Today is Easter Sunday and I am sure that today you are likely to be confronted with loads of Easter eggs and an Easter bunny or two. There is no escaping that reality. These eggs (often in a chocolate variety) and that bunny are symbols for Easter.
Okay, I see by the puzzled look on your face, that I have totally lost you already... Perhaps I should today try to explain to you the relevance and meaning of this day and the relationship of these symbols with this day of celebration.Easter is an important annual religious feast within Christianity. It is when Christians remember and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. It is a celebration of the rebirth of Christ, so to speak.
It's up to you, Robin, to make up your own mind about believing tin his or not. Personally, I happen to be a Christian and a believer, but I do not wish to impose those beliefs on you. As you grow up, you will come to decisions of what you choose to believe in and what not in your own good time.
With regard to origin of the name the name Easter (in the English language), it has been suggested that the word Easter may originate from a pagan fertility goddess called Eostre or Oestre.
The same pagan heritage can be used to explain the relevance of a rabbit and eggs to Easter. In early history, even before the time of Christ, the early pagan populations in Europe celebrated spring festivals. There were fertility festivals celebrating the renewal of life in the earth after the snows of winter. Eggs and chicks represent new life, rabbits are known for having many babies.
The following quotations are taken from an old book, "The Most Useful KNOWLEDGE for the Orthodox Russian-American Young People" compiled by the Very Rev'd Peter G. Kohanik, 1932-1934. Okay, it IS a bit 'dated' but it was the best I could find and it seems quite logical. "During Easter Day the egg stands as symbol of the resurrection of Christ, and is universally used as means of Christian greeting and present. The symbolical and church significance of the egg has its roots in the greatest antiquity. Long before Christianity, all the cultured nations of antiquity held the egg to be the symbol of life in all their beliefs and customs.
According to heathen cosmogonies, the original world’s chaos was contained in an egg, which broke into two halves, the one forming the sky and the other the earth. Out of the lower part of the egg came Mother Earth. Out of the upper part of the egg arose the high vault of the sky.
There exisits a tradition which makes Mary Magdalene to be the originator of the custom of using red eggs on Easter day. After the Ascension of our Saviour, Mary Magdalene went to Rome to preach the Gospel and, appearing before the Emporer Tiberius, she offered him a red egg, saying: CHRIST IS RISEN.” Thus was begun her preaching.
Learning about this offering of Mary Magdalene, the early Christians imitated her, presenting each other with eggs. Hence, eggs began to be used by Christians in the earliest centuries as a symbol of the Resurrection of Christ and of the regeneration of Christians for a new and a better life along with it.
The custom of presenting each other with red eggs was familiar to the Christians of the earliest Universal Church. The red color, which generally is used for Easter eggs, serves to remind us of the precious blood of God the Redeemer, which was shed on the cross for the salvation of all men. The blessing of the eggs takes place after the morning Easter service.
The breaking of the lenten fasting on Easter Sunday begins with eating the blessed eggs." Sounds pretty logical and comprehensive, doesn't it, Robin? Robin???
Mmm... you must have fallen asleep... Probably ate too many chocolate Easter eggs already!
Anyway, Happy Easter, kid! Enjoy the eggs and the bunny!
Love from
Granddad Faraway
It's up to you, Robin, to make up your own mind about believing tin his or not. Personally, I happen to be a Christian and a believer, but I do not wish to impose those beliefs on you. As you grow up, you will come to decisions of what you choose to believe in and what not in your own good time.
With regard to origin of the name the name Easter (in the English language), it has been suggested that the word Easter may originate from a pagan fertility goddess called Eostre or Oestre.
The same pagan heritage can be used to explain the relevance of a rabbit and eggs to Easter. In early history, even before the time of Christ, the early pagan populations in Europe celebrated spring festivals. There were fertility festivals celebrating the renewal of life in the earth after the snows of winter. Eggs and chicks represent new life, rabbits are known for having many babies.
The following quotations are taken from an old book, "The Most Useful KNOWLEDGE for the Orthodox Russian-American Young People" compiled by the Very Rev'd Peter G. Kohanik, 1932-1934. Okay, it IS a bit 'dated' but it was the best I could find and it seems quite logical. "During Easter Day the egg stands as symbol of the resurrection of Christ, and is universally used as means of Christian greeting and present. The symbolical and church significance of the egg has its roots in the greatest antiquity. Long before Christianity, all the cultured nations of antiquity held the egg to be the symbol of life in all their beliefs and customs.
According to heathen cosmogonies, the original world’s chaos was contained in an egg, which broke into two halves, the one forming the sky and the other the earth. Out of the lower part of the egg came Mother Earth. Out of the upper part of the egg arose the high vault of the sky.
There exisits a tradition which makes Mary Magdalene to be the originator of the custom of using red eggs on Easter day. After the Ascension of our Saviour, Mary Magdalene went to Rome to preach the Gospel and, appearing before the Emporer Tiberius, she offered him a red egg, saying: CHRIST IS RISEN.” Thus was begun her preaching.
Learning about this offering of Mary Magdalene, the early Christians imitated her, presenting each other with eggs. Hence, eggs began to be used by Christians in the earliest centuries as a symbol of the Resurrection of Christ and of the regeneration of Christians for a new and a better life along with it.
The custom of presenting each other with red eggs was familiar to the Christians of the earliest Universal Church. The red color, which generally is used for Easter eggs, serves to remind us of the precious blood of God the Redeemer, which was shed on the cross for the salvation of all men. The blessing of the eggs takes place after the morning Easter service.
The breaking of the lenten fasting on Easter Sunday begins with eating the blessed eggs." Sounds pretty logical and comprehensive, doesn't it, Robin? Robin???
Mmm... you must have fallen asleep... Probably ate too many chocolate Easter eggs already!
Anyway, Happy Easter, kid! Enjoy the eggs and the bunny!
Love from
Granddad Faraway
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