@BPDSurvivor
HOW OSTARA BECAME EASTER
Obviously we can see parallels between these ancient roots and the Christian festival of Easter. Linguistically, Eostre is the etymological origin for “Easter”, so why is that? Historians have different theories. As Christianity spread through Northern Europe and people maintained their older traditions. The Church, as a result, started to encompass these pagan traditions and festivals within the Christian calendar.
St Patrick (whose day is also celebrated around the equinox) very deliberately incorporated Irish folk traditions and beliefs into Christian practice as he actively converted the population of Ireland. For example, the Celtic cross features a circle at the centre — as the sun was venerated within the Irish pagan tradition, St Patrick thought that this would help his converts associate the cross with divinity. Considering how popular the Celtic cross is today, it seems this campaign was a success.
As for whether Easter is the definitive date of Christ’s resurrection, that remains wreathed in shadow. While the Roman census clearly places Jesus’ birth in June, it’s harder to pin the crucifixion down to a day on the calendar (or even a year!) But whatever the histography of Jesus’ life, as a divinity linked to the sun, he is related to his predecessor pagan sun gods — like Mithras — who also died and were born again… and have been connected to the Spring Equinox as a result.
So, although claiming Eostre/Ostara/Easter for Christianity may have been a deliberate campaign by the Church, we could also argue that Jesus is just another in a long line of deities associated with this date in the calendar. What’s more, our popular iconography of hares/rabbits and eggs in association with the festival could be thought of as ancient traditions persisting, a millennia apart from their origins.
