2007-04-08 01:44:39 · 5 answers · asked by paTROLLer 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Ostara/Eostre, the pagan Goddess of Spring. Her totem is the hare and her symbol is the egg.
Her holy day is celebrated on the Spring Equinox.
The Council of Nicea changed Passover to Easter in the 4th century to marry jewish gnosticism with paganism in an effort to unite the roman empire.
2007-04-08 01:48:46 · answer #1 · answered by Kallan 7 · 7⤊ 1⤋
weeeeell to be fair, Ostara is the hypothetical Old High German name for the goddess Eostre, of which little is known. The modern holidays Easter and Eastertide are thought to be related to the worship of this goddess.
Note that a lot of it is speculative. The facts seem to fit but it wouldn't be the first time we accidentally retrofit history. Ostara is a modern Neopagan holiday. Note the 'modern' disclaimer.
2007-04-08 08:51:58 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Ostara's a Pagan Holiday.
Kallan's got the best answer so far.
- 16 yo Pagan
2007-04-08 08:47:35 · answer #3 · answered by Lady Myrkr 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
EASTER OR PASSOVER
Easter a brief history
The name Easter comes to America from Ostera or Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring. The origin goes back to 2000 BC in Babylonia honoring the goddess of spring Ishtar. Ishtar the mother/wife of their god Tammuz brought him back from the underworld. In Phoenecia she became Astarte, in Greece Eostre, and in Germany Ostara. Consider also a Phrygian honoring Attis and Cybele or a heretic Israelite honoring the Canaanite Baal and Ashtoreth. All of these are fertility celebrations of death and resurrection.
Easter in the King James
Acts 12:4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
Easter G3957 pascha (pas'-khah) Of Chaldee origin (compare [H6453]); the Passover (the meal, the day, the festival or the special sacrifices connected with it): - Easter, Passover.
H6453 pesach (peh'-sakh) From H6452; a pretermission, that is, exemption; used only technically of the Jewish Passover (the festival or the victim): - passover (offering).
H6452 pasach (paw-sakh') A primitive root; to hop, that is, (figuratively) skip over (or spare); by implication to hesitate; also (literally) to limp, to dance: - halt, become lame, leap, pass over.
The word Easter occurs in the King James Bible one time and is mistranslated. It should be translated Passover.
The original Passover
Exo.12:23-27 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. 24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. 25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as He hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. 26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you,
What mean ye by this service?
27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD'S Passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when He smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.
It is the sacrifice of the LORD'S Passover.
Christ our Passover
I Cor.5:6-8 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.
As with most Christian holidays, Easter has been secularized and commercialized. We have Easter bunnies, eggs, baskets, bonnets and parades.
Knowing now the origins of Easter and the sacrifice Christ made for us; I am truly ashamed of country, family, and myself. We should not be celebrating Easter. We should be celebrating Christ our Passover with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
What is your answer to a child who asks, “What mean ye by this service?”
What about God, does He like what He sees and hears during this special time of year?
2007-04-08 08:58:22 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
It is when the Wiccan religion gets their Easter eggs.
2007-04-08 08:50:10 · answer #5 · answered by Gone fishin' 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋