Why are so many Christians ignorant of Holy Pascha (Easter)?

Question

Why do so many Christians walk around believing a lie? The lie being that Holy Pascha (Easter) is based on some utterly UNSUBSTANTIABLE "pagan spring festival", when all the reliable evidence shows that Holy Pascha (called "Easter" in English) is a direct offshoot of the Passover. Indeed, in Greek, "Pascha" is the word for both "Easter" and "Passover". How did so many Christians become so blindingly ignorant and willing to swallow such hideous lies about their own faith. I understand non-Christians spreading such pernicious propaganda, but why did Christians abandon the very easily available knowledge that Holy Pascha is from the feast of the Passover? Where did this ignorance come from, and why is it so especially widespread among those very Christians who claim the loudest to be practicing a "true" or "pure" form of Christianity?

I am simply astonished at the rank ignorance of some answers. Bede was a LATECOMER to Christianity. Holy Pascha was celebrated for CENTURIES before he came along, and it was NOT called "Easter". It is STILL not called Easter in a very large number of countries. The ignorance and backwardness is simply astonishing. Please provide proof that Holy Pascha is NOT known as "Pascha" in Greece, in the lands of the Eastern Mediterranean (such as around Jerusalem) and instead was originally called "Easter".

Answer 1

Remember the first holy day (holiday) that God created? We call it Sabbath. How many Christians still honor that one? The name and traditions belonging to that holiday commonly called Easter have nothing to do with Christianity. Passover took place the week before that Resurrection morning...which actually would be called Saturday night by current time keeping practices. Eating boiled eggs and candy have nothing to do with celebrating the Resurrection. It is just another case of a human tradition being made part of doctrine. Many of your kind of Christian believe that they celebrate Christ's resurrection on a weekly basis, on the first day of the week...so it's a little confusing to celebrate the Resurrection weekly and annually.
When my family celebrates Resurrection on the annual program, we have a beautiful family ceremony...very reverent which ends with spending time together and enjoying nature.... We enjoy each other and give thanks to God for saving us from ourselves. My children have never asked why we don't hide eggs and candy like the other people, because they understand the difference between paganism and Christ's Way. It is a tradition and was never ordained as a holy day...the Sabbath was ordained before any Jews even existed...Adam and Eve celebrated that first holiday with the pre-born Christ right after they were Created. When my family celebrates Creation and the Word, we do so on a weekly basis on Sabbath.

Answer 2

Easter originated as the first Sunday following Passover, when Jesus was crucified.

Neither, as some anti-Catholics claim, is the name Easter derived from the pagan goddess Ishtar. As checking the dictionary will reveal, Easter is derived from the Old English word east, which means precisely what it does today. Only a speaker of English or German (where the holiday is called Ostern) could fall for such a claim.

In virtually every other language, the name of Easter is derived from the Jewish word Pesach or "Passover." Thus in Greek the term for Easter is Pascha; in Latin the term is also Pascha. From there it passed into the Romance languages, and so in Spanish it is Pascua, in Italian Pasqua, in French Paques, and in Portugese Pascoa. It also passed into the non-Romance languages, such as the Germanic languages Dutch, where it is Pasen, and Danish, where it is Paaske.

Answer 3

You are correct.

The English word "Easter" relates to Estre, a Teutonic (German) goddess of the rising light of day and spring, which deity. No one seems to know why.

The great feast of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ was celebrated long before the unchristian English word "Easter" was first used.

Most other languages translate a Jewish/Christian term for the great celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ that English speakers call "Easter."

The Greek term for Easter is pascha. It is the Aramaic form of the Hebrew pesach (meaning passover).

The Greeks called Easter the pascha anastasimon
Latin: Pascha
Italian: Pasqua
Spanish: Pascua
Scottish: Pask
Dutch: Paschen
Danish: Paaske
Swedish: Pask
Even in the German provinces of the Lower Rhine the people call the feast Paisken not Ostern.

With love in Christ.

Answer 4

How sad that you see the need to argue over something as precious as our Easter celebration. We celebrate the fact that our Jesus rose from the dead. The very same Jesus that died for our sins and redeemed us.

I would think you would be more interested in your Salvation than an argument about Pascha. Stirring controversary is not the way of the Christian faith. I pray that you will find a way to contribute to peace on this earth instead of war.

Answer 5

Imacatholic2...don't forget that the way many Americans celebrate Easter is based on this fertility thing with the rabbits, eggs and chicks...don't forget all the flowers. The pagan way of celebrating Easter is predominant in our society. Just as the pagan way of celebrating Jesus' birthday is celebrated dominates. The ACLU does not want anyone to openly acknowledge the one true God, Yahweh. However, it seems 'OK' to openly acknowledge homage to those pagan gods of fertility. Also, in all honesty, no Christian celebrated anything like Easter until the Roman Catholic Church adopted it and enforced it at least 300+ years after the last true apostle had died.

Answer 6

I am a Christian from a Jewish background originally was a latecomer I have been well aware that Easter is known as Holy Pascha for a while! So I am not ignorant of it!

Answer 7

Uh-huh. And the date of easter is determined by the Spring Equinox... And there are fertility symbols abounding in most traditional celebrations...

No, I can't see where anyone would assume that it's a Pagan based holiday!

And I also can't see what you think Bede gained by lying and recording information on Eostre, the Germanic Goddess. True, he is the only source, but he was a good Christian, so why would he lie about it?

Edit: Yes, he came after, but he wrote of history. And he clearly implies that the traditions of the Church were a mish-mash of pre-Christian Pagan practices. Or do you have a good explanation for why fertility symbols are rampant in the celebration?

Answer 8

If you think this through twice, you will see that most Christians believe that Easter reflects the resurrection of Christ. The other interpretation may also hold water. Interesting to note the number of religions that celebrate Easter no differ date.
Meanwhile, chill out and, maybe, you'll feel better about everything.

Answer 9

I prefer celebrating the Resurrection......

I don't like the whole Easter business since it has turned into a marketing term rather than a holy celebration.....

the bunny and candy thing just nauseates me...

they have forgotten what the true meaning is....

Answer 10

The truth hurts doesn't it:

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." 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.