Traditions tend to get a pass when we grow up with them. As Christians, we’re called to live in the world without being part of it (John 15:19), which often means not jumping off a bridge just because our friends are doing it. Is Easter, with its mix of Easter bunnies and a risen savior, one we should be wary of?
Easter’s pagan roots
There’s evidence that Easter is a holiday with a lot of pagan influence, all the way down to the word “Easter.” While some is conjecture, it’s important to know the origins of what we and our families celebrate.
A pagan celebration
It’s no surprise that ancient cultures would commemorate seasonal changes. Equinoxes and solstices mark the time when summer makes way to a cool autumn, autumn is overtaken by the bitter winter, and so on. Although this year’s spring equinox is a month before Easter, the two were originally linked.
Most of us know what it’s like to shout for joy as winter begins to fade. Likewise, ancient cultures would celebrate the spring equinox as a time of fertility and new life. Yet unlike us, this change was quite sacred, with the relevant gods receiving praise and sacrifice.
Rabbits and eggs
Understanding what spring signified, rabbits and painted eggs make a lot of sense. What better animal to represent new life than one whose ability to reproduce is second to none? Likewise, what is an egg except the promise of a life beginning?
The holiday’s namesake
As I said, even the name Easter shows signs of pagan origins. An 8th century monk named the Venerable Bede notes that the goddess Eostre was worshipped as a deity of renewal, thus it was appropriate to celebrate her at the first signs of spring. There is also evidence that it traces its name back to a German festival celebrating the goddess Ostara.
The timing, imagery, and name of Easter can’t be ignored. It’s fairly obvious that we’re taking part in a pagan holiday. Christians in the early centuries would be so ashamed of us! At least, they would if they hadn’t started it.
Easter’s Christian roots
Yes, Easter absolutely has ties to ancient religions. That’s because Christians in the early centuries made a habit of repurposing the holidays they once celebrated and devoting them to God. In a way, Easter is like creatively taking an old piano and turning it into a computer desk. The original influence is there, but it’s used much differently!
Today, we celebrate Easter in two weird ways. On one hand, we tell our kids that a mythical hare hides eggs and candy around the house or yard. Then we all get dressed and go to church where a pastor or sunday school teacher explains that we’re celebrating Christ’s victory over death. From an outsider’s perspective, it’s a bit odd!
As time goes on, the purpose of traditions can become lost on us. Perhaps things like painted eggs made sense in the early church, but today we just paint eggs and talk about Christ with little thought of how they’re related. Yet there’s great danger in becoming so comfortable with cultural traditions that we let them detract from Christ. So, should we celebrate this pagan holiday that Christians upcycled?
A matter of thoughtful conscience
It’s easy to speak in absolutes when it comes to things like this. “Yes, it’s a sin to celebrate it!” or “No, it’s just harmless fun!” Or maybe it’s both and neither. It easy to quote verses about either not taking part in pagan celebrations (Jeremiah 10:1-5) or not being judged by what festivals we celebrate (Colossians 2:16-17). Oddly enough, Paul spoke about something very similar.
One person regards one day holier than other days, and another regards them all alike. Each must be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day does it for the Lord. The one who eats, eats for the Lord because he gives thanks to God, and the one who abstains from eating abstains for the Lord, and he gives thanks to God. For none of us lives for himself and none dies for himself. (Romans 14:5-7)
As always, our emotional reaction isn’t sufficient. We need to be informed about what we’re doing, and from there be convinced that we can glorify God by what we’re doing. We can all probably agree that a day celebrating the resurrection of our savior is one worth maintaining, but what about the rest?
We can abstain from getting pictures with the Easter bunny for God’s glory because we want the day to only be about Christ. Likewise, we can abstain out of stubbornness or fear, knowing it’s not evil but refusing to change our beliefs out of pride.
On the flip side, one can enjoy all aspects of Easter while still giving glory to God through the fun side-activities. Or one can take part in it because it’s what’s always been done, ignoring their conscience or flat-out refusing to consider whether it’s right.
The key to both stances is that one must be informed enough to be convinced in their minds. God gave us a conscience for a reason. Ignoring it isn’t just a bad idea, it’s something Christ has to die for.
So whoever knows what is good to do and does not do it is guilty of sin. (James 4:17)
In any matter we’re considering, we first need to listen to our conscience. From there, we need to do proper research to make sure our consciences are fully informed, rather than just relying on gut reactions to dictate our beliefs. Once that’s done, all that’s left to do is to put God at the front of all we do!
A consideration for parents
Many of our readers are parents and have a completely different matter to deal with. Not only do they need to consider whether Easter and its pagan roots are acceptable for themselves, but they need to consider what worldview it’s creating for their kids.
One hurdle we face is that kids don’t understand nuances. As parents, we can easily separate the Easter bunny from Christ. Yet children often need that done for them as they develop and learn discernment for themselves.
We all love the reality of Easter because Christ’s resurrection is the completion of God’s plan to redeem our fallen world. If the abstract idea of “Jesus rose from the dead” has to compete with us telling our children a rabbit is leaving them surprises, we may face some challenges:
- What are our children most excited about? For typical kids, the excitement of Easter is candy, egg hunts, and maybe a new outfit for church. How will that translate to their older years when we start teaching them to put aside the “fun” and focus on Christ?
- We tell children that a creature they can’t see actually exists. At the same time, we tell them a God they can’t see actually exists. When they are old enough to realize we purposely misled them about the Easter Bunny, what will happen to their thoughts of God?
Again, there’s no right or wrong here! It’s simply a matter of being thoughtfully informed so that we can make the best choice for ourselves and our families. Just remember that whether you celebrate or abstain, whether you leave treats from the Easter Bunny or just tell the kids they’re from you, we all desire to glorify God most of all!
So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)
