Easter can be celebrated by anyone
Before Easter became a Christian holiday, it was traditionally celebrated by pagans as a celebration of spring. In the Bible, there is no mention of the exact date of when Christ was resurrected, yet this event is celebrated on a pagan holiday that really has nothing to do with Christ. It is unfair that Easter has become a commercialized Christian holiday when in reality, anyone of any faith can celebrate the approaching spring season.
While it is completely acceptable for Christians to celebrate Easter as the resurrection of Christ, it is not right for the holiday to be advertised as simply that. If Easter was presented as it once was, which was the celebration of spring and nature beginning to regrow with warm weather, then anyone could celebrate it. This false advertising is creating a barrier where non-Christians are discouraged from celebrating Easter.
Even the holiday’s name has nothing to do with Christian beliefs. The word “Easter” comes from a pre-Christianity goddess worshiped in England named Eostre (also called Ostara). Eostre was worshipped during the spring equinox, a pagan holiday celebrated when night and day are exactly equal (usually around March 19-22). She was worshipped at this time because she was considered the goddess of dawn and spring.
Eostre was often represented or portrayed with a rabbit because of their abundance in springtime, as well as represented with the egg as a symbol of fertility and the birth of animals during the season. These two symbols are used today as figures such as “The Easter Bunny” and in the chocolate eggs often distributed during the holiday. Yet, many people do not know how or why these symbols are correlated with Easter. Even despite the fact that bunnies and eggs have absolutely nothing to do with the resurrection of Christ, Easter is still considered a Christian holiday.
When most people think of Easter, they think of Easter Sunday or the religious connection, and can you blame them? Everywhere Easter is advertised, it seems to be in the Christian form of the holiday, with stuffed animal bunnies, chocolate eggs and wooden crosses that have no real connection. Most people don’t even know who Eostre or Ostara is, when it was her worship that led to the holiday we all know so well as Christian-based.
It is completely acceptable and respectable to celebrate the resurrection of Christ on Easter, yet the holiday should not center around that one belief. If Easter was advertised as and considered a holiday that simply welcomed spring and warm weather every year, then anyone could celebrate it despite their religious beliefs.
