Why is Easter called "Easter". In the Bible it is called Passover, so where did we get Easter from?

Question

The Jews, i think, still call it Passover, wich i think makes more sens, cos God calles it that in the Bible. Also, even though i am a christian, when i hear the word "Passover" i think of the Isrealites and God, and Jesus dieing on the cross, but when I hear "Easter" i think, un willingly, of the chocolate bunnies and eggs and all that rubbish. Should we then call this celebration Passover, instead of Easter, as its supposd to be about God and how God told us it should be?

Tribble Macher...

Wow, that is very intersting. Mmm, so Easter is not really the right thing to call it if we are supposed to celbrate Jesus' death on the cross. I found that Catholics also introduced Chrsitmas which is actually a pagan celebration of one pagan god's birth. once again, very intresting.

I am sorry if i said that easter and passover is the same. I know its different cos Jews use passover to remember the delverence of God's people from Egyp and Christians use easter as rememberance of Jesus's ressurection.

It is just that as I see the old testament's part where the God lead the Isrealites from slavery to the promiced land, as a physical representation of God leading His people from spirtiual slavery to Heaven (spiritual promiced land). And when I celebrate easter (which i am now thinking of not calling it that) I remember both the Isrealite's deleverance from Egypt and Jesus' death and resurection. Sorry if i offended anyone, it was not on intentional. lol

Answer 1

Good Question, I agree with you that it should be called passover. I think is called Easter because there was a mixture of paganism and Christianism during the era of the Christian Roman Empire. Since then, Catholics and other people have adapted that hybrid of ideas, which I think its wrong. Which should go by what the Bible says.

Answer 2

Passover and Easter are two different celebrations.

Passover celebrates the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt

Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus.

Missionaries, centuries ago, used to try and coincide the christian celebrations with pagan rituals so that new converts would not be tempted to celebrate their old pagan rituals.

Christ's Resurrection was celebrated around the same time as the pagan festival Estrus. Hence the name Easter, as well as the bunnies and the eggs.

Answer 3

Passover and Easter are thoroughly diverse. Passover is whilst the angel of death got here to declare the firstborn whilst the Jews have been in slavery, and the Jews located lamb's blood on their doorways to have the angel "bypass over". Easter is whilst we have fun the resurrection of Christ, and did no longer incredibly come into existence till after Christ's death, while Passover replaced into in the previous testomony, many some years previously Christ's beginning.

Answer 4

In most languages of Christian societies, other than English, German and some Slavic languages, the holiday's name is derived from Pesach, the Hebrew name of Passover, a Jewish holiday to which the Christian Easter is intimately linked. Easter depends on Passover not only for much of its symbolic meaning but also for its position in the calendar; the Last Supper shared by Jesus and his disciples before his crucifixion is generally thought of as a Passover seder, based on the chronology in the Synoptic Gospels. The Gospel of John has a different chronology which has Christ's death at the time of the slaughter of the Passover lambs, which might have been for theological reasons but which is regarded by some scholars as more historically likely given the surrounding events. This would put the Last Supper slightly before Passover, on 14 Nisan of the Bible's Hebrew calendar (Leviticus 23:5). According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, "In fact, the Jewish feast was taken over into the Christian Easter celebration."

The English and German names, "Easter" and "Ostern", are not etymologically derived from Pesach and according to the 8th century Christian monk and historian Bede are instead related to ancient name for the Saxon goddess, Eostre, who was celebrated at the spring equinox,[1] and whose name is associated with the month of April (Eostremonat (Eosturmonath) and Ostaramanoth respectively). Bede wrote:

"Eosturmonath, qui nunc paschalis mensis interpretatur, quondam a dea illorum quae Eostre vocabatur et cui in illo festa celebrabant nomen habuit."

Translated: "Eosturmonath, which is now interpreted as the paschal month, was formerly named after the goddess Eostre, and has given its name to the festival."

Answer 5

Easter is the spring festival of awakening and fertility. It's named after the goddess Eostre (also known as Oestre, Ostara, Ishtar). Her symbols are eggs and bunnies, so that's no surprise.

What it's 'supposed' to be about is a celebration of life. Jews celebrate the reprieve of their deity; Christians the resurrection of theirs; pagans the continuence of life through fertility (symbolically, the mother goddess conceives on this day, to give birth to the sun again in 9 months at the Winter Solstice). We are all celebrating the same thing, just with different symbols.

But if you feel that the symbols of eggs and bunnies interfere with your understanding of your deity and his message (although my understanding is that no word was ever said to Christians about how to celebrate holidays), then think of it your mind as 'ressurrection day' or something that will help you keep your focus.

Answer 6

Only in English is it called Easter. According to some, this name is derived from that of an ancient pagan goddess of spring. It is becoming common among some Protestant groups in the U.S. to refer to the day as "Resurrection Day," rather than use the name of the pagan goddess. In the Celtic Catholic Church, you will generally find the Feast referred to in print as Cáisc, an Irish equivalent of Pasch, although in conversation you will often hear many of us say Easter.

Answer 7

I'd heard it was a number of originally pagan origins that blurred the original passover. Easter is actually meant to indicate The Ishtar Gate which led into ancient Babylon. Try checking Wikinpedia.

Answer 8

Eostre is the Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn and fertility. Pagans honored her during the Spring Equinox (when the earth is reborn) with a celebration symbolized by rabbits (who are known for their prolific procreation) and eggs (which represent reproduction). Christians adopted Pagan customs because they thought it would be easier to convert them if they didn't try to change existing holidays.

Christians hijacked Christmas, too - gift-giving, feasting, decorating evergreens, singing carols, etc. were all part of pre-Christian celebrations honoring Pagan gods and celebrating the Winter Solstice. It is well-known that Jesus couldn't have been born in December.

Answer 9

The name Easter comes to us from Ostera or Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, for whom a spring festival was held annually, as it is from this pagan festival that some of our Easter customs have come
In Babylonia…the goddess of spring was called Ishtar. She was identified with the planet Venus, which, because…[it] rises before the Sun…or sets after it…appears to love the light [this means Venus loves the sun-god]…In Phoenecia, she became Astarte; in Greece, Eostre [related to the Greek word Eos: “dawn”], and in Germany, Ostara [this comes from the German word Ost: “east,” which is the direction of dawn.

Can Easter be kept “in honor of Christ”? Some may say, “Okay, I know Easter comes from paganism—but I’m not pagan! I celebrate it in honor of Christ. I focus on Him.” Because God knew that Israel would feel this way when they encountered the religious customs of pagan nations, and would try to use false customs to honor the true God, He gave the instruction in Deuteronomy 12:28-32. God always commanded that people worship Him exactly as He instructed!

Answer 10

Well, Passover and Resurrection Day are two different celebrations. They just happen at around the same time.

Easter and all those chocolate bunnies I think is pagan.

I call it Resurrection Day, not Easter. If I do, it's by mistake and habit. lol.

God bless.