Do you know why the Sunday we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection is called Easter? The word Easter comes from Eostre, a Germanic goddess of spring and fertility. In our culture, we celebrate the holiday with decorated eggs, and fill every shopping mall with rabbits of various designs.
In pagan traditions, rabbits symbolize fertility and spring because of their high reproductive rates, that was why the rabbit was the animal symbol of Eostre. Meanwhile, eggs have a meaning of birth. The German used to say that a hare would come around during spring time with a bagful of colourful eggs, and place the eggs in the family’s chicken nests if the children of the house were well behaved. There was even a myth that some bunnies lay eggs! Nonetheless, Easter has always been connoted to the themes of spring, rebirth and a new beginning.
So, you may wonder, is it okay for Christians to celebrate Easter at all since it originated from pagan traditions? When we look at some of the most popular festivals, we often find ourselves celebrating them with seemingly non-Christian fashions. For example, we have Christmas trees and Santa Claus during Christmas, and we give out red packets during Chinese New Year. A lot of these festivals come from our stories and cultures. Yet, as Christians, it is important for us to look at these festivals in a new light.
A lot of these festivals come from our stories and cultures. Yet, as Christians, it is important for us to look at these festivals in a new light.
In my Catholic primary school, they gave students these not very nice looking pink dyed eggs before we ran off for Easter holidays. They were real, edible eggs. But, my mom told me they were not to be eaten until Easter Sunday. I didn’t ponder why, probably because I was not a big fan of hard boiled eggs or those bright pink colored shells.
After reading a few articles, I realized, eggs were considered a forbidden food during the season of Lent according to the Catholic tradition. People placed them around the house as decorations, and on Easter Sunday, they ate them as a gesture of celebration.
The use of Easter eggs may have been inspired by the pagan traditions, but we can adopt and transform the meanings of these objects. There is nothing wrong with celebrating Easter with bunnies and delicious chocolate eggs, or participating in scavenger hunts. They are fun, and they bring friends and families together. Though as Christians, we should also remember the reason for celebrating Easter is the resurrection of Jesus that He is our savior, and He has conquered death for us. It is a great message worth remembering.
There is nothing wrong with celebrating Easter with bunnies and delicious chocolate eggs, or participating in scavenger hunts. They are fun, and they bring friends and families together. Though as Christians, we should also remember the reason for celebrating Easter is the resurrection of Jesus that He is our savior, and He has conquered death for us.
Resurrection is one of the most important events in Christian history, because without it, our faith will render meaningless. Though, it is worth wondering how the secular culture and the Bible both illustrate a theme of new life during the same season.
If our hearts are truly transformed by Christ, we will see everything in a different lens. The ornaments and stars we put on Christmas trees carry a message that means more to us Christian than to the rest of the world. We can put money into red packets that also include a small note of Bible verse or a quote of blessings. When we are one with Christ, the Gospel will flow through our actions naturally.
If our hearts are truly transformed by Christ, we will see everything in a different lens.