Jewish pilgrims streamed into Jerusalem every year in the hope that God’s chosen people (as they believed themselves to be) would soon be liberated once more.
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It was and continues to be the most important Jewish seasonal festival, celebrated on the first full moon after the vernal equinox.Īt the time of Jesus, Passover had special significance, as the Jewish people were again under the dominance of foreign powers (namely, the Romans). In the Hebrew Bible, Passover is a festival that commemorates the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt, as narrated in the Book of Exodus. It is important to point out that while the name “Easter” is used in the English-speaking world, many more cultures refer to it by terms best translated as “Passover” (for instance, “Pascha” in Greek) – a reference, indeed, to the Jewish festival of Passover. And even though Christians had begun affirming the Christian meaning of the celebration, they continued to use the name of the goddess to designate the season.”īede was so influential for later Christians that the name stuck, and hence Easter remains the name by which the English, Germans and Americans refer to the festival of Jesus’ resurrection. “Bede wrote that the month in which English Christians were celebrating the resurrection of Jesus had been called Eosturmonath in Old English, referring to a goddess named Eostre. As religious studies scholar Bruce Forbes summarizes: The only reference to this goddess comes from the writings of the Venerable Bede, a British monk who lived in the late seventh and early eighth century. The naming of the celebration as “Easter” seems to go back to the name of a pre-Christian goddess in England, Eostre, who was celebrated at beginning of spring. Given the symbolism of new life and rebirth, it was only natural to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus at this time of the year. Spring also means the coming back to life of plants and trees that have been dormant for winter, as well as the birth of new life in the animal world. For those in northern latitudes, the coming of spring is often met with excitement, as it means an end to the cold days of winter. Similar was the case with Easter, which falls in close proximity to another key point in the solar year: the vernal equinox (around March 20), when there are equal periods of light and darkness. Since the days following the winter solstice gradually become longer and less dark, it was ideal symbolism for the birth of “the light of the world” as stated in the New Testament’s Gospel of John. Many scholars believe, however, that the main reason Jesus’ birth came to be celebrated on December 25 is because that was the date of the winter solstice according to the Roman calendar. The New Testament gives no information about what time of year Jesus was born.
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This is especially obvious in the case of Christmas. Most major holidays have some connection to the changing of seasons.
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In all of these holidays, Christian and non-Christian (pagan) elements have continued to blend together. I am a religious studies scholar specializing in early Christianity, and my research shows that this dating of Easter goes back to the complicated origins of this holiday and how it has evolved over the centuries.Įaster is quite similar to other major holidays like Christmas and Halloween, which have evolved over the last 200 years or so. So, in 2020, Easter will be celebrated on April 12, and on April 4 in 2021.
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The reason for this variation is that Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox. The date of celebration changes from year to year. On April 21, Christians will be celebrating Easter, the day on which the resurrection of Jesus is said to have taken place.