Another theory is that the English word Easter comes from an older German word for east, which comes from an even older Latin word for dawn. In spring, dawns mark the beginning of days that will outlast the nights, and those dawns erupt in the east.
English Easter, German Ostern, and related
Writing in the 8th century, the Anglo-Saxon monk Bede describes Ēostre as the name of an Old English goddess and behind the name “Esoturmonath”, the equivalent of the month of April. Bede is the only source commenting on this goddess.
The word Easter is not even scriptural; it does not exist in true translations of the bible.
In Latin and Greek, the Christian celebration was, and still is, called Pascha (Greek: Πάσχα), a word derived from Aramaic פסחא (Paskha), cognate to Hebrew פֶּסַח (Pesach). The word originally denoted the Jewish festival known in English as Passover, commemorating the Jewish Exodus from slavery in Egypt.
But in English-speaking countries, and in Germany, Easter takes its name from a pagan goddess from Anglo-Saxon England who was described in a book by the eighth-century English monk Bede. “Eostre was a goddess of spring or renewal and that’s why her feast is attached to the vernal equinox,” Professor Cusack said.
It all goes back to an ancient Pagan tradition. Easter first started out as a celebration of the Spring Equinox: a time when all of nature is awakened from the slumber of winter and the cycle of renewal begins.
The egg, an ancient symbol of new life, has been associated with pagan festivals celebrating spring. From a Christian perspective, Easter eggs are said to represent Jesus’ emergence from the tomb and resurrection.
In short: The Easter Bunny is not related to Jesus at all. At most, they’re both obviously tied to the holiday celebrating the resurrection, and they’re both considered symbols of new life—but the links to one another, essentially, end there.
Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas or Easter because they believe that these festivals are based on (or massively contaminated by) pagan customs and religions. They point out that Jesus did not ask his followers to mark his birthday.
The word Easter was not mentioned in the earliest scriptures. It is, however, used in The King James Version in Acts 12:4, “And when he (the King) had apprehended him (Peter), he put him in prison and delivered him to soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate most holidays or events that honour people who aren’t Jesus. That includes birthdays, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day and Hallowe’en. They also don’t celebrate religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter in the belief that these customs have pagan origins.
The name Easter may have pagan origins. “Although quite a few people think of it being linked to the Hebrew word Pesach or Passover, there’s also a tradition in northern Europe that it’s linked to the pagan springtime goddess Eostre,” Hann said. “She is basically celebrated during the spring, at the spring equinox.”
Pagan is derived from the Late Latin paganus, which was used at the end of the Roman Empire to name those who practiced a religion other than Christianity, Judaism, or Islam. Early Christians often used the term to refer to non-Christians who worshiped multiple deities.
Passover marks the biblical story of Exodus, of the Jews and their leader, Moses, fleeing slavery in Egypt with the help of divine intervention. Easter, widely considered the most important day of the Christian calendar, commemorates the resurrection of Jesus as told in the Gospels of the New Testament.
” 1 Peter 1:3: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Corinthians 15:21: “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.”
A touch of Viking paganism also colors the Swedish Easter celebration. The pagans believed that during this time of the year, the local witches flew to a place called Blakulla, where they met with the devil.
