regular sabbath and special sabbaths.

Col 2:16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

So, we're free. If we want to celebrate or not celebrate that's up to us. It doesn't buy us any favor with God. It it's something that is meaningful to us and serves to draw our attention to God then that's great. The only real issue is whether it serves to keep Christ in the center of our lives and attention.

God bless you.. Thanks for this.