2007-04-08 15:32:21 · 7 answers · asked by St. Tom Cruise 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Eostre - I believe was the pagan name for the goddess of fertility. Her special day was the spring equinox (March 22).
Origins of the name "Easter":
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. Similarly, the "Teutonic dawn goddess of fertility [was] known variously as Ostare, Ostara, Ostern, Eostra, Eostre, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron and Ausos." 1 Her name was derived from the ancient word for spring: "eastre." Similar Goddesses were known by other names in ancient cultures around the Mediterranean, and were celebrated in the springtime. Some were:
Aphrodite from ancient Cyprus
Ashtoreth from ancient Israel
Astarté from ancient Greece
Demeter from Mycenae
Hathor from ancient Egypt
Ishtar from Assyria
Kali, from India
Ostara a Norse Goddess of fertility.
2007-04-08 16:13:40 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, but it's not so much Christianity ripping it off as it is a cunning stunt by a bunch of ancient politicians to get people of different religions to "gel" by mixing them together. Modern day Christians are unaware. They're just going along with what mom, dad, grandma & grandpa, and the rest of society has taught them. Everything about easter and easter Sunday has nothing to do with Christ. If you go by the Hebrew calendar then this past Friday would be the day he was resurrected, not today.
2007-04-08 22:46:35 · answer #2 · answered by Anomaly 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I wouldn't call it ripping off. The Pagans had such a nice Equinox holiday in the spring that the early Christian leaders decided to change it a bit and adopt it as well. It all comes down to the same thing: a nice day to get a load of candy.
2007-04-08 23:15:11 · answer #3 · answered by Rapunzel XVIII 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most Christians celebrate the Day of Resurrection, not Easter
2007-04-08 22:39:22 · answer #4 · answered by tebone0315 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Good Christians create, great Christians steal.
2007-04-08 23:01:29 · answer #5 · answered by God 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes.
2007-04-08 22:35:05 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Now, now. Lets be nice and say, they borrowed and plain to return them one day. :-)
2007-04-08 22:46:55 · answer #7 · answered by MoPleasure4U 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋