The non-religious traditions of Easter, including the favorite
marshmallow candy, are rooted in history
The biggest day on the Christian calendar, Easter is the event the entire faith is based on. So what does the resurrection of Jesus have to do with fluffy bunnies, brightly colored eggs, parades and decorated baskets?
Most of these items are pagan symbols that early Christians, missionaries in particular, manipulated so they became symbols of Christ rising from the dead, according to Missouri State University.
Easter
The word “Easter” is derived from the name of the German Saxon goddess of spring, Eostre. She was associated with renewal and rebirth, which the second-century Christians thought tied in well with the resurrection. Because the pagan Eostre festival occurred around the same time of year Christians celebrated the resurrection, early missionaries simply merged the two celebrations together.
Easter Sunday
Easter was once celebrated on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as Sundays. In A.D. 325, the Roman emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nice and decreed from then on that Easter would always be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox, which occurs March 21.
The Easter Bunny
The tradition of having rabbits associated with Easter also originated in Germany with the goddess Eostre. Her earthly symbol was a rabbit. Other cultures easily adopted the rabbit as a symbol for Easter. In many Asian nations, rabbits are sacred messengers of divine beings. Celtic traditions use rabbits as symbols of fertility, new life and spring. Around 1500, Germans changed Eostre’s earthly symbol into the Easter hare, who laid eggs for children to find. German immigrants brought the tradition to the United States, but Americans didn’t start regularly associating rabbits with Easter until shortly after the Civil War.
Easter Eggs
In Medieval Europe, eggs were forbidden during Lent, the 40 days before Easter. Therefore, the eggs laid during Lent were often boiled or otherwise preserved to be eaten during or after the Easter meal. Eggs became a traditional gift to children and to servants. When the eggs were used as gifts, they were often wrapped in gold leaf by the wealthy and dyed with flower pigments by peasants. In many cultures, the egg has been a symbol of new life for thousands of years, so it was easy for Christians to use the symbol to associate with the resurrection. Later, some Christians painted eggs bright red to symbolize the blood of Christ.
Baby Chicks
Like eggs, baby chicks are symbols of new life. Hundreds of years ago, people often considered it miraculous to see a new living creature come out of an egg, which they considered a dead object. Just Born Inc. capitalized on the association of chicks with Easter by creating the holiday favorite, Peeps marshmallow candy in the shape of baby chicks.
Easter Parades
Early Christians wore white robes during Easter week to indicate their recent baptism. People who had already been baptized wore new clothes to symbolize sharing a new life with Christ.
In Medieval Europe, churchgoers would take a walk after Easter Mass, led by a crucifix or the Easter candle.
It is believed the combination of these two traditions survived in the form of the Easter parade.
Easter Baskets
This tradition originated from the ancient Catholic custom of taking the Easter dinner to church to be blessed, which stemmed from the pagan custom of taking the spring’s first crops to the temple as an offering to ensure a good growing season. The basket also comes from Pennsylvania Dutch and German immigrants’ legend that if children were good, the Easter hare would lay a nest of colored eggs for them.
Easter Foods
Ham: Eating ham on Easter comes from German lore that said pigs are good luck. To serve ham on Easter then brings luck in the coming year.
Hot cross buns: These English delights are small buns with currents baked in them and a cross formed out of sugar on top. Traditional beliefs said those who eat hot cross buns would have good health for the coming year.
Sources: www.factmonster.com, www.easter-traditions.com, www.missouristate.edu, www.101easter.com
