Easter Traditions

Every year Easter is celebrated by millions of people. Everyone has their own traditions, as well as beliefs. But where did easter come from? Why do we celebrate this holiday? What ever your belief or tradition, they have much in common.

Easter is always celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox, or the first day of spring. It represents rebirth and a time of renewal. Many have different beliefs about what that means. But all can be traced to common beginnings.

The celebration of easter is an old celebration. The festival of passover falls in spring during this time frame. This was the time Christ was crucified. Early Christian celebrated the resurrection of Christ during this time. As Christianity spread it came into contact with other spring celebrations. Those people incorporated their traditions in to their new beliefs.

As it spread in Europe it encountered the traditions of the egg and the Hare. The egg is a symbol of rebirth to many old civilizations. To the early Christians the egg represented the resurrection, it was round like the stone that blocked the door, and life was in side. The egg would be decorated and hidden to be found by the children. As they looked they would often scare up any hares hiding in the area. Soon the belief that the hares were leaving the eggs became a popular fable.

In Europe there was a goddess called Eostre who was believed to have , in order to entertain children, turned her favorite bird into a hare and had it lay colorful eggs for the children to find. So as Christianity grew it adopted the practice of the colored egg. The name Eostre became Easter and thus the holiday began.