Easter Sundays are one of the most important holidays to Christians today. Where did this holiday come from, and are there some traditions that are harmful if left unchecked? Let’s look at why we should celebrate Easter and the differences between how it was celebrated to how it is now. 

While Easter started as a pagan holiday meant to celebrate the start of spring, it is now a celebration of the Ressurection of Jesus Christ. Easter has roots in paganism and Christianity, and also coincides with the Jewish celebration of Passover. There are many Easter traditions, and some of them are more in line with Easter’s current message than others. 

What are the origins of Easter? Let’s dive into where Easter came from, and what it means for Christians today. Click To Tweet

Easter Origins 

Originally, Easter was one of the pagan holidays that was meant to celebrate the beginning of spring. There are many different theories on where the origins are, but some theories are it’s from the Anglo-Saxon goddess of Ishtar or the Norse goddess of Istra, whose symbol was a rabbit. That is where the Easter bunny came from. 

Christianity Enters The Picture

At some point in history, probably when the Roman Empire launched its conquest into Great Britain (77 AD-84 AD), Christians started interacting more and more with Pagans. Over time, Easter became less and less of a Pagan holiday and more of a Christian holiday. Now, it is fully a Christian holiday, but some of the old symbols have stayed. 

Harmful Traditions? 

Are some of the traditions we follow in our modern celebration of Easter harmful? Well, they can be if we aren’t careful. If we focus on Easter egg hunts and candy instead of the more important message of Jesus’s resurrection, we can lose sight of Jesus. At the end of the day, Easter is about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

Celebrate Easter With ORBC

Easter is one of the most important holidays for most Christian churches. Though it came from a pagan background, it is now a celebration of the eternal life Jesus bought for us on the cross. If you are looking for a place to celebrate Easter this year, join us this Friday, April 15 @ 7:00 PM, or Sunday, April 17th. We will be serving free breakfast @ 8:30 AM and have two identical services @ 9:30 and 11 AM. 

Contact us for more information on Easter!