Ok, admittedly the title is a bit dramatic. But there is a swirling debate about whether or not it is appropriate to call the Sunday we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus as “Easter”. After all, Easter is a pagan Springtime fertility cult and has nothing to do with Jesus rising from the dead. However, there are some symbols found within the ancient traditions of Easter that are helpful towards describing the new life found in Jesus Christ. Is it appropriate to embrace them?
Easter Eggs
Easter eggs are my personal favorite. How can one resist a Cadbury creme filled chocolate egg? Honestly, if God himself isn’t the inspiration behind the creation of that creamy goodness, I’ll be devastated. Eggs have long been associated with new life and rebirth. This symbology can be traced back to many different cultures spanning thousands of years. Christians adopted the practice of eating eggs officially in 1610 (although the tradition started much earlier) when then Pope Paul V offered this prayer of blessing, “Bless, O Lord, we beseech thee, this thy creature of eggs, that it may become a wholesome sustenance to thy faithful servants, eating it in thankfulness to thee on account of the resurrection of the Lord.”
The painting of eggs was a tradition that began with the Eastern Orthodox church. They had a common practice of dying eggs red to symbolize the blood of Jesus. The egg shell was cracked to symbolize the rolling of the stone and Jesus leaving the grave empty. In addition to all of this, the three parts of an egg have long been a symbol describing the Christian doctrine of the trinity Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Easter Baskets
The tradition of giving Easter baskets is associated with Eostre, the Germanic fertility goddess. During Eostre celebrations, people would carry baskets of young seedlings as an offering to her. If the seedlings pleased her, she would ensure that the harvest was a successful one.
In addition, Eostre would carry a basket filled with eggs to encourage fertility. The seedlings and eggs were associated with new life. The baskets themselves were more of a utility for the goods they contained. As Christian traditions became more syncretized with these ancient practices, people filled baskets with treats and lots of other goodies. There is no real link, however, to any tradition of significant meaning.
Easter Bunny
There is virtually no way to justify or redeem the use of the Easter bunny within the Christian celebration of Easter. The rabbit, or hare, is also a construct of the traditions surrounding the celebration of Eostre, the Germanic goddess. The hare is an obvious choice as a symbol for fertility. The closest one could come to justifying its use as a symbol of resurrection is the new life that constantly emerges from a doe. The statistics are astonishing! Rabbits have a gestation period of 31 days. A female rabbit can have upwards of 12-13 kits and get pregnant virtually every month of the year (hypothetically).
That being said, the Easter bunny should be viewed along the lines of the rabid rabbit from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It’s cute and cuddly from appearances, but a sinister distraction to the real purpose of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus.
In summary, you can keep your egg coloring and Easter basket traditions, but the Easter bunny… the jury’s out on the Easter bunny.