Since Sunday is Easter, I thought I would post a talk I did a couple years ago for an Easter Sunday church service: The History Easter
“Where one sees nothing but the One, hears nothing but the One, knows nothing but the One – there is the Infinite. Where one sees another, hears another, knows another – there is the finite. The Infinite is immortal, the finite is mortal. It is written, He who has realized eternal Truth does not see death, nor illness, nor pain; he sees everything as the Self, and obtains all.” ~ Hinduism. Upanishad 7.23 and 7.27
Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (Mother Mary), went out to see the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, because an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled aside the stone and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.
Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He has been raised from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now go quickly and tell his disciples he has been raised from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember, I have told you.”
We gather here this Sunday morning to celebrate the holiday of Easter and the rich symbolism associated with this day – many churches have started to call this Resurrection Day. We are joined world-wide by many other Western Church religions who celebrate this holiday on this day. Easter is considered a ‘moveable’ holiday, meaning that it falls on different dates in different years. Easter, in the Western Religions, is always the first Sunday following the first full moon that appears on or after the Spring (Vernal) Equinox - first day of Spring - March 21.
Therefore, according to this timeline, Easter always falls between March 22 and April 25. The Eastern Orthodox Religions also consider Easter a moveable holiday, but their celebration usually falls a week or two after the Western holiday.
In 325 AD, the Emperor Constantine was the one who set the formula that Easter will be observed on the first Sunday following the first full moon following the equinox – and it has remained ever since. Prior to 325 AD, it is known that Easter was observed on different dates during the springtime – usually having some regard to the Jewish festival of Passover which is observed during this same time of year.
So, how do we make the jump from celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, the empty tomb, and the symbolism of everlasting life; to the Easter Bunny, ham, and painted eggs? Believe it or not – there is a connection! Our current Easter tradition has its roots in Pagan festivities that existed before the rise of Christianity. The origin of the word Easter is traced back to the Scandinavian word ‘Ostra’ and the German word ‘Ostern’ or ‘Eastre’. All of these derivations represent the names of the mythological Pagan goddesses of spring and fertility. Pre-Christian Pagan festivities were held yearly in the spring – on or near the spring equinox to honor these goddesses.
We all know how wide-spread the symbol of the rabbit is for Easter and it dates way back before the beginning of Christianity as a Pagan symbol of springtime and fertility. Eastre is the goddess of the dawn associated with springtime and offspring. Her earthly symbol was that of the rabbit, which, is the most fertile animal known to man. It is also the symbol of new life which is symbolic to Jesus’ resurrection into a new life – the everlasting life of spirit, on this day. The legend of the Easter Bunny has roots back to Germany and was brought to the USA by German immigrants in the 1600’s. The arrival of the Easter Bunny in German lore is second in popularity only to St. Nick at Christmastime. If children were good, the Easter Bunny would leave them a nest of colored eggs – boys made nests out of their caps and girls made nests out of their bonnets. The custom has since evolved to that of using baskets to hold the eggs left by the Easter Bunny.
The egg itself is a symbol of fertility and rebirth. Long before the beginning of Christianity, eggs were painted bright colors and presented to friends at the spring equinox to honor the beginning of the new season – a new life of planting and growth. Archeologists have found evidence of egg-rolling and egg-tossing contests that date back to Egyptian and Persian times. Over the years, many cultures have added different variations and decorating symbology to the egg at this time of year – even in Germany were decorated eggs are hung on shrubs during Holy Week (kinda like Christmas trees and ornaments).
So, now we see the significance of the bunny and the eggs and how they tie into the rebirth and resurrection symbology of Jesus at Easter, but where did the ham come from? Some people consider ham a ‘Christian’ meat because it is banded in religious law of Judaism and Islam due to the pig having cloven hooves. But further research shows that this trait is once again rooted to Pre-Christian Pagan practices in Northern Europe. Slaughtering and preserving animal meat was done on the Blood Moon celebrations every autumn so that they would have food to eat over the winter months. In anticipation of the arrival of spring and the upcoming abundance of fresh food – they would celebrate during the spring equinox festivities by using up the last of the remaining cured meats from the previous autumn – the HAM.
As one studies the esoteric meaning of holidays and the roots from which current religious practices grow from – we find, especially in Christian holidays, that many of those roots have direct symbology to Pre-Christian Pagan practices. That is because as the early Christian missionaries were launching this new religion; they wanted to attract the huge number of Pagan’s to this new religion. In order to be successful, they had to make sure that the practices and symbology were similar and during the same times of year. This then would not be a big ‘jump’ or in this case, ‘bunny hop’ from their old religious practices to the new ones of Christianity.
Here in the Western Church, the celebration Easter, the resurrection of Jesus the Christ; falls at the end of Lent. Lent is a 46 day season of fasting that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday. This past week – the last week of Lent is called Easter Holy week – beginning last Sunday which is Palm Sunday (Jesus comes to Jerusalem and people lay palm branches at his feet) – Holy or Maundy Thursday (the day of the last supper) – Good Friday (the day of crucifixion and death of Jesus) – and Easter Sunday (the resurrection and symbolic rebirth into the world of spirit).
The celebration of Easter has universal significance to both Western and Eastern religions – that in the idea of Resurrection. Resurrection is that act that turns faith into knowledge by proving that death could not conquer and the tomb could not imprison. It proves that the personality of each individual continues after death and that life includes a resurrection for ALL of us – death cannot conquer us and our earthly bodies (our symbolic tombs, cannot imprison us).
Easter eggs, the Easter Bunny, a ham, the dawn that arrives with the resurrection of life, and the celebration of spring all serve to remind us of the cycle of rebirth and the need for constant renewal in our lives. On this Easter Sunday – I want each of you to bow your heads and vow in a moment of silent prayer; that you will take to heart this time of renewal and use the energies of this day, to foster a rebirth within each of you.
The Easter season occurs in the existence of all mankind causing life to break into eternal bloom. He who has realized eternal Truth does not see death, nor illness, nor pain; he sees everything as the Self, and obtains all. “Greater things than these shall ye do.” Now - “Go thou and do likewise.” God Bless!