happy Easter

happy easter

Isn't Easter a pagan holiday?

Nope, it just borrows a few "traditions and symbols" from the Jewish passover and some pagan celebrations, which I don't see as a bad thing. Even if it were totally rooted in paganism, I don't think that's relevant to our celebration of it as it is today.

no.

Happy Easter though a day late.  The pagans have Ostara, the first day of spring. Easter is based on the Passover. Traditions are another matter. 

Well, it turns out Easter actually began as a pagan festival celebrating spring in the Northern Hemisphere, long before the advent of Christianity. ... Following the advent of Christianity, the Easter period became associated with the resurrection of Christ.

The pagans have never celebrated Easter. The spring festival is based on the equinox. Passover is entirely Jewish. The traditions around Easter are mostly pagan. The Christians did not steal Easter.

Well - not as far traditions went; however, they certainly did as far as symbolism went. More than 1/3 of the entire human population find it to mean the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is certainly not its original meaning. 

So... practically speaking? Not partiuclarly. In terms of what Easter means, yes - Christians did steal Easter

They did not steal Easter. Pagans celebrate spring at the equinox separate from Easter. Pagans don't celebrate the resurrection of Christ on Easter. Bunnies, eggs, chicks and ham are pagan symbols.  The cross is not. So many traditions like egg hunts and hiding baskets for the bunnies are pagan. Easter is not. 

DId you... ignore everything I said? I said, and I quote "Well - not as far traditions went" I literally AGREED that in those terms that Christians did not steal Easter only in terms of what Easter means. Please actually READ

That is what you said. I can't keep explaining that Easter is based on Passover. That pagans don't do Passover. They do the Equinox. The fact that converted pagans incorporated their symbiology and ritual into Easter is not the Church's fault.  

You have completely ignored the context in which I answered the question, that is an INCOMPLETE QUOTE: The complete quote its: "In terms of what Easter means, yes - Christians did steal Easter" You are being disingenuous. 

happy zombie jesus day

Easter has always been about the resurrection of Christ. Easter as a holiday did not exist before Christ. The pagans never celebrated  the full moon which takes place on the 14th day of Nisan or the Sunday following Passover.

maybe so, that wouldnt make the holiday inheritely pagan just add an element of spring to the resurrection celebration

No they didn't - but they PRACTICALLY did - again: The traditions are all the same - Christians just changed the meaning and added a new shiny label. They literally stole it and said, "Well, I know this was a holiday before, on the same day and using the same traditions, but you know - but ours is called Easter" They stole the holiday. 

Pagans are much more disconcerted about Christmas being stolen from Nordic Paganism and rebranded as a celebration of Christ's birth (which couldn't possibly have been in the winter given how the weather and environment were described, winter is a very rainy/cloudy and chilly season in Israel yet it was described as being clear skies, warm, shepherds out with sheep with no issue regarding rain or cold winds).

Easter has never really been a thing Christians had beef with Pagans about (or vice versa) so polytheist witch is accurate.

You said they stole the meaning but not the tradition. She corrected you saying its the opposite way around and overall no stealing happened other than the idea of eggs being sacred, the bunny has an even more complex origin and that was Pagan too but not entirely.

The general TRADITION of a spring equonoix was pagan, it was rebranded as Christian and as the resurrection of christ. 

yes, what you wrote earlier was the opposite way around. That is why polytheist witch was confused and disagreed with your worded statement that the meaning was stolen.

Easter and Ostara are not on the same day 

No - I've consistently written that Easter the traditions have been the same - the ENTIRE time - I simply said that Christians took those traditions, repackaged them, and presented them as Christian. Essentially they STOLE the traditions, would you be more happy with different verbiage? They YOINKED the traditions?

They did the opposite. They stole the practise (well imitated it) and made their own meaning.

You are apparently not aware of what I mean when I said stole - I said that the traditions are the same, but they INSERTED their own meaning - that is STEALING Easter's meaning, and relabeling it. Using traditions from other holidays is FINE - its relabeling those traditions as THEIR OWN which is STEALING

“Many scholars believe that Easter had its origins as an early Anglo-Saxon festival that celebrated the goddess Eastre, and the coming of spring, in a sense a resurrection of nature after winter,” Carole Levin, Professor of History and Director of the Medieval and Renaissance Studies Program at the University of Nebraska, tells TIME in an email. “Some Christian missionaries hoped that celebrating Christian holy days at the same times as pagan festivals would encourage conversion, especially if some of the symbols carried over. Eggs were part of the celebration of Eastre. Apparently eggs were eaten at the festival and also possibly buried in the ground to encourage fertility.”

I'm aware. You're the one being angry and hostile here, not me. You used confusing wording that, on initial reading, says they stole the meaning as opposed to the practise or tradition. Then you lashed out at polytheist witch and then at me.

Yep.

Janesix is correct.

Christianity and associated Arabian Tales, have a tendency to utilise previous ideas.

Which in fairness, is only to be expected.

Christian Easter, may celebrate the Jesus resurrection myth, but is underpinned by preceding astrology and associated beliefs.

Just like Christmas.

Happy Easter Doc......Hope you got a nice lot of eggs.

As an actual pagan I can tell you I don't feel Easter is stolen. Jesus' story is unique and outside any god or goddess associated with Spring or the equinox. While the symbols or eggs and bunnies is incorporated in to Easter for children, it's not something pagans own or need to own.  My rituals for spring are done the the equinox and I do nothing on  Easter Sunday.  As stated previously Christmas/Yule is another story all together. But it's hard to tell if converted pagans caused the "theft" or the church itself. If enough people are doing it make it canon and official and everyone will later. 

Fact is non Christians do as much on Easter and Christmas as Christians so all you bitches steal my holidays. /sarcasm. Everybody have fun and if you want to celebrate a holiday and enjoy your family and life this theist says,  your welcome. 

look i dont give a shit right now, I made this thread to wish people a happy Easter