Easter is a religious holiday celebrated by Christians around the world. It commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ and is considered the most important event in Christian theology. Easter is typically observed on the first Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox, which falls on March 21st. The holiday has been associated with many different customs and traditions over the centuries, including the Easter bunny, Easter eggs, and Easter baskets.
The word “Easter” derives from the Old English word “Eastre”, which was used to refer to a spring goddess in Anglo-Saxon England. The festival of Eastre was celebrated by pagan Anglo-Saxons during pre-Christian times. According to Bede, a 8th century English historian, Eastre was worshipped each year at Ostara (the vernal equinox), when feasts were held in her honor and offerings were made to her. Her symbol was a hare, which represented new life and fertility.
The early Christian church adopted many of these pagan traditions and incorporated them into their own celebrations of Easter. For example, Pope Gregory I (590-604) decreed that eggs should be blessed during Easter Mass and given as gifts to children. The practice of decorating eggs likely also dates back to pagan times; it is thought that early Christians decorated them with crosses or other symbols of Christianity as a way to spread their faith.
The use of an egg-laying rabbit as a symbol of Easter is thought to have originated in Germany in the 16th century. By the 18th century, this tradition had spread to other parts of Europe and North America. In America, German immigrants brought with them tales of an egg-laying hare called “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws” . These stories were eventually combined with existing folktales about rabbits (such as those found in Africa and Native American cultures) resulting in the modern day character known as the “Easter Bunny” . Today, this popular figure is often depicted delivering baskets filled with candy and eggs to children on Easter morning.
There are many theories about why certain foods are associated with Easter but no one knows for sure how these traditions began. One theory suggests that hot cross buns were originally eaten during Lent as a way to use up all remaining ingredients before fasting began on Good Friday . Another theory posits that ham became a traditional holiday meal because pigs were traditionally slaughtered in early springtime when fresh meat was scarce . Whatever their origins may be , these foods have become synonymous with Easter celebration in many cultures around the world .