"Eástre" by Jacques Reich - 1909

No, I didn’t ignore my spell-checker on this one. Before I delve a little deeper, please note that my intended use for this blog is rarely, if ever, to publish intrinsically researched facts and opinions. From day-to-day I experience a myriad of thoughts and ideas and sometimes my eyes come across things that either surprise or intrigue me. Such items are kindling for further study, but in the meantime, such incomplete thoughts and ideas are placed upon this medium for others to comment upon and consider. Now to today’s entry.

Recently I was asked to put together a short radio drama skit portraying a Civil War soldier’s celebration of Easter. The challenge seemed simple enough so I began perusing my usual research nooks. A few hours later I had become rather frustrated with the fact that I had come up with nothing, nada, zilch!

In frustration I turned to my good friend Google, who can sometimes point me towards information that is at least suspectedly credible. What happened next was akin to an archaeologist digging to expect Roman artifacts, but instead finds items of the Mayan culture.

One of the first internet hits I came across was a posting from 2005 that gave a brief history of Easter Traditions. I have been aware for many years that many of the Christian holidays coincided with pagan holidays for a multitude of reasons. Therefore, most of what I read on this page was not as spectacular. However, when I came across the name of the pagan festival, “Eastre,” my breath stopped for a split second. I stared at that page for several minutes trying to decide whether to continue this rabbit trail or not. I continued and my jaw felt loose in its socket.

I did a little more Google mining and each hit confirmed what I had just read. I felt in some way violated. I grew up with Easter eggs and Easter bunnies and all that comes along with the traditional Easter celebration. Like most everyone else though, I was taught that these were Christian symbols of new birth and celebration. I was never taught that the origins of these things were pagan symbols whose use was in the worship and reverence of a pagan goddess named Eostre.

I am level-headed enough to know that our Christian leaders are not worshipping ?ostre and that kids love egg hunts and little chocolate bunnies. I also firmly believe that doing so certainly does not place one’s salvation and/or soul in jeopardy. However, as the very resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the crux upon which Christianity stands separate from every other religion, I am somewhat dismayed that we name that most holy of days after a pagan goddess. WHY!

Just like the birth of Christ has been taken over by Wal-Mart and Toys-R-Us, the rebirth of Christ has been taken over by Cadbury and well, Wal-Mart. Since this discovery, my whole body twinges at the mere mention of the word Easter.

It would be my hope that we of the Christian faith could muster enough courage to break ties with tradition and begin taking back our most holy of celebrations, starting with its name. In fact, there are countries and ethnicities who have never given into the taking of a pagan name for the resurrection of Christ.

The following names refer to passover, but recently I am more inclined to maintain the name passover than Easter.

Greek/Latin: Pascha
Arabic: Pesach
Spanish: la Pascua
Italian: Pasqua
Portugese: Páscoa

Actually, from what I have found so far, the Macedonians, Ukrainians and Bulgarians are among the few who got it right. Their names for this celebration are defined as “Great Day.”

Macedonian: Velykden
Ukrainian: Velikden
Bulgarian: Vyalikdzyen

I know there are plenty of readers out there that would label me a literalist or a fundamentalist for this reformed thinking. They may even think I am absurd for wanting to move away from the word Easter, but in my way of thinking, words have meanings and definitions. The true meaning and definition of the word Easter points to a pagan godess and a pagan celebration. The apostles would have never associated the name Easter with their risen savior, so why should I; why should you?

Think of the pagans who roll on the floors of their homes while they see Christians rolling colored eggs and biting the heads off of chocolate bunnies in celebration of their godess.

This is why I have been unable to find any information regarding the celebration of Easter by Civil War soldiers. It was not until AFTER the Civil War that more European influences and traditions began to be practiced in the United States. I tend to think it is because there was so much religious tension before and during the Civil War over the interpretation of biblical slavery, that the population had grown weary of scripture battles. Rather than continue to fight for purity and righteousness, they let the sleeping dog lay. Unfortunately, when they turned the corner, that sleeping dog got up, found a mate and multiplied.

In conclusion, from this point forward, the celebration of our risen Savior will no longer be referred by me as Easter. Instead, at the very least, this will be Resurrection Day!