Symbols of Easter point to promise of new life

The holiday of Easter is quickly approaching. This day celebrates the resurrection of Jesus the Christ. Many symbols are associated with this holiday celebrating resurrection and new life. Here is a quick survey of some of these symbols; I hope you will learn something new!

First, there a few theories as to where the name “Easter” acually comes from, although no one knows for sure. It is one of the oldest English words. Some historians suggest the name came from the phrase hebomada alba, Latin for “white week.” In Old German, this word became esostarum and eventually Easter.

The Venerable Bede, a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon historian, said the word Easter came from the pagan festival of Eostre, which paid tribute to the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre. This festival was celebrated in April, which used to be known as Eosturmonath (“Eostre month”) in the Old English calendar. It could have been that Christians simply started referring to the Feast of the Resurrection by the month in which it occurred.

Another theory is that “Easter” comes from an old German word for “east,” which is derived from a Latin word for “dawn.” The word “easter” used to mean “to turn toward the east” or “rising.”

In the Gregorian calendar, Easter is always observed on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25. It takes place on the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon, or in other words, the Sunday following the first full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox. The word “Paschal” comes from “Pascha,” a transliteration of the Aramaic word meaning Passover. More on that later.

Here are several symbols of Easter and their believed origin.

-- The Easter Bunny: In many ancient cultures, rabbits were viewed as symbols of fertility and the dawn of spring. Going back to the festival of Eostre referenced before, the goddess Eostre was often depicted with a hare as her companion. One legend says that Eostre transformed a wounded bird into a hare that could lay colored eggs on one day a year. This may be where the tale of the Easter Bunny comes from.

“As Christianity spread across Europe in the first few centuries A.D., the early church often adopted and ‘Christianized’ pagan symbols, holidays and customs in order to help convert people to the new faith... The rabbit’s pagan associations with fertility and spring took on new Christian symbolism. Its emergence from underground burrows was seen as a metaphor for Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the tomb. The rabbit became a symbol of Mary Magdalene, the first witness to the resurrection in the Bible,” an article for Bethany Baptist Church explains.

Some sources believe the Easter Bunny was introduced to America in the 1700s with German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and passed on the tradition of an egg-laying bunny known as “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws.” Children would make nests for the bunny to lay its colored eggs. Gradually the tradition expanded to include the bunny delivering a variety of gifts, like chocolate or other candy, toys or an Easter basket.

Speaking of candy, the jellybean did not become widely associated with Easter until the 1930s, when an egg shortage due to World War II caused this sweet treat to rise in popularity, ensuring children’s baskets would still be filled with goodies.

-- The Easter Egg: In the early Christian church, and still today in many Orthodox traditions, eggs were died red to symbolize the blood of Jesus. As the tradition continued, Christians would paint different scenes from the Bible on the eggs. Eggs also symbolized Jesus’ emergence from the tomb, resurrection and new life available to believers who put their faith in Christ.

According to History.com, decorating Easter eggs is a tradition that goes back to at least the 13th century. One reason for this is that eggs were formerly a forbidden food during Lent, so people would paint and decorate them to mark the end of the fasting period, and would celebrate by eating the eggs on Easter.

The symbolism continues, as some early Christians viewed the Easter egg hunt as a symbol of the search for Jesus’ body after the crucifixion.

-- The Easter Lily: The color white symbolizes the purity of Christ, as well as light, innocence, triumph and glory. The growth of the lily from dormant bulbs in the ground into flowers symbolizes rebirth and the hope of Christ’s resurrection.

-- There are several foods associated with Easter, including soft pretzels and hot cross buns. According to legend, soft pretzels were created by a monk in the 7th century so he would have something to eat during Lent, as at that time Catholics were not allowed to eat eggs, fat or milk during Lent. The shape of the pretzel is said to reflect a common prayer position at the time – arms crossed in front with hands placed on the shoulders. Hot cross buns are a traditional food eaten on Good Friday in many parts of the world. The cross on the top of the bun symbolizes the cross on which Jesus died. The spices featured in the buns are said to represent those that were used to prepare Jesus’ body for the tomb.

-- The Lamb: Lamb is a traditional Easter food. In John 1:29, John the Apostle identifies Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Jesus was crucified at the time of Passover. The annual Hebrew feast of Passover involved the shedding of the blood of a spotless lamb. The book of Exodus tells the story of how the Hebrews were living in Egypt and were told to sacrifice a lamb and paint its blood on their doorposts, so the destroyer would pass over and not kill their firstborn. In the New Testament, Paul refers to Jesus as the ultimate Passover lamb (I Cor. 5:7), sacrificed for the salvation of the people and now risen in victory.

Happy Easter! Information from “The Easter Bunny: From Pagan Roots to a Christian Symbol” by Bethany Baptist Church, go2bethany.com; “18 Easter Symbols and Their Unique Meanings” by Mary Gormandy White; “Easter Symbols and Traditions” by History.com staff; and “Easter Colors Have a Lot of Tradition Behind Them—Here’s What to Know” by Madison Alcedo of CountryLiving. com.

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