(via travors) For that matter, Easter eggs have nothing to do with Easter as a Christian holy period. I mean how do you relate rabbits and eggs to the death and resurrection of Christ? Okay, sure eggs are about birth or rebirth, but Jesus wasn’t reborn, he was resurrected which is different. In any case, Easter itself has a name derived from a goddess worshipped in various parts of the world known as Ishtar, Ashtoreth, Aphrodite (among other names).  She was celebrated at the Spring Equinox (around now, at the end of March) and the images of rabbits and eggs were to symbolise fertility and promote a good harvest, bountiful land, people etc. Some scholars believe that the reason why the pagan symbols got blended with Christian beliefs is because when Christianity was introduced to those areas, they believed combining some of the local and new customs would help with acculturation. This is the same theory that is used to explain things like why Christmas is celebrated on December 25.  Though this one is greatly disputed but could be related to any or all (or none?) of a celebration of Sol Invictus, the winter equinox, or a deity known as Mithras who was also known to bring light to the world. I have no objection to people celebrating Easter however they wish, but I hope Christians think about this when their children start associating dudes in rabbit suits handing out eggs with the resurrection of a key figure in their belief structure. Oh and jolly fat men in red suits who hand out presents with the birth of said same key figure.  The red suit was a construct of the Coca-Cola company but the dude has different though still not Christian origins.  I think the original guy had a blue suit.

(via travors)

For that matter, Easter eggs have nothing to do with Easter as a Christian holy period. I mean how do you relate rabbits and eggs to the death and resurrection of Christ? Okay, sure eggs are about birth or rebirth, but Jesus wasn’t reborn, he was resurrected which is different.

In any case, Easter itself has a name derived from a goddess worshipped in various parts of the world known as Ishtar, Ashtoreth, Aphrodite (among other names).  She was celebrated at the Spring Equinox (around now, at the end of March) and the images of rabbits and eggs were to symbolise fertility and promote a good harvest, bountiful land, people etc.

Some scholars believe that the reason why the pagan symbols got blended with Christian beliefs is because when Christianity was introduced to those areas, they believed combining some of the local and new customs would help with acculturation.

This is the same theory that is used to explain things like why Christmas is celebrated on December 25.  Though this one is greatly disputed but could be related to any or all (or none?) of a celebration of Sol Invictus, the winter equinox, or a deity known as Mithras who was also known to bring light to the world.

I have no objection to people celebrating Easter however they wish, but I hope Christians think about this when their children start associating dudes in rabbit suits handing out eggs with the resurrection of a key figure in their belief structure.

Oh and jolly fat men in red suits who hand out presents with the birth of said same key figure.  The red suit was a construct of the Coca-Cola company but the dude has different though still not Christian origins.  I think the original guy had a blue suit.