2007-04-05 05:36:26 · 18 answers · asked by jhn 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Easter
Eggs have very little to do with the whole Jesus story of Easter, and everything to do with pre-Christian spring fertility celebrations.
2007-04-05 06:12:00 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Rabbits and eggs are both symbols of the fertility goddess Eostre/Ishtar/Ostara. Her symbol is also the moon, in which some cultures see a rabbit instead of a face. Eggs also symbolize the moon and are the ultimate symbol of creation and new life. The basket is a symbol of the womb in which this new life is carried.
The feast day is pagan and was widely celebrated way before the time of Jesus. Like pretty much all holidays, it was adopted by Christians to help get more converts. However, since the point is to celebrate new life and the hope of continuance, Christian symbols of a Resurrection day and the old pagan symbols mean the same thing. Just like Christmas, we are all celebrating the same thing, just using different symbols.
2007-04-05 05:57:48 · answer #2 · answered by KC 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The origin of the Easter Bunny probably goes back to the festival's connection with the pagan goddess Eostre. Eostre (sometimes spelt Oestre) was a fertility goddess from whom we derive the word "oestrogen" and she is closely associated with fertility symbols such as eggs. The rabbit is known as a highly fertile creature and hence an obvious choice for Easter symbolism.
In fact the use of a rabbit is probably a mistake - the Easter "bunny" is more likely to be a hare, since it is the hare that is usually considered the sacred creature of Eostre. Hares have been considered sacred by many cultures inclusing the ancient Egyptians who believed them to watch the moon during the night. Although hares and rabbits are related they are most definitely different creatures, as a certain Bugs keeps reminding us!
2007-04-07 23:56:50 · answer #3 · answered by J 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Christian Easter was copied from the pagan spring festival. It was called The Rebirth because that's when young birds and animals are born. Eggs, tiny chicks, and bunnies are all reminders of Spring.
The Christians used the Rebirth holiday as their own, and had Jesus "reborn" resurrected at that time.
The pagan eggs, bunnies, and chicks were long before Christianity.
2007-04-05 05:52:58 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Easter Eggs. Because the use of eggs was forbidden during Lent, they were brought to the table on Easter Day, colored red to symbolize the Easter joy. The symbolic meaning of a new creation of mankind by Jesus risen from the dead was probably an invention of later times.
2007-04-05 05:39:19 · answer #5 · answered by kulyshi 1 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Eggs hold the promise of new life inside them. Thus it is with Easter and the Resurrection.
2007-04-05 10:16:21 · answer #6 · answered by Lydia 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Rabbits and eggs are both symbols of the fertility goddess Eostre/Ishtar/Ostara. Her symbol is also the moon, in which some cultures see a rabbit instead of a face. Eggs are the ultimate symbol of new life and regeneration, and also symbolize the moon. The basket is a symbol of the womb in which this new life is carried.
The feast day is pagan and was widely celebrated way before the time of Jesus. Like pretty much all holidays, it was adopted by Christians to help get more converts. However, since the point is to celebrate new life and the hope of continuance, Christian symbols of a Resurrection day and the old pagan symbols mean the same thing. Just like Christmas, we are all celebrating the same thing, just using different symbols.
2007-04-05 05:42:24 · answer #7 · answered by Pastor Biker 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Our Pagan friends will tell you the Christians stole their fertility rite.
But that's not true.
They'll also tell you the name comes from their goddess. It does not. Easter is a corruption of the Latin term Festa Paschalia. Festa = Easter.
Legend tells of Mary Magdalene going to evangelize the caesar of her day. Tiberius Caesar.
She spoke with him of Christ's ressurection during a dinner. He denied such a thing could ever happen.
A man cannot rise from the dead.
Mary Magdalene picked up a hard boiled egg from among the dinner foods. She cupped it in her hand and said something along the lines of 'if it be so, may this egg turn red in my hand.'
And so it did.
While many Christians have caved in to the mass market of pastel and fancy colors for eggs, MOST of the Eastern Rite Catholics (Byzantine, Greek, Greek Orthodox - who aren't under the Holy See) still use ONLY red eggs.
They pass these eggs to one another saying "Christ is Risen" you take the egg and say in return "Truly he is risen."
Below is a link to an image of Mary with her red egg. Hope the link works.
2007-04-05 05:47:41 · answer #8 · answered by Max Marie, OFS 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Remember... What came first, Easter or the Egg?
2007-04-05 05:42:27 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
I just know that they come from the Easter Bunny and they are often colorful...
2007-04-05 05:40:41 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋