~ A look at Easter traditions ~
Ask anyone and they can tell you the Easter story. The Christian tradition holds this holiday as most sacred, even surpassing Christmas. The Easter holiday means the crucifixion of Christ and His rising three days later. This miracle is fundamental to all Christians, regardless of denomination.
So why do we think of Easter as a time for bunny rabbits and why do we colour eggs and hide them about the garden for kids to find? What has this to do with the Christian story of Easter? These traditions rise out of ancient pagan festivals in prehistoric Europe – welcoming springtime as a time for fertility and birth.
The name Easter is not itself a part of the Christian traditions. It seems to have come from the ancient Saxons who celebrated the return of spring with a festival honouring their goddess, Eastre. Perhaps it goes even farther back into history, though – all the way to Ancient Egypt. The worship of Astarte, the Phoenician name for Egypt’s goddess of fertility, spread throughout Europe, becoming the Old English name “Ostara,” which became corrupted into Eastre, the name for the Saxon goddess.
Sources agree that during the 2nd century, early Christians attempted to convert pagan worshippers to Christianity and thus called their Christian celebration of Christ’s resurrection by the previously known celebration and created the name “Easter” and thus introduced the new Christian meanings onto the pre-existing festival.
When is Easter?
This year, Easter falls on April 1, but the date varies from year to year. To discover why, we must go back to the year A.D. 325. Before that year, Easter was celebrated on different days of the week – not only Sunday, but a Monday, Tuesday or Friday could have been Easter. However, in A.D. 325, the Council of Nicaea was convened by the Emperor Constantine. They issued “The Easter Rule” which states that Easter shall be celebrated on the first Sunday that occurs after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox. To further complicate matters, we must introduce some exceptions here. The “full moon” in the council’s ruling is the ecclesiastical full moon, which does not always occur on the same date as the astronomical full moon. Suffice it to say that as it now stands, Easter must be celebrated on a Sunday between the dates of March 22 and April 25.
What is Lent?
Lent is the forty-six day period just prior to Easter Sunday. It begins on Ash Wednesday. The English word lent derives from the Old English for springtime, lencten. During Lent, believers are asked to focus on God by sacrificing something, often the eating of meat. Prior to Lent, a tradition has sprung up to feast and party to the max. It was a way to “get it all out” before the sacrifices of Lent began. This is the origin of Carnival (Latin for “farewell to meat”) and the famous Mardi Gras (French for “Fat Tuesday,” the last day before Ash Wednesday). Carnival is now practiced around the world; dates have been shifted to accommodate tourism and musicians’ schedules. The celebrations, originally only on the Tuesday, have expanded to last for weeks.
The Easter Bunny
Springtime is the natural time to celebrate fertility and birth. Everyone knows of the rabbit’s prolific ability to reproduce, thus rabbits have long been a symbol of spring. Back to pagan festival of Eastre, the goddess of springtime. They believed that her earthly symbol was the rabbit.
Interestingly, the United States is often thought to be the source of “The Easter Bunny propaganda,” but Easter was not originally a big holiday in early American households. In fact, German immigrants brought the symbol of the Easter rabbit to America, and it was widely ignored by other Christians until shortly after the Civil War. In fact, Easter itself was not widely celebrated in America until after that time.
The Easter Egg
From the earliest times, the egg was a symbol of rebirth in most cultures. Eggs were often wrapped in gold leaf in aristocratic homes or, if you were a peasant, coloured brightly by boiling them with the leaves or petals of certain flowers. As with the Easter Bunny, the Easter egg is rooted in ancient pagan beliefs. The exchange of eggs in the springtime is a custom that was centuries’ old when Easter was first celebrated by the early Christians.
We still love decorating eggs and hunting for them in the grass where the Easter Bunny left them. Children place them in Easter baskets, wear their Easter clothes and enjoy chocolate bunnies and candy eggs. These traditions keep us connected with ancient rituals and beliefs, as we pass them on to the next generation.
Underwater Egg Hunt
St. Maarten’s traditions at this time of year include an underwater egg hunt for kids. This year’s event will be held on Easter Monday at the Kokomo beach in Indigo Bay. The fun starts at 9:00am and lasts until the afternoon. All are invited.
