Happy Easter 2016

Happy Easter 2016

Way before Christianity Easter was celebrated by the pagans as festival of renewal and birth. It took place in the early spring and it honored the pagan Saxon goddess Eastre. In fact the name was derived from the pagan name 'Eostre', the name of the Great Mother Goddess of the Saxons, Goddess of Spring that is also an important symbol of fertility, in Northern Europe. 

Legend claims that this mystical goddess found a wounded bird and turned it into a hare so it could survive the winter. When this very same hare found it could lay eggs it made a gift of its eggs to the goddess who had protected him. And so the tradition of the Easter hare, or bunny as it became later known, was born.

The Spring Equinox (which occurs around the time of Easter) is celebrated by Wiccans, modern-day 'neopagans' - it is one of their most important 'Sabbats' or holy days, and is a time when the fertility of the land and the balance of day and night are celebrated.

When the early missionaries converted the Saxons to Christianity the pagan celebration of spring, since it fell around the same time Christ's resurrection from the dead, was merged to become a celebration known as Easter. 

Easter has high significance for the Christians. It is celebrated for the meaning of Easter symbolizes Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead, therefore his victory over death. 

The concept of 'rebirth', an important theme in the Christian Easter celebration, is common to many religions. Other major world religions such as Islam do not observe Easter but it is closely tied to the Jewish festival of Passover, which falls around the same time as Easter.

Another shared tradition between Christianity and Judaism is the significance of eggs at Easter/Passover - hard-boiled eggs are served at Passover and are used to reinforce the idea of rebirth.

In the beginning when Christians gave eggs as offerings and gifts at Easter time, they used birds' eggs. They were painted bright colors to echo the vibrancy of the colors of spring after the darkness of winter. In the UK and Europe early Easter eggs were usually duck, hen or goose eggs. These were later replaced by artificial eggs until eventually, as chocolate became a more widely available foodstuff, the first chocolate eggs began to appear in the early 1800s. The fashion of exchanging chocolate eggs at Easter quickly spread across the world and is still widely recognized today.

Happy Easter Everyone.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter

Easter bunny story

Adapted from a European Folk tale by Jean Warren



Once upon a time, there was a King who had a very powerful magician at his court. One day, the magician gave the King a hen that laid beautiful eggs for a present. 

The king liked the eggs but he was greedy and he told his magician that he would like the hen better, if she could lay eggs of gold. 

So the Magician worked another magic spell and sure enough the hen started laying eggs of gold.

The king was delighted. He became very rich and the envy of the other kings. He kept his special hen in a golden cage next to his thrown. 

He knew that someday, someone would try to steal his hen, so whenever visitors came, he would have his magician come and hide the special hen and substitute an ordinary hen in the cage.

Sure enough, one day someone ran off with the hen in the golden cage. The king was glad he had had his magician switch the hens. He sent word for the magician to bring back his hen. 

But the next day, when the king looked in his golden cage all he found was a white rabbit. “What’s this!” said the King. “Little rabbit, how did you get in here?

The King opened the cage and had his footman take the rabbit back out to the woods where he belonged. Then he called for his magician. 

“Where is my magic hen?” asked the King. I told you to bring her back. “I did bring her back,” said the magician. “I put her in the cage”, I just didn't have time to change her back into a hen.”

They never did find the little white rabbit, but from that day forward, children found colorful eggs hidden all over the kingdom. 

And some say, that every once in a while someone found a golden one.

Happy Easter Everyone.

The End.

Easter Traditions of Eggs and Rabbits

Easter traditions of Eggs and Rabbits

In multicultural Canada, some who are not Christian might wonder why at this time the stores are stocked with decorative eggs, chocolate eggs and bunnies. 

A brief explanation therefore is warranted:

Why Eggs?

First and foremost, Eggs are known to be a traditional symbol of fertility and rebirth, pre-dating Christian traditions.  The custom of decorating eggshells is an ancient one. Ostrich eggs with engraved decorations for instance dating back 60,000 years have been discovered in Africa.  Meanwhile decorated ostrich eggs, and representations of ostrich eggs in gold and silver, were usually placed in the graves of ancient Egyptians and Sumerians going back as far as 5,000 years.

The ancient Zoroastrians painted eggs for Nowruz, their New Year celebration, at the spring equinox. The tradition continues today among Persians of Islamic, Zoroastrian, and other faiths. The sculptures on the walls of Persepolis show people carrying eggs for Nowruz to the king.

Easter eggs are special eggs that at present are often given to celebrate Easter or springtime. This tradition goes all the way back to early Christians of Mesopotamia, who had once stained eggs red in memory of the blood of Christ. The egg symbol was later officially adopted by the Christian church as the symbol of resurrection.  For all Christians, it is a reminder that Jesus rose from the grave.   It once was a custom to use up all the household eggs before Lent began. Eggs were originally forbidden during Lent you see, as well as other dairy and meat products.

Easter eggs are a popular symbol of life in Russia, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and other Central European countries ‘folk traditions.  A batik (wax resist) process is used to create intricate, brilliant colored eggs, the best known of which is the Ukrainian pysanka and the Polish pisanka.  At one time, 60 or more eggs would have been decorated by the women of the household. These eggs would be taken to church on Easter Sunday to be blessed before being given away.

There are many other decorating techniques and traditions of giving Eggs as a token of friendship, love and good wishes.  In some Mediterranean countries, especially in Lebanon, chicken eggs are boiled and decorated dye and or painting. In Greece, on Easter Sunday friends and family hit each other’s egg s together.  The one whose egg does not break is believed to be in for good luck in future.

In Germany eggs decorate trees and bushes as Easter eggtrees, and in several areas public wells as Osterbrunnen.

In Scotland children roll painted eggs down steep hills on Easter Sunday.  Egg rolling is also a traditional Easter egg game played with eggs in the United Kingdom, Germany and many other countries.   

This tradition was brought to New World by European settlers and continues to this day. In the U.S.A. it is done on flat ground and is pushed along with a spoon. On the White House lawn the annual Egg Roll is a fun event and is accompanied by the Easter egg hunt. 

 Why Rabbits?

The Easter Bunny or Easter Rabbit is a endearing character that brings Easter eggs (mostly in the form of chocolate) to children.

Rabbits and Hares, like Eggs, are considered fertility symbols since the olden days. Because birds lay eggs and rabbits give birth to large litters in the early spring these became symbols of the rising fertility of the earth at the March Equinox.

Rabbits are prolific breeders. They can conceive a second litter of offspring while still pregnant with the first.  This phenomenon is known as  superfetation. Lagomorphs mature sexually at an early age and can give birth to several litters a year (hence the saying, "to breed like a rabbit"). It is therefore not surprising that their springtime mating antics should enter into Easter folklore.  

In ancient times it was widely believed that the hare was a hermaphrodite. The idea that a hare could reproduce without loss of virginity led to an association with the Virgin Mary. It may also have been associated with the  Holy Trinity, as in the  three hares motif, representing the "One in Three and Three in One" of which the triangle or three interlocking shapes such as rings are common symbols.

Happy Easter Everyone!