Who Came First: Jesus or the Easter Bunny?
Did you know that Easter pre-dates Christianity? That means, there was an Easter even before Jesus was born! So, where did the name, “Easter”, come from? And how did “Resurrection Sunday” become “Easter Sunday”?
What was “Easter” originally?
The word “Easter” is not from the Bible. The day Jesus rose from the dead was referred to as “Resurrection Sunday”. The word “Easter” comes from the ancient Anglo-Saxon (Pagan) name “Eostre” who was the goddess of spring and fertility. Because spring is the season when the flowers and trees grow again, and the animals come out of hibernation and have their babies, it has always been seen as the season of life. And the hare (rabbit) was the most fertile animal known, so they believed the “Easter Hare” was the blessed companion of Eostre.
The Pagans (people who didn’t believe in God) celebrated the season of life with a “Spring Festival”. They told the children that the magic “Easter Hare” would bring presents to the festival. And they painted eggs in colourful array, because eggs were seen as the source of life.
The Name Switch
So, how did “Resurrection Sunday” become “Easter Sunday”? Resurrection Sunday was celebrated in the spring, at the same time that Pagans were celebrating their “Easter”. As more and more Pagans were converted to Christianity, the celebration of Easter was no longer about the goddess Eostre and the magical “Easter Hare”, but about Jesus and His miraculous resurrection.
Other Symbols of Easter:
The Cross: With the resurrection of Christ, the cross became a symbol of Jesus's victory over death.
Palms: It was a Roman custom to welcome royalty by waving palm branches. When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday, people welcomed him with palm branches carpeting the streets and waving them.
Pretzels: They were a Lenten food; the twisted shape symbolizes arms folded in prayer.
Hot Cross Buns: These delicious buns are made without yeast, as is customary for Lenten foods, and have icing on top in the shape of a cross. It was a tasty reminder of the resurrection of Jesus.
Easter Lilies: Lilies were a symbol of purity for the early Christians. The white trumpet lily, known in North America as the “Easter Lily”, were brought from Bermuda around 1900.
Empty Tomb: On the first Easter Sunday, Jesus’ mother Mary and Mary Magdalene went to Jesus’ tomb to treat his body, but the stone had been rolled away and the tomb was empty. At first, they thought Jesus’ body was stolen, but an angel told them, “Why do you search for the living among the dead? He is alive, He is risen!”.
Easter Fun:
Easter Jelly Bean Bags:
Here is a fun way to celebrate Easter! Fill a small, snack-sized Ziploc bag with colourful jelly beans and attach the following prayer:
“Red is for the blood He gave.
Green is for the grass He made.
Yellow is for the sun so bright.
Orange is for the edge of night.
Black is for the sins we made.
White is for the grace He gave.
Purple is for the hour of sorrow.
Pink is for the new tomorrow.
A bag full of jelly beans, colourful and sweet,
Is a prayer, is a promise, is an Easter treat!”
Faith-filled Easter Egg Hunt:
Parents, this Easter, why don’t you have a faith-filled Easter egg hunt? What you do is, find some colourful plastic eggs and fill them with miniature symbols (or stickers) of the Easter story. Then, hide them around the house or the yard and have the children hunt for them. When they are all found, sit down together and open them up, and use them to recite the story of Easter!
The Easter Bilby?
We have all heard about the Easter Bunny, but who is the Easter Bilby? The Easter Bilby is the Australian version of the Easter Bunny. They are nocturnal marsupials, about the size of a rabbit, and very cute. And they are on the endangered species list. To find out more about these adorable little guys and how you can help them, visit http://www.easterbilby.com.au/.
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Words of the Day:
Resurrection: Jesus, who died on Good Friday, rose from the dead on the first Easter Sunday. He defeated death and hell and He promises that we too will rise, and live with Him forever, in heaven.
He is risen! He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
