Happy Eastre!
Before Jesus came hopping down the bunny trail, Easter was a festival devoted to honoring a Teutonic goddess named Eastre. And from her festival came the traditions of the Easter Bunny (symbol of fertility), colored Easter eggs and baby chicks (symbols of new life).
The pattern of nature dying in winter and coming back to life in spring has been the basis for countless religions. The return of Persephone from the underworld to the light of day symbolized the resurrection of life in the spring after the desolation of winter to the ancient Greeks. The Phrygians believed that their omnipotent deity went to sleep at the time of the winter solstice, and they performed ceremonies with music and dancing at the spring equinox to awaken him.
Though Easter is considered a Christian holiday, we see from its pagan origins that it needn’t be. Whether or not Jesus or any of the thousands of gods and goddesses of history literally rose from the dead or not, the miracle of Spring— of rebirth and resurrected life—is ample cause for celebration!
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