Origins of Easter and paganism.

Daze

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Have you ever asked yourself what the resurrection of Jesus has to do with rabbits and eggs?

It seems rabbits and eggs have long been a part of spring celebrations as symbols of new life.

buny.jpg

In Australian tradition a bunny would deliver chocolate eggs to many houses.
Have you ever wondered how this seemingly bizarre tradition came to be?

As it turns out Easter actually began as a pagan festival celebrating spring in the Northern Hemisphere, long before the advent of Christianity.

"Since pre-historic times, people have celebrated the equinoxes and the solstices as sacred times," University of Sydney Professor Carole Cusack said.

"The spring equinox is a day where the amount of dark and the amount of daylight is exactly identical, so you can tell that you're emerging from winter because the daylight and the dark have come back into balance.

"People mapped their whole life according to the patterns of nature."

Following the advent of Christianity, the Easter period became associated with the resurrection of Christ.
"In the first couple of centuries after Jesus's life, feast days in the new Christian church were attached to old pagan festivals," Professor Cusack said.

"Spring festivals with the theme of new life and relief from the cold of winter became connected explicitly to Jesus having conquered death by being resurrected after the crucifixion."
Easters Changing date

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.

That is why the date moves and why Easter festivities are often referred to as "moveable feasts".

There's a defined period between March 25 and April 25 on which Easter Sunday must fall, and that's determined by the movement of the planets and the Sun.


Pascha, Easter and the goddess of spring

ostara.jpgScreenshot_2021-04-04 Origin of Easter From pagan rituals to bunnies and chocolate eggs.png

In most countries in Europe, the name for Easter is derived from the Jewish festival of Passover.
So in Greek the feast is called Pascha, in Italian Pasqua, in Danish it is Paaske, and in French it is Paques.

But in English-speaking countries, and in Germany, Easter takes its name from a pagan goddess Ostara.
From Anglo-Saxon England who was described in a book by the eighth-century English monk Bede.

Eostre was a goddess of spring or renewal and that's why her feast is attached to the vernal equinox.
In Germany the festival is called Ostern, and the goddess is called Ostara.



Rabbits and eggs as ancient symbols of new life

Many of the pagan customs associated with the celebration of spring eventually became absorbed
within Christianity as symbols of the resurrection of Jesus.

Eggs, as a symbol of new life, became a common people's explanation of the resurrection; after the chill of the winter months, nature was coming to life again.

eggs.jpg

During the Middle Ages, people began decorating eggs and eating them as a treat following mass on Easter Sunday after fasting through Lent.
This is actually something that still happens, especially in eastern European countries like Poland.

The custom of decorating hard-boiled eggs or blown eggs is still a very popular folk custom.


rabbit.jpg

Rabbits and hares are also associated with fertility and were symbols linked to the goddess Eostre.

The first association of the rabbit with Easter was a mention of the "Easter hare" in a book by German professor of medicine Georg Franck von Franckenau published in 1722.

He recalls a folklore that hares would hide the colored eggs that children hunted for, which suggests to us that as early as the 18th century, decorated eggs were hidden in gardens for egg hunts.



As a child i remember my dad taking me and my sister to several egg hunts held by churches in my town.
When belief and paganism are intermingled, how does one separate the two?
 

Daze

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Its that time of the year so happy Estore day everyone.

You'd think people would question that fact that the date moves if nothing else and it moves because its about celebrating the spring solstice. It has nothing to do with Jesus. Imagine if your parent died on February the 10th and you remembered him on the 1st or the 20th.
 

DavidSon

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Its that time of the year so happy Estore day everyone.

You'd think people would question that fact that the date moves if nothing else and it moves because its about celebrating the spring solstice. It has nothing to do with Jesus. Imagine if your parent died on February the 10th and you remembered him on the 1st or the 20th.
As a Muslim do you feel it's incorrect to celebrate natural phenomenon like the spring equinox? I don't dance around a maypole or anything freaky but am very cognizant of the seasons and God's order.

My criticism of Western/Christian culture in this instance is the dishonesty of not acknowledging the amalgamation of pagan and Judeo-Christian tradition. In the story Jesus was resurrected the weekend of Passover, which is also an explanation for the moving holiday. Christian countries (such as Poland that was mentioned) have clung dearly to their archaic mythologies. My opinion is keep the traditions separate, or at least teach the real history to eliminate the mass delusion/confusion that permeates Western society.
 

FilthPig

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In most countries in Europe, the name for Easter is derived from the Jewish festival of Passover.
So in Greek the feast is called Pascha, in Italian Pasqua, in Danish it is Paaske, and in French it is Paques.
Im from Estonia,last pagan area in EU that fell to crusaders long after Sweden,finland and all other surrounding parts got taken over by crusaders.In there its called "Paasa" or "Paastu" holiday ."Paastuma" means fasting in Estonian .
In nordic climate peoples lifestyle was pretty much like this - try to survive the winter and when it gets warm- start gathering/growing food and start making preparations to survive the next winter.
Spring solstice pretty much marked the time when spring starts-snow has mostly gone and nature starts to grow again .Its possible to go to hunt or fish etc which is rather complicated when u are neck deep in snow in the winter time or when its freezing cold and raining almost every day(Estonian weather f***ing sucks lol).
Usually by the time spring equinox came all the stored food had been pretty much eaten mostly and fasting was the thing to do if u wanted to survive. Ration your food and dont eat much before it gets warm again.
 

Daze

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As a Muslim do you feel it's incorrect to celebrate natural phenomenon like the spring equinox? I don't dance around a maypole or anything freaky but am very cognizant of the seasons and God's order.

My criticism of Western/Christian culture in this instance is the dishonesty of not acknowledging the amalgamation of pagan and Judeo-Christian tradition. In the story Jesus was resurrected the weekend of Passover, which is also an explanation for the moving holiday. Christian countries (such as Poland that was mentioned) have clung dearly to their archaic mythologies. My opinion is keep the traditions separate, or at least teach the real history to eliminate the mass delusion/confusion that permeates Western society.
As a Muslim its incorrect to worship anything but God, while Estore day is literally about worship of a pagan goddess.

Estore is a deity the ancients worshiped whom they thought brought them warmer weather and a rebirth the of Earth. Had the day been about Jesus it would have been on his actual death, not a "moveable feast".

Of course we don't believe Jesus died anyway, God tells us he replaced him with a look alike.

And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, the messenger of Allāh." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain. (4:157 Quran)


While the alleged Christian death of Jesus lines right up with pagan rites such as resurrection and rebirth. Hence the rabbits and eggs. Symbolizing fertility and birth.

As i closed the top post.
When belief and paganism are intermingled, how does one separate the two?
 

recure

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Its that time of the year so happy Estore day everyone.
It's that time of year when this goofball shows what a colossal hypocrite he is (I mean, moreso than the rest of the year). He's obsessed with trying to prove that Easter is pagan but says you are in the service of the devil if you call Ramadan a pagan holiday. But of course, if the Muslims here had any self-awareness they wouldn't be advocating for child abuse.
 

DavidSon

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It's that time of year when this goofball shows what a colossal hypocrite he is (I mean, moreso than the rest of the year). He's obsessed with trying to prove that Easter is pagan but says you are in the service of the devil if you call Ramadan a pagan holiday. But of course, if the Muslims here had any self-awareness they wouldn't be advocating for child abuse.
:D Lol child abuse. The spirit you come across with is funny, maybe a bit of food poisoning from your Easter ham?

Holiday? Ramadan is the name of a month, also believed to be when all Abrahamic scriptures were revealed. All societies had some periods of fasting (well except modern gluttonous Westerners who can't go 2 hours without stuffing their face). I think this academic view seems possible:

Philip Jenkins argues that the observance of Ramadan fasting grew out of "the strict Lenten discipline of the Syrian Churches," a postulation corroborated by other scholars, including theologian Paul-Gordon Chandler, but disputed by some Muslim academics.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan

I grew up Christian and can corroborate the truth that Eastar, Estare, whatever is surrounded by pagan imagery. Maybe in Orthodox times when people kept Lent it it had meaning but today it's a holiday much less about God and Jesus and more about the spring season.

Again I've said people can have a gathering to celebrate the seasons. But the world will know that Islam are the keepers of Middle Eastern, Abrahamic, Afro-Semitic culture on the planet. There's no comparing the life-giving practice of a 30 day intermittent fast, the expected prayer and charity... to that of a silly day drinking beers with the family after Church.

Edit: Someone hid recures Easter Basket where he couldn't find it lolol!
 
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There's no comparing the life-giving practice of a 30 day intermittent fast, the expected prayer and charity... to that of a silly day drinking beers with the family after Church.
Ramadan is a watered-down version of Lent. So why are you comparing Ramadan with Easter instead of Lent? Easter, or "that silly day", at best, would be comparable to Eid Mubarak.
 
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As a follower of Jesus Christ, i refer the commemoration of his ressurection as "Resurrection Day".

No rabbits, colored eggs, decorative baskets, chocolate bunnies or any of that pagan stuff in this household.

This short video explains how this paganization of "Christianity" occured

 
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The significance of the Easter Eggs is tied to the ending of Lent, a 40-day fasting period where eggs were off the menu (like meat, milk and other animal products). Usually Lent diet consisted of bread, salt and water, sometimes vegetables, and only water for the hardcore.

When fasting was over, parents would hide boiled eggs, usually in the backyard, for the kids. The egg, symbol of rebirth, just as Spring (Lent is from the Dutch word lente, which literally refers to Spring) was then peeled and eaten (sometimes kids would tap the eggs together to see which egg broke first, winner takes all).

It's of course a reference to Jesus in the desert who fasted (from this world) for 40 days and returned reborn to commence His mission. The same theme of rebirth is culminated in Easter, which commemorates Jesus' Resurrection. When eating the Easter Egg, or raising a drink for a toast, it's thus custom to be done along the words Christ is Risen! Χριστός ἀνέστη / Khristos voskres

Beautiful.
 

A Freeman

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:D Lol child abuse. The spirit you come across with is funny, maybe a bit of food poisoning from your Easter ham?

Holiday? Ramadan is the name of a month, also believed to be when all Abrahamic scriptures were revealed. All societies had some periods of fasting (well except modern gluttonous Westerners who can't go 2 hours without stuffing their face). I think this academic view seems possible:

Philip Jenkins argues that the observance of Ramadan fasting grew out of "the strict Lenten discipline of the Syrian Churches," a postulation corroborated by other scholars, including theologian Paul-Gordon Chandler, but disputed by some Muslim academics.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan

I grew up Christian and can corroborate the truth that Eastar, Estare, whatever is surrounded by pagan imagery. Maybe in Orthodox times when people kept Lent it it had meaning but today it's a holiday much less about God and Jesus and more about the spring season.

Again I've said people can have a gathering to celebrate the seasons. But the world will know that Islam are the keepers of Middle Eastern, Abrahamic, Afro-Semitic culture on the planet. There's no comparing the life-giving practice of a 30 day intermittent fast, the expected prayer and charity... to that of a silly day drinking beers with the family after Church.

Edit: Someone hid recures Easter Basket where he couldn't find it lolol!
Ramadan is as pagan in its origin as Ishtar/Easter is, and is found nowhere in the Bible. It was added to the Koran (Quran) just as the term "Easter" was added to the Bible, where the Greek term for Passover (pascha) was wrongly translated ONCE as "Easter" instead of correctly as "Passover", as it was the other 28 times it appears in the New Covenant.

Both pagan holidays (Ramadan and Easter) are based upon versions of a lunar calendar (or a luni-solar calendar), which is why Ramadan drifts through the year and Easter can vary by several weeks from year to year.

Jesus died on a WEDNESDAY, and was buried that same Wednesday -- in the midst of the week (see Dan. 9:27) -- before sunset (at which time Thursday would have began). The body of Jesus then spent 3 days AND 3 nights buried "in the heart of the Earth", before being raised/resurrected by God on the SABBATH DAY (Saturday), which is why early on the first day of the week (Sunday), while it was still dark, the Marys found the tomb EMPTY. The tomb where Jesus had been buried was obviously empty BECAUSE HE HAD ALREADY BEEN RAISED FROM THE DEAD BY GOD.

https://vigilantcitizenforums.com/threads/3-days-and-3-nights.7329/

Passover Lamb NOT Easter Bunny
 
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DavidSon

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Ramadan is a watered-down version of Lent. So why are you comparing Ramadan with Easter instead of Lent? Easter, or "that silly day", at best, would be comparable to Eid Mubarak.
Lent was mentioned in the passage I sighted but good point.

As I was saying earlier last year, my experience is that popular Christianity has lost the original meaning of the fast, as well as their European traditions like with the history of eggs at Easter etc. that you showed.

Islam is an important keeper of Abrahamic faith but through my continued searching I can now say that the Orthodox Church holds an equal position as a longstanding pillar of faith and order. Here in the West there's such madness among the modern Protestants and fallen Catholics that the history of the Church is not well known. Just as learning about Islam it's something you truly have to search out or God willing, have delivered to you.

To me it boils down to which side of the fence you align yourself. We know of the extreme minority cult whose religion is based on destroying Christ, Europe, and the Church. I can't allow myself to even inadvertently act as voice for their evil messianic delusions. Looking at the history it becomes clearer how so many Evangelicals have been indoctrinated into Zionism, Messianism, Hebrew Roots, Noahydism, etc. They're spun out of control with all these conflicting narratives, absent of a solid spiritual/historical foundation.

Here's an example of the same struggle we're witnessing... those who want to defame the most revered Christian holiday- Christmas:

The War on Christmas
 

DavidSon

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...Certain holidays were outlawed when Puritans came to power. In 1647, Parliament outlawed the celebration of Christmas, Easter and Whitsuntide. Puritans strongly condemned the celebration of Christmas, considering it a Catholic invention and the "trappings of popery" or the "rags of the Beast". They also objected to Christmas because the festivities surrounding the holiday were seen as impious.

Wow where have we heard that before? :D It's documented that the Puritans in America considered forming a Sanhedrin-type legal body. They were strongly influenced by Talmudic authorities and (some) wanted Hebrew to be their primary language. Article after article show how early Protestantism was penetrated by similar anti-Church doctrines:

The Puritans and Israel

Swiss theologian and John Calvin’s successor in Geneva, Theodore Beza (1519-1605) was perhaps the first significant Reformer to help unleash Protestant Zionism by saying “Israel” in the New Testament refers to the Jews rather than to Christians. The historical/grammatical method of the interpretation of the Bible emphasized by the Protestant Reformers helped to begin the removal of the anti-apocalyptic emphasis of the Catholic Church. Undergirded by its allegorical hermeneutics that downplayed the importance of Israel’s covenant history, Catholicism after Augstine buried Jewish eschatology under replacement theology that taught the New Testament church completely supplanted Old Testament Israel. Through the publishing success of the Geneva Bible, Beza’s views on the future salvation of Israel became widely dispersed among the Puritans in England, Scotland, and New England.
 

A Freeman

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Are over a billion people really unable to count to 3?

Matthew 12:39-40 (with the words of Christ in blue)
12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and unfaithfull generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the Prophet Jonah:
12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of Man be THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS in the heart of the earth.

Friday night + Saturday night = 2 nights, NOT 3

and Friday late to early Sunday is at most 36 hours, NOT 72.
 
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Lent was mentioned in the passage I sighted but good point.

As I was saying earlier last year, my experience is that popular Christianity has lost the original meaning of the fast, as well as their European traditions like with the history of eggs at Easter etc. that you showed.

Islam is an important keeper of Abrahamic faith but through my continued searching I can now say that the Orthodox Church holds an equal position as a longstanding pillar of faith and order. Here in the West there's such madness among the modern Protestants and fallen Catholics that the history of the Church is not well known. Just as learning about Islam it's something you truly have to search out or God willing, have delivered to you.

To me it boils down to which side of the fence you align yourself. We know of the extreme minority cult whose religion is based on destroying Christ, Europe, and the Church. I can't allow myself to even inadvertently act as voice for their evil messianic delusions. Looking at the history it becomes clearer how so many Evangelicals have been indoctrinated into Zionism, Messianism, Hebrew Roots, Noahydism, etc. They're spun out of control with all these conflicting narratives, absent of a solid spiritual/historical foundation.

Here's an example of the same struggle we're witnessing... those who want to defame the most revered Christian holiday- Christmas:

The War on Christmas
I whole-heartedly agree that the Orthodox Church is visibly more closely aligned with Early Christianity. But I wouldn't throw Catholics under the bus. But the ones that haven't been too corrupted usually find themselves in the European countryside, who still have some form of Christian community lifestyle centered around the Church. I also think many Americans would be blown away by the level of French dissidence mostly driven by Catholics, accompanied by Muslims who have accepted the reached out hand by dissidents like Alain Soral to join forces in what is called a doctrine of reconciliation between those that are targeted by modern fallen-away society created by what he calls "they who resemble the names on Shindler's List".

"We know of the extreme minority cult whose religion is based on destroying Christ, Europe, and the Church. I can't allow myself to even inadvertently act as voice for their evil messianic delusions."

You have no idea how this line coming from your keypad has put a smile on my face. Once this extreme minority and their ambitions and machinations becomes clear, it can no longer become unclear, because the thesis continuously verifies itself.

And it permeates even those who probably have the best intentions. Like here:

Freeman's War on Christmas thread
 
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