I never understood that.
2006-11-19 08:35:37 · 7 answers · asked by Jessie 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Easter
Old Pagan myths, spring being the time of new growth, fertility, birth. Ishtar was a goddess of fertility, and they rolled eggs to her as a gift of sacrifice (eggs are another symbol of fertility). The word Easter came from Ishtar. Rabbits breed and gestate very quickly, and have large litters, and are a symbol of fertility.That's where the "Easter Bunny" came from, with his basket of eggs! Easter was later "whitewashed" into christianity, as a sign of the "rebirth" or resurrection of christ, because the people wanted to convert to christianity but still wanted to keep their old festivals, like christmas and Ishtar.
2006-11-19 08:44:42 · answer #1 · answered by Squirrley Temple 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There was a time when Christianity pretty much overtly decided to absorb and twist all the existing beliefs and religions so it was easier to convert the local believers. This is an old trick from ancient Rome, which used to do the same thing with gods rather regularly.
You can see signs of this phase of Christianity all over, if you know where to look. One is the blending of voodoo and Christian mysticism that can still be found in certain regions. Another is ornate pagan equal-sided crosses that were just tacked onto equally ornate poles and called Christian symbols. And one is in the placement and symbology used in popular Christian holidays.
Pagan spring fertility rites were once very nearly ubiquitous. Nature is coming back into bloom and people celebrated it with things that they associated with fertility. One rather obvious symbol is that of the egg. To a primitive mind, the egg is almost magickal - it seems inanimate, yet when cared for properly it produces life.
So, too with the rabbit. Or, more properly the HARE. Rabbits and hares both have famous rates of reproduction. It's not by accident that Playboy magazine uses bunny ears for their logo, after all. Hares in addition have a very unique distinction - they are the only animal born with OPEN eyes. Again, to a primitive mind this speaks of something truly remarkable... a creature that has seen what no other creature has witnessed, and perhaps carries knowledge not only of the pre-birth, but perhaps of pre-life. Hares thereafter were seen as very totemic and powerful, and to this day many people carry their feet for good luck even if they usually don't know why.
So here we have two very popular and powerful symbols of fertility and of life as a whole: the egg and the hare (well... the rabbit these days... who can tell the difference between a rabbit and a hare anyway?). We can only credit human ingenuity with COMBINING the two symbols into a bunny that actually brings or lays easter eggs. And Christians just absorbed those ideas and hauled them along with Easter, the new (and in many places and times ONLY) sanctioned spring-time event.
2006-11-22 18:03:35 · answer #2 · answered by Doctor Why 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
People ate rabbit meat during Lent (the forty days before Easter) so they had an Easter bunny bringing all the good food not eaten during that sacrificial time.
2006-11-19 18:09:48 · answer #3 · answered by Stacye S 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Easter Leech was a marketing disaster.
2006-11-19 16:43:47 · answer #4 · answered by willow oak 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
like most holidays, Easter originated as a pagan holiday. As the holiday of spring, fertility was very important: rabbits are notoriiusly fertile. eggs, candy, etc - it's all part of the old pagan ways.
2006-11-19 16:41:13 · answer #5 · answered by kent_shakespear 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Also the tooth fary also.
2006-11-22 21:09:38 · answer #6 · answered by George K 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have no clue!!!!!!!!
2006-11-19 17:59:57 · answer #7 · answered by Miss America 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋