What is the meaning of Easter?

We are approaching one of the most iconic holidays in Brazil. But do you know the true meaning of Easter?

Despite being a very famous commemorative date here in our country, many people don't even know the real meaning of Easter.

And with the holiday approaching, we decided to talk a little more about the date in this content.

Here, you will learn about the origin, the true meaning and other curiosities that are part of this traditional holiday.

What is the origin of Easter?

Despite being a holiday and having a religious inspiration, many people are not sure about its origin and everything that involves the celebration. 

Easter is a celebration in the Christian religious calendar. 

Being one of the most famous religious holidays in the world – along with Christmas, for example – Easter is an event in memory of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

So far, it's nothing new, right? But the celebration is not the first of its kind.

Many people may not know, but the Christian celebration as we know it was inspired by a Jewish celebration called penach.

THE Pesach (which is known as the Jewish Passover) also occurred during the same time of year that, according to the Bible, Jesus died and, after three days, was resurrected.

An interesting fact about Easter is that it is a mobile celebration. However, although there is no fixed date for its celebration, Easter is generally celebrated between March and April.

It represents the final celebration of Lent – which begins right after the end of Carnival – and Holy Week.

What is the meaning of Easter?

As we mentioned in the previous topic, Easter is a kind of resignification of a Jewish festival. 

But, despite this kind of inspiration, it is important to emphasize that the two celebrations have completely different meanings from each other.

Pesach was held in memory of the liberation of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt.

Easter is celebrated by Christians in a slightly different way.

It can be said that the festival underwent some 'changes' over time and, in the context of Christian history, the date became related to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

And besides Easter itself, all the events that occur during Holy Week are a kind of representation of the last days of Jesus Christ's life, such as the Last Supper, for example.

The meaning of Easter and the elements as we know them today

Although there is still a large part of the celebration that still involves the religious aspect, it is impossible to think about Easter without remembering the typical chocolate eggs, right?

But as you can see in the previous topics, the celebration itself has nothing to do with rabbits, much less with chocolate eggs.

So how did this tradition – which became so popular over time, to the point of even overshadowing the real reason for the celebration – come about and become the success we know today? 

Let's talk about it in this topic!

An inspiration beyond the Hebrew tradition

As we have already mentioned here, the main inspiration for Easter as we know it was the Hebrew tradition. 

But there are not only elements of this religion in the Easter we celebrate today. Quite the opposite.

And now for a curiosity that you probably didn't know. But, in addition to the inspiration we've already discussed in this text, today's Easter also has several elements of pagan origin.

Throughout history, Christianity – in general – has appropriated various traditions from other cultures around the world. 

Some historians from different cultures relate Easter to the cult of a Germanic goddess called Eostern – who is also known as Ostara.

In fact, the celebration of this goddess was most likely the inspiration for the name of the term Easter in English.

In German, the term for Easter is “Ostern” – a clear inspiration from the goddess Eostern. In English, the word used for Easter is “Easter”. Quite similar, right?

The similar dates between the events

Although many people still argue that this is nothing more than a coincidence, the similarities don't stop there. 

Another point that is very similar between Christian celebrations and pagan celebrations is in relation to the period in which they both take place.

The pagan festivals – which took place among the Germanic and Celtic peoples for the goddess Eostern – were held during the same period in which the Christian celebration takes place today.

But this fact has a plausible explanation. It is believed that, with the process of Christianization of these people over the centuries, the traditional events of the pagan festival celebrated by them ended up mixing with the celebration of the Christian people.

Rabbits and Easter eggs

It's time to talk about two of the most important stars of Easter as we know it today: rabbits and Easter eggs.

And research shows that this emblematic Easter duo are also pagan elements. In ancient times, both rabbits and eggs were considered symbols of fertility. 

And these elements also ended up being absorbed by the Christian celebration. And, to top it all off, the tradition of decorating eggs and hiding them – very common in the United States – is said to have arrived on the American continent brought by German immigrants in the 18th century.

Conclusion

So, what did you think about learning a little more about Easter?

As you can see, the Easter traditions we know were once very different, right? And as history has passed over the centuries, several traditions have come to an end. 

mixing together, resulting in the holiday as we know it today: a mix of customs.

But it is important to remember that all this mixing does not take away from the importance of the date. Quite the opposite.

Each of these combinations has made Easter a unique holiday, yet one that is so important to so many different cultures and religions around the world.

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