Easter falls on March 31 this year. But what exactly is Easter? Why is it celebrated? Where does it come from? And what does a bunny have to do with it all?
What is Easter?
Originating in Europe, specifically in Germany, Easter is a Christian festival and cultural holiday celebrating rebirth, new life, and the beginning of Spring, but has polytheistic traditions tied to it as well. According to The Guardian, Eastern Christian churches (also known as the Orthodox Churches) determine that Easter falls on the Sunday after the first full moon of the spring equinox using the Older Julian Calendar Method. The Spring Equinox occurs when the sun is directly above the equator, making an equal amount of hours during the day time as there is night time. According to old English texts, Easter gets its name from the Germanic polytheistic goddess of fertility Eostre, with the name literally meaning “rebirth.”
Who celebrates Easter and how is it celebrated?
Though there are different ways people celebrate Easter, the two most commonly seen today are polytheistic and Christian traditions. Like Christmas, Easter combines the two ideologies in more ways than others, forming the holiday we know now. According to Discovery News and Pet Health Network the decorations, imagery such as bunnies, and the concept of egg hunting comes from old pagan traditions and symbols of spring and rebirth. Sunday dinner after spending the day celebrating Easter also comes from polytheistic traditions as well. However, in today’s society, Christian people are the ones who celebrate Easter the most, using the day to acknowledge the stories and teachings of their religion, such as the story of Jesus, his death, and his resurrection. Additionally, back in medieval times people would decorate and enjoy eggs as a treat on Easter after a 40 day process of fasting and prayer called Lent. Countries like Denmark and Poland still partake in Lent today.
What is the Easter Bunny?
According to the Pet Health Network, rabbits have been religious polytheistic symbols associated with spring and Easter before Christianity was combined with the holiday, considering them very fertile with their frequent breeding habits. Adding to that association, the Easter Bunny comes from old texts dating back to the 17th century in Germany about folklore tales of the “Oschter Haws” or “Easter Hare” leaving colorful eggs around neighborhoods for children to find. These ideas and traditions were spread by German immigrants to the U.S. during the 18th century. Later companies like Cadbury and Hallmark industrialized and commercialized the Easter Bunny, turning the folklore into a very popular symbol on candy, toys and greeting cards during Easter.
Why is Easter celebrated?
Spring is the time of year when it seems that everything comes back to life, and that is why the differing traditions that were mentioned in previous paragraphs come together creating what we now know as Easter. The idea behind polytheistic related celebration of Easter is to honor the emergence from winter and the beginning of new life for nature, animals and crops, and the idea behind Christian related celebration of Easter is because they believe the stories in the later chapters of the Bible are the fulfillment of prophecies that were made for mankind, giving them a chance of “new life.” Though the concepts are different they both celebrate renewal whether it being the renewal of one’s spirituality, or it being nature itself.
During spring lots of things are going on with us students and our surroundings. Things are changing and transitioning into something new. Spring is the time of year everything starts over, and for some Easter is a way to celebrate that new beginning.