4/17/17
Easter has been a staple holiday in my family, and my mom’s favorite holiday. That’s one of the many reasons it brings me joy. It always reminds me of bright sunshine, spring, and colorful eggs and pastries. The message of resurrection is both stark and light, some may even say magical…
Easter, like many other religious holidays, has roots in ancient traditions and celebrations of the nature. Pagan rituals often coincided with the seasons of harvesting, and cycles of the Earth, moon and sun. The story of a figure helping to overcome darkness, as well as the eggs and pastries with crosses have parallels with ancient cultures. Long before the story of Jesus, the Sumerian goddess Ishtar and the Egyptian god Horus had similar life trajectories resulting in resurrection. The customs of egg exchange and baking sacred bread also have ancient Pagan roots, and the bunny symbol traces back to the Goddess Eostre.
This article talks about all of the correlations a lot better than I can describe. Happy Easter!
