Easter Traditions

Easter traditions vary widely around the world. Not only that, but contrary to what many believe, Easter is not necessarily a Christian holiday. In fact, most of the traditions of Easter actually owe their source in ancient paganism. Even the name “easter” has nothing to do with the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The history of Easter and it’s incorporation into a Christian celebration stems from the desire of early missionaries to make Christianity acceptable to pagan peoples of northern Europe. The missionaries realized that the celebration of the spring equinox occurred around the same time as the Christian observance of Pasch or Passover. So they figured that by allowing people to observe their Easter traditions, at the same time giving them Christian meanings would result in more people converting to Christianity.

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Therefore Eostre or Eastre with its symbolic eggs, bunnies and flowers, which represented new life springing out of the death of winter, came to mean the resurrection of Jesus and His triumph over death. This made every one happy and the Church grew.

Before 325 A.D. Easter was celebrated at the vernal equinox on March 21. However, the Church stepped in and decided that Easter could only be on the first Sunday on or following the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Due to the difference between the ecclesiastical New Moon and the astronomical full moon, we now celebrate Easter on a spring Sunday between March 22nd and the 25th of April.

Another bit of Easter traditions trivia: while eggs were part of spring celebrations in ancient Rome and Persia, eggs gained prominence in the Christian celebration of Easter when they became a forbidden food during Lent. Eggs that were collected during Lent were often boiled in an attempt to preserve them. They then because an important part of the Easter meals that followed the end of Lent, and were considered a treat.

Part of the history of Easter eggs is the tradition of decorating or coloring Easter eggs. Sometimes different plant materials would be tied around the eggs, which would then be boiled sealing the plant color onto the shell of the egg. In some countries the wax would be applied before dyeing to create elaborate patterns on the eggs. Sometimes the eggs were even covered with gold leaf.

The Easter bunny, as we know him today, probably became a part of our Easter traditions due to a German tale. The story of the Easter “hare” came to America with immigrants who introduced the bunny who laid eggs for children to the rest of the country. In fact we may owe the chocolate Easter bunny and chocolate Easter eggs to the culinary genius those early immigrants.

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