Emmanuel Thomas l Monday, April 05, 2021
LAGOS, Nigeria – The Easter celebration kicked 0ff worldwide on Sunday, April 4, 2021 and continues today, Monday, April 05, 2021 among Christendom. According to the Wikipedia, Easter is a Christian festival or holiday, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
But how did Easter celebration come about? According to The Encyclopædia Britannica, “The English name Easter is of uncertain origin; the Anglo-Saxon priest Venerable Bede in the 8th century derived it from the Anglo-Saxon spring goddess Eostre.” Others link Easter to Astarte, the Phoenician fertility goddess who had the Babylonian counterpart Ishtar.
Besides, Easter is usually celebrated in most of the western world with items such as hares, rabbits and eggs. Regarding the hares and rabbits, the Encyclopedia says they are symbols of fertility “handed down from the ancient ceremonial and symbolism of European and Middle Eastern pagan spring festivals.”
As for the eggs, the Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend said the hunt for Easter eggs, supposedly brought by the Easter rabbit, “is not mere child’s play, but the vestige of a fertility rite”, while the book, Traditional Festivals noted that some cultures believed that the decorated Easter egg “could magically bring happiness, prosperity, health, and protection”.
As regards Sunrise Services, the book, Celebrations—The Complete Book of American Holidays explained that the sunrise services have been linked to rites of ancient sun worshippers “performed at the vernal equinox welcoming the sun and its great power to bring new life to all growing things”.
It therefore not surprising that the American Book of Days said “there is no doubt that the Church in its early days adopted the old pagan customs and gave a Christian meaning to them.”
The question therefore is, does Easter have any linkage with the Bible? The answer is no. The Bible warns Christians against worshipping God by following traditions or customs that displease him. (Mark 7:6-8) Second Corinthians 6:17 says “‘Separate yourselves,’ says Jehovah, ‘and quit touching the unclean thing.’”What we gathered from our research shows clearly that Easter is a pagan holiday that those who want to please God must avoid.
On the other hand, the closest link to Easter in the Holy Bible is the Lord’s Evening Meal, which can be found at I Corinthians 11: 23-26 which Jesus commanded his disciples to celebrate. There Jesus Christ vividly showed how it is to be celebrated. Jesus inaugurated the Lords Evening Meal on Nisan 14 in the Jewish calendar and he urged his disciples to commemorate it and it ought to be done yearly on the day that corresponds to Nisan 14 in our own Calendar.
