We do not know the date of the first Easter. In fact, we are not even sure what year Jesus was crucified. I used 30 A.D. in my Western Civ class, but I have also seen 33 A.D. The idea of celebrating the Resurrection goes back to the early days of the Christian church. Today’s dating of the “moveable feast” ( a Church holiday that varies on what day it is celebrated) goes back to 325 when Emperor Constantine called the Council of Nicaea to formalize Church doctrines like the divinity of Christ. It was decided that Easter would occur on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the spring equinox. This placed Easter as being between March 22 and April 25. Note the spring equinox. The equinox was associated by pagans with renewal. Easter probably takes its name from the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and fertility, Eostre. It was not unusual for Christianity to coopt pagan holidays and traditions. Pagans considered eggs to symbolize fertility and birth. Christians added decorating them to connect them to the rebirth of Christ. They also added the idea that the broken egg symbolized the opened tomb. Originally, the color red was most popular because it represented the blood of Christ. In some areas of Europe eating eggs was forbidden during Lent, so people preserved them by boiling. Come Easter Sunday, it was egg-gorging time! Someone had the bright idea of using the eggs, decorated to represent the risen Christ for egg hunts. And if you are thinking of fertility, who better than the rabbit. The idea of the Easter bunny was brought to America by German immigrants in the 18th Century. Baby bunnies are commonly born in spring, around Easter time. The holiday in America became associated mainly with Catholics as most Protestants found it too pagan. It became associated with drinking and partying. By adults, of course. In the 19th Century, as the country discovered childhood, it morphed into a more family-oriented holiday, partly to reduce the rowdiness. And of course, businessmen discovered the marketing potential.
BONUS: But what about the decidedly unreligious tradition of the White House Easter egg roll? In the 1800’s, children in Washington, D.C. would bring their Easter baskets to hills in the city to roll eggs (and themselves) down to great merriment. Capitol Hill was particularly popular. In 1876, Congress got fed up with the damage done to the lawn and passed the Turf Protection Law (better known as the “Get Off My Yard!” Act). Spoil-sport Pres. Grant signed it. In 1877, police turned away the kids, but Pres. Hayes welcomed them to the White House grounds. Future Republicans! The Easter Bunny did not make an appearance until 1969 and no, it was not Nixon dressed in a bunny costume.
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/history-of-easter
0 Comments