Another Pagan Borrowed Holiday, Easter

Again a borrowed celebration of the passage of spring;

Anglo-Saxon and German

Ostara (1884) by Johannes Gehrts.Main article: Ēostre
The modern English term Easter is speculated to have developed from Old English word Ēastre or Ēostre or Eoaster, which itself developed prior to 899. The name refers to Eostur-monath, a month of the Germanic calendar attested by Bede as named after the goddess Ēostre of Anglo-Saxon paganism.[15] Bede notes that Eostur-monath was the equivalent to the month of April, and that feasts held in her honor during Ēostur-monath had died out by the time of his writing, replaced with the Christian custom of Easter.[16] Using comparative linguistic evidence from continental Germanic sources, the 19th century scholar Jacob Grimm proposed the existence of an equivalent form of Eostre among the pre-Christian beliefs of the continental Germanic peoples, whose name he reconstructed as Ostara.

The implications of the goddess have resulted in theories about whether or not Eostre is an invention of Bede, theories connecting Eostre with records of Germanic folk custom (including hares and eggs), and as cultural descendant of the Proto-Indo-European goddess of the dawn through the etymology of her name. Grimm's reconstructed Ostara has had some influence in modern popular culture. Modern German has Ostern, but otherwise, Germanic languages have generally borrowed the form pascha.

The Celts had there own celebration of spring as did many other groups.

Shadows;

They all might have started out as religious holidays but now they are corporate holidays. Especially for toy manufacturers, Candy makers, and greeting cards companies.
I don't celebrate any of them now. Just another day.

Camac

I will not argue that point!

Is not "corporate" a form of modern religion?

If you want you can have all the Easter..ahem...spring crap such as chocolate bunnies, eggs, fertility symbols, and expensive spring celebration stuff back. I don't know were it came from but I've got the Catholic Mass and that's enough for me.

Shadows
[QUOTE]Is not "corporate" a form of modern religion?

Sure is. The worship of the Almighty Dollar seems to still be going strong. I guess I'm a heretic in that respect also because I really don't give a damn for money.


Camac

Robert,

No one was questioning your faith...

...the point being made was that "ALL" christian holy days fall on feasts from the pagan world...

There is much discussion why, my beliefs are that the christians used these days to merge the pagans into the "fold". Use what is common to deliver the herd into the beliefs you are trying to spread.

Do not take my post as an afront to your religion.

I'm sorry but I do have to take it as an affront to my faith. The point that I would like to make is that every time a Christian holiday rolls around someone always post about how we Christians "borrowed" something and ritualized it for our own. Like we don't have the intelligence to make up our own stufff and we need to "Christianze" your stuff to get people to come in the church. Now I agree that there is alot that is borrowed but please realize that other religions "borrowed" from us as well. We are not the only guilty ones. Most of the Cristian mass was borrowed from the Jewish faith. Some of those things borrowed were rather welcomed. (Go to Mass or be a sacrifice to the gods-which would you take?) Some, such as forced conversions, were not. It's the nature of man to borrow the good stuff and apply it to his own experience. It still goes on today. Google "pagan roseries" and see how many entries you get. And not every Christian holiday falls on a pagan one. All Souls Day is a day after Halloween and the date for Easter changes every year. St. Valentine's day didn't start untill Chaucer mentioned it and still there are people who want to say it started from a pagan holiday. I just want people to realize that all religions in the search for the truth "borrow" from one another. I certain most New Age religions borrow more than anybody. Does that make it a bad thing. No it doesn't. But please if there is a day that wasn't started by a non Christian religion please let me know so we can put something there and a least have a claim to some orignality. Now if you don't mind I'm going to bite the heads off a few chocolate bunnies. Or do you think PETA will get me arrrested for symbolic animal cruelty?

One could also suggest that pagan feasts were on Religious holidays. Since the beginning of recorded time people worshiped some deity. Almost out of a perceived necessity. At times, craven images were worshiped but also a supreme being at times.

Though a bit off topic, for some reason more people came to our church today than could be accommodated inside the building and the outside speakers were turned on for those who had to stand outside. Fortunately the weather was good. People parked along both sides of the road and in the surrounding neighborhood.

In 40 plus years I have never seen that many people in attendance. Even at Easter or Christmas.

It appears that in my little part of the world, Christianity might be on the up-tick.

Slàinte,    

Patch