IS EASTER A PAGAN PRACTICE?

 

Some contend that Easter was originally the celebration of Ishtar, the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility and sex. That is a modern myth. There is some consensus among religious scholars that the term Easter is derived from the words used in Germanic languages for the East, the direction, and by extension for the dawn.

The term Easter, in other words, just means a festival related to the East, more precisely to the dawning day. This idea was present in early Christianity. For instance, prayers were conducted facing East, because Christ’s return was associated with the dawning of a new day.

In most European languages, Easter is called by some variant of the late Latin word, Pascha, which in turn derives from the Hebrew pesach, meaning Passover. In the New Testament, the Aramaic word pascha, a Hellenized form of the Hebrew word, is often used to describe items involved in the Passover. In other words, both the Old and New Testaments use terms that are associated with the Passover.

Following the death and resurrection of Jesus, the term pascha took on a new meaning. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia explains that early Christians kept celebrating Passover, since they saw Jesus as “the true paschal lamb”. Over time though, Christians began moving away from the Passover calendar and celebrating Pascha as a separate event that we now call Easter. Some denominations, like among the Eastern Orthodox churches, who still use Latin or Greek in their liturgies, refer to Easter as Pascha.

According to the chronology of the Gospel of John, the Lord was crucified and buried on the day before the Passover and rose the day after. In the year we have come to number 33 A.D., the Passover fell on a Saturday. The crucifixion, therefore, occurred on Friday, while the resurrection happened early Sunday morn­ing. Eventually, the celebration of Pascha in the early Church would be predicated upon this chronology.

So, this year we will be observing the 1,989^th Easter celebration. The celebration will be observed in a variety of ways. However, there will be unanimity of purpose – to remember the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

Fasting had become an integral element of the Paschal observance from the Apostolic period. This practice of fasting probably came about as a result of the words of Jesus, “… can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast” (Matthew 9:15). The fast was to honour the Bridegroom of the Church, who was taken away, crucified and buried.

The original one or two day fast was expanded by many local churches to include the entire week before Pascha. This process began in the third century. During the course of the fourth century, the week-long fast had become a universal practice. This week became known as “Holy Week”.

This one week fast was further increased to a forty-day fast, observed today as Lent. This period of preparation was formalized at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 (AD/CE). Lent was to be used as a time of preparing candidates for baptism and a time of penance for grievous sins. As a sign of their penitence, they wore sackcloth and were sprinkled with ashes – hence, Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.

It is unfortunate that over the years, many of these practices have become mere religious rituals. In the process, the message of Easter has become a cultural practice. Folklorists believe that after a long, cold northern winter in Europe, it seemed natural for people to celebrate themes of resurrection and rebirth. The flowers are blooming, birds are laying eggs and baby bunnies are hopping about. As new life emerges in Spring, the Easter bunny provides a longstanding cultural symbol to remind us of the cycles and stages of our own lives.

How sad, whereas Easter was a celebration of the resurrected life of Jesus Christ, now it represents the resurrection of Spring. Easter has become one of the most profitable holidays of the year for businesses. Easter expenditure is on the rise. In 2021, 79% of Americans spent more than $20 billion on Easter eggs, candy and a plethora of gift baskets.

As a result of this study, I am so much more convinced that we need to get back to celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Paschal Lamb. We need to avoid the distractions, glitter and religious rituals, and return to the purpose of the most important season in the Christian calendar. Easter must be highlighted, not hijacked.