Greetings, dear Sunny Optimists,
Wishing you a happy Easter holiday and family time. I thought it would be interesting for your delight and delectation to explore the origins of Easter both as a religious festival and as part of the annual holiday season. Enjoy!
Easter Origins and Christianity
As with many Christian celebrations, Easter began in ancient pagan culture to acknowledge the Spring Equinox. The root of the word Easter is thought to come from Eostre, or Eostrae, the Anglo-Saxon Goddess of spring and fertility. I like that this time of Easter flows nicely from our recent explorations of the arrival of spring.
Yet over time, the Easter celebration moved to be an honouring of the Resurrection of Jesus on the third day after his crucifixion- in the fulfilment of the biblical prophecy. It is so interesting to consider the interplay between the Pagan and the Christian. I find the hope associated with the Resurrection combined with considerations of the new beginnings of Springtime brings me a deep sense of optimism and wellbeing.
I wonder if it does for you too.
In the past, I have had quite a dance with religion, particularly with my protestant Christian upbringing. I could never entirely accept that God was this bearded gentleman up in the sky who considered me essentially a sinner. Or that I needed an intermediary between God and me to guide me on what was right and proper. Can you sense the rebel energy in me? LOL!
It was not until I started my Earth Wisdom training that I found a deeper understanding of what is the Divine, or Source, or God. I found myself able to respect all religions as flowing from a perennial philosophy of inherent goodness. This perspective views religious traditions as sharing a single, metaphysical truth or origin.
I now believe that all religions have a profound sense of goodness at their centre. And if I hold to this belief, I can resist judging the darker side that can arise from human fundamentalism. This revelation was a powerful reframing for me. As I settled into this, I no longer felt I had to grapple with religion. Instead, I could honour and respect all religious traditions, and I know I am a better person for that understanding.
So now, I would like to move on to Easter as a secular holiday. I had great fun rooting around to discover the following aspects of this time of celebration.
The Joy of Easter Eggs
The Easter Egg is one of this celebration's most recognisable symbols. But is this just about the fun of rolling painted eggs down the hill or an excellent excuse to consume chocolate, or is there more to it?
Apparently, the egg is a fertility symbol that can be traced back to the Ancient Babylonians. They believed an egg fell from heaven into the Euphrates River and "hatched" the Goddess of fertility, Astarte. Ah, the Goddess of Fertility once again! It is thought that indigenous peoples exchanged eggs as gifts during their springtime festival. The egg symbolises the welcoming of new life and new beginnings.
The Easter Bunny (Hare)
The Easter Rabbit is a tradition that originated in the pagan festival of Eostre who is associated with the rabbit and hare. Why the Easter Bunny? Well, this next bit really made me smile. Rabbits, much like eggs, have long represented fertility because they have a high reproduction rate. Breeding like rabbits, LOL!! I find it wonderfully amusing how ancient peoples found ways to weave everyday facts of life into their celebrations. It all makes sense.
Easter Bonnets and the Easter Parade
I was then curious about the Easter Parade tradition. Where did it come from? As with any festival, it was a time for people to dress up in all their finery. The Easter Parade is an American phenomenon that dates back to the mid-1800s. In all their finery, society's elite would attend Easter services at various churches along 5th Avenue in New York. Afterwards, they would stroll along the avenue, showing each other their new spring outfits and hats.
The tradition reached its peak by the mid-20th century. In the 1948 film ‘Easter Parade’ with Fred Astaire and Judy Garland, the title song has the lyrics: “In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it. You’ll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade.”
Questions for this Week
Yet again, creating this week’s post has been easy and delightful. I am always amazed at the bounty there is to celebrate with you. I appreciate you being with me on this adventure. Here are my questions for this week:
What Easter traditions do you share with family and friends?
Do you have particular memories of this time of year?
How does Easter resonate with your sense of hope and optimism?
As always, please feel free to share. I really enjoy hearing from you.
Ann
Hello Ann! One of my favorite memories is of making 'nests' for the Easter Bunny to place his goodies in. I'm not sure where my Dad got this idea, but he instructed us, on Easter Eve, to take all the clothes we'd worn that day and swirl them into a nest shape on the living room floor before we trotted off to bed. In the morning, a lovely, pastel-colored basket of sweets would be in each of our nests. We did this every year without fail. Recently my sister mentioned this tradition to some friends, assuming everyone did this, and they looked at her like she was crazy! This is my Dad....always dreaming up some crazy fun for the young children around. Definitely one of his superpowers!
Dearest Ann, I love your letter this week! So much fun information. Back when I was a church musician, I always felt so lucky to be the first one in the church on Easter Sunday morning because all of the white lilies had been displayed around the alter and piano the night before. The aroma was so heady it almost made one feel dizzy. Now that I live in the north, Easter really does signal a big change as the very first early flowers begin to poke through the snow to let us know spring is on the way.
BTW, I don't know if you are aware that the Sunday Easter Bonnet parade still goes on in New York, right down 5th avenue. I happen to be in NYC a decade ago on an Easter Sunday and we happen to walk right into a sea of fabulous Easter hats. I love that the tradition continues. You can read about it here: https://www.timeout.com/newyork/things-to-do/events-festivals/easter-parade-and-bonnet-festival
Sending much Easter love across the pond. - Chris