There were many parallel stories about resurrected gods and heroes in the ancient world dating back at least to the Sumerians. Christianity found many easy converts in pagan religions that featured resurrected god myths so that it accommodated a pagan Spring festival for pragmatic reasons.
The Venerable Bede, a Northumbrian monk and the first English historian, wrote that Easter derives its name from Eostre who was the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and the month corresponding to April was called "Eostremonat" or Eostre's month.
In the month of February, Bede claims that the pagans offered cakes to their deities.
The rabbit is a symbol for the goddess Eostre and represents fertility.
In ancient times, the Egyptians, Persians, Romans, Gauls and Chinese all regarded the egg as a symbol of the renewing universe and new life. Easter baskets grew from the pagan representation of birds weaving their nests as they mated.
The Venerable Bede, a Northumbrian monk and the first English historian, wrote that Easter derives its name from Eostre who was the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and the month corresponding to April was called "Eostremonat" or Eostre's month.
In the month of February, Bede claims that the pagans offered cakes to their deities.
The rabbit is a symbol for the goddess Eostre and represents fertility.
In ancient times, the Egyptians, Persians, Romans, Gauls and Chinese all regarded the egg as a symbol of the renewing universe and new life. Easter baskets grew from the pagan representation of birds weaving their nests as they mated.
