Easter

Happy Easter to All

 

Easter has its roots in three traditional religious faiths - Pagan, Hebrew and Christian.

Pagan tradition says the name Easter is derived from the Anglo-Saxon Goddess of Spring and Fertility called Ostara or Eostre to whom the month of April is dedicated. Easter can also coincide with the vernal equinox or The Festival of Spring in March, another Pagan tradition symbolising the rebirth of nature following winter.

Easter may also be derived from the Hebrew "pesach" (Passover), when the angel of death "passed over" the dwellings of the Israelites and spared their first-born.

In Christian religion, Easter is also a major celebration, marking as it does the crucifixion of Christ, on what has become known as Good Friday, and his resurrection three days later on Easter Sunday.

The Easter tradition of rolling eggs is said to symbolise the rolling away of the rock from Jesus's tomb. Other Easter traditions, including Easter bunnies and Easter eggs are believed to be derived from Pagan culture where the egg and hare were both symbols of fertility and new life.