Easter History

Easter was originally a pagan festival commemorating the goddess of springtime, Eastre, and celebrating the return of Spring. Early Christian holy days usually coincided with the festivals that already existed. Thus, Christians call the holiday “Resurrection Day,” as it commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ and celebrates the hope of eternal life. In many countries Easter is called “Pascha,” which comes from the Hebrew word “Pesach” meaning Passover, because Jesus is God’s Passover lamb.

Easter was celebrated on different days of the week prior to A.D. 325. In that year, the Roman Emperor Constantine issued a decree stating that Easter would be celebrated on the first Sunday that occurs after the first full moon on or after the first day of Spring. Ever since then, most people have observed Easter according to that rule. Consequently, Easter can fall on any Sunday between March 22 and April 25.

Did You Know¼? Easter was not widely celebrated in America until after the Civil War.

An Easter Carol
by Christina Rossetti (1830‑1894)

Spring bursts today, for Christ is risen and all the earth’s at play.

Flash forth, thou Sun, the rain is over and gone, its work is done.

Winter is past, sweet Spring is come at last, is come at last.

Bud, Fig and Vine, Bud, Olive, fat with fruit and oil and wine

Break forth this morn in roses, thou but yesterday a Thorn.

Uplift thy head, O pure white Lily through the winter dead.

Beside your dams leap and rejoice, you merry‑making Lambs.

All Herds and Flocks rejoice, all beasts of thickets and of rocks.

Sing, creatures, sing, Angels and Men and Birds and everything.

All notes of Doves fill all our world: this is the time of loves.                           

Easter Symbols

As with almost all holidays, Easter has become very commercialized. There are plastic eggs and chocolate bunnies galore. The symbols associated with Easter, however, are not modern fabrications. From earliest times, the egg was a symbol of rebirth in most cultures. The custom of exchanging eggs in the springtime was already centuries old when Easter was first celebrated by Christians. Eggs were wrapped in gold leaf if you were wealthy or, if you were a peasant, colored brightly by boiling them with the leaves or petals of certain flowers. The chick breaking out of its shell is another symbol of rebirth. The Easter bunny originated with the pagan Easter festival, since it was a rabbit that represented the goddess, Eastre. The butterfly emerging from its cocoon is also an Easter symbol. Lambs link the death of Christ to that of the lamb sacrificed on the first Passover. The cross is the symbol of the crucifixion, as well as the official symbol of Christianity. Easter lilies represent the purity of new life.

Easter Egg Hunts

Many families develop their own variations of the traditional Easter egg hunt. Here are some ideas:

Leave a trail of Hershey’s Kisses from your child’s bedroom to his or her Easter basket. (Use a different color Hershey’s Kiss for each child in case the candy trails criss‑cross.)

Leave a plastic egg with a clue inside that will lead them to another plastic egg, then to another, and so on. The final egg clue will take them to their Easter basket.

Hide plastic eggs with little notes inside, saying what prize has been won.

In some places, children roll eggs down a long hill. The child whose egg lasts the longest without cracking, wins.

Make Your Own Natural Easter Egg Dye

Purple: 1 (15 ounce) can sliced beets or 1/2 cup grape juice concentrate

Yellow: 1/4 cup ground safflower or 1/4 cup ground turmeric

Blue: 1 cup canned blueberries (with syrup)

Red: 1 cup canned cherries (with syrup)

Arrange a layer of eggs in a pan or pot. Cover the eggs with water. Place one selection (color choice from above) into the pot and bring the water to a rolling boil. While the water is boiling, stir 1 teaspoon of white vinegar into the water. Let the eggs boil for one minute, then remove the pan from the heat. For light pastel‑colored eggs, let the eggs sit approximately 3 hours before removing them from the dye and letting them dry. If you would like your eggs a darker hue, transfer the eggs and hot dye into a bowl, then cover and refrigerate until the eggs are the color you desire. (Thanks to Andja Rawlings of Black Canyon City who gave me these instructions.)

Bird Nest Cookies ‑ Push a few jelly beans into the center of some fresh‑baked coconut macaroons.

Cascarones

According to Spanish tradition, breaking these on someone’s head brings good luck. You will need: empty eggshells, markers, paper punch, colored paper, glue, scissors, tissue paper and a funnel.

1. Carefully put a small hole in raw eggs. Pour out the insides and rinse the shell with water and let dry. 2. Cut out confetti from colored paper using a paper punch. (You can use old gift wrap or the Sunday comics.) 3. Decorate the eggshells with markers, being very careful not to break the shells. 4. Fill each eggshell with confetti using the funnel. Glue a small piece of tissue paper over the hole and let dry. 5. Smash these on each other’s heads for loads of luck and Easter fun.

Books

“A Tale for Easter,” by Tasha Tudor

“Benjamin’s Box: A Resurrection Story,” by Melody Carlson

“The Easter Story,” by Brian Wildsmith

“The Egg Tree,” by Katherine Milhous

Movies

“The Passion of the Christ” (2004, R, 127 min.)

“Jesus of Nazareth” (1977, not rated, 382 min.)

“The Robe” (1953, not rated, 135 min.)

“Ben‑Hur” (1959, G, 211 min.)

Web sites

http://web‑holidays.com/easter (Easter origins, crafts, activities, recipes, songs, etc.)

http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Holidays/Easter (Easter for kids and teachers)

http://www.religioustolerance.org/easter.htm (Easter origins and meanings)

http://www.marvelcreations.com/easter.html (A pretty Easter page.)

http://www.njwebworks.net/easter/index.shtml (Easter in Cyberspace: A Christian Perspective.)

Teri Ann Berg Olsen is a home educator, librarian and author of the book “Learning for Life: Educational Words of Wisdom.” Visit her Web site at www.knowledgehouse.info.