Easter!

I would say that Easter is one of the most misunderstood holidays, but in reality, most Christian holidays (including Groundhog’s Day) are based on pagan holiday and, by default, are misunderstood.

“Whoa, Gwen,” you say, “I understand that Christmas and Halloween are based on heathen practices but Easter? The most holy day of Christianity?”

And Gwen says, “Yup.”

First, consider the word “Easter.” It is based on a Celtic/Germanic goddess of the dawn/spring, Ostara or Eostre. Several years ago, fundie Christians claimed the name descended from “Ishtar,” the Babylonian goddess of fertility. This only showed the ignorance of those claimants. While the names sound alike, consider the likelihood that a Babylonian name would survive thousands of years to be chosen as a title for a pagan holiday in Europe. There is no direct lineage of practices and any deities/myths are archetypal in nature. The name also far predates Wicca (which dates from the mid 20th century) but Ostara is one of the sabbats in the Wheel of the Year.

Then, there are the pagan symbols associated with the day. Bunnies and eggs are symbols of fertility, which, in turn, symbolize birth. Note that this reference to “birth” is actual physical birth, not necessarily resurrection. However, while on the topic of resurrection, Jesus joins other deities who are reborn/resurrected in spring. Most notably, Persephone ascends from Hades and lives above ground until autumn dictates her return. When Inanna died and was dead for three days (a precursor to the time Jesus spent in the tomb), all fertility stopped; her return to the upper world meant “things” could return to normal. The seasons differ in Mesopotamia than they do in Europe, but the emphasis is on growing seasons. Spring officially began with the vernal equinox, but most signs that spring is here occur around this time.

In the modern world, Jesus is the most famous dying/resurrecting deity, but he is based on thousands of years of history preceding him.

Celebrate what you like, but this is the celebration of the reaffirmation of life . . . And life goes on. Yup, we will die someday, and some believe that they will be resurrected in an afterlife. For those who do not hold this belief, life goes on because the human race goes on.

That is, of course, until the earth is burnt to a cinder by the red giant of the sun. By then, humans will be extinct--don't worry, we have a few more centuries! In the meantime, sit in the sun and acknowledge that without it, we would not be alive. Eat, drink, be merry, and begin to prepare for the coming winter.

(I like to think of the Cosmic or Universal Egg that exists in many creation myths as a giant Easter egg. And on that image . . . Enjoy!)