What does the word Easter mean?

Answer 1

The name "Easter" originated with the names of an ancient Goddess and God. The Venerable Bede, (672-735 CE.) a Christian scholar, first asserted in his book De Ratione Temporum that Easter was named after Eostre (a.k.a. Eastre). She was the Great Mother Goddess of the Saxon people in Northern Europe.

Answer 2

1st Meaning: Centuries before Christ, the pagan tribes of Europe worshipped a goddess of spring named Eostre. Festivals celebrating the end of winter and the birth of spring were held in her honor at the end of March, the time of the vernal equinox. Some historians believe the word Easter is a variation of her name.

2nd Meaning: Others believe there is a connection between Easter and the rising of the sun in the east

Answer 3

Easter, or Eastre as it is originally, was the name of a pagan goddess of the dawn whose festival was held on the vernal equinox. The Christians adopted her name and many of the celebratory practices (as they did with Saturnalia and Christmas) for their celebration of Christ’s resurrection. The pagan holiday roughly corresponded with the time of year of the crucifixion and resurrection (Passover).

From the translation of Bede’s Ecclesiastical History commonly attributed to King Alfred, c.890:

Ic thas tide Eastrena ecelice healdan wille.

(Source: Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd Edition)

Answer 4

The word easter is a dirivative of the word "Eostre" derived by Bede from the name of the Goddess whose feast was celebrated at the vernal equinox, other local varients are, "eastro" and "ostarun"

Answer 5

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Easter
Easter

1.O.E. Eastre (Northumbrian Eostre), from P.Gmc. *Austron, a goddess of fertility and sunrise whose feast was celebrated at the spring equinox, from *austra-, from PIE *aus- "to shine" (especially of the dawn). Bede says Anglo-Saxon Christians adopted her name and many of the celebratory practices for their Mass of Christ's resurrection. Ultimately related to east. Almost all neighboring languages use a variant of L. Pasche to name this holiday. Easter Island so called because it was discovered by Europeans on Easter Sunday, 1722.

2. a wind from the east [syn: east wind]

Answer 6

Eat All Sugary Treats Even Rolls

That's what my hubbie says

LOL