There are several stories about the origin of this word, and the traditions that have evolved throughout the generations. Regardless of what some may think, all Christians know what it means, aside from all the other distractions that have nothing to do with Christ: the bunny*, the eggs*, the candy …
It’s a commemoration of our Lord’s Resurrection. Actually, the Greek word for resurrection ANASTASIS. So it should have been named "Anastasis Day".
In Hebrew, the day or week is called PESACH, for Passover.
In Greek, it is called, PASCHA. Most other languages used words transliterated from the Greek.
French – Paques
Italian – Paqua
Spanish - Pascuas
Danish – Paski
Germany – “Ostern”. Wait! What happened? That doesn’t sound like it was transliterated from Pascha. This is where the English term Easter comes from.
The Frankish Church (Germans who settled in Rome in the 5th century) celebrated this week of Christ’s Death and Resurrection, starting with His arrival on Palm Sunday, the Last Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane, His Death on Good Friday, a Saturday Evening Virgil (a joyous anticipation of the Resurrection) and the Day of the Resurrection itself. They wore “white” robes during the week. “Alba” is the word for white and dawn. “There is now widespread consensus that the word derives from the Christian designation of Easter week as in albis, a Latin phrase that was understood as the plural of alba (“dawn”) and became eostarum in Old High German, the presursor of the modern German and English term.” Enclycopedia Britanica
So the modern term for Easter in Germany, Ostern is derived from “eostarum”, meaning dawn or sunrise. This is not a transliteration of Pasha, like most other languages, so it is an error. Though Jesus rose at sunrise, that is just the time of His resurrection.
Other stories of the origin of this word coming from a pagan sun goddess is quite spurious. The idea that Christians would join this most important day in history to any false god or pagan belief is ridiculous. It is the Day of our Lord’s Resurrection. My Pastor actually dropped the word Easter and used to greet everyone with “Happy Resurrection Day”, and so it should be called. It is not even a Passover, like in Moses Day when the Angel of Death passed over your home if it had a lamb’s blood over the door. This is of course symbolism of Christ’s death. But it is more than just death passing over us. It is a day of transformation, a new life. Someday we will be resurrected and receive new bodies like Jesus has. It was also believed way back in the 5th Century that the Second Coming would occur on this day. That would make sense.
So Happy Resurrection Day to All!
* The Eggs. In the 13th Century, the Church made a prohibition on eating any eggs during this Holy Week. But chickens still laid eggs during this time, so to distinguish them from the others, they colored them. The egg itself became symbol of the Resurrection, just as Jesus rose, the egg symbolized new life. Red eggs symbolized the blood Jesus shed. So started that tradition.
* The Easter Bunny first arrived in America in the 1700s with German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and transported their tradition of an egg-laying hare called “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws.” Their children made nests in which this creature could lay its colored eggs. Wow – we got a lot of crap from Germany!
* The Chocolate – Hey leave that alone!
It’s a commemoration of our Lord’s Resurrection. Actually, the Greek word for resurrection ANASTASIS. So it should have been named "Anastasis Day".
In Hebrew, the day or week is called PESACH, for Passover.
In Greek, it is called, PASCHA. Most other languages used words transliterated from the Greek.
French – Paques
Italian – Paqua
Spanish - Pascuas
Danish – Paski
Germany – “Ostern”. Wait! What happened? That doesn’t sound like it was transliterated from Pascha. This is where the English term Easter comes from.
The Frankish Church (Germans who settled in Rome in the 5th century) celebrated this week of Christ’s Death and Resurrection, starting with His arrival on Palm Sunday, the Last Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane, His Death on Good Friday, a Saturday Evening Virgil (a joyous anticipation of the Resurrection) and the Day of the Resurrection itself. They wore “white” robes during the week. “Alba” is the word for white and dawn. “There is now widespread consensus that the word derives from the Christian designation of Easter week as in albis, a Latin phrase that was understood as the plural of alba (“dawn”) and became eostarum in Old High German, the presursor of the modern German and English term.” Enclycopedia Britanica
So the modern term for Easter in Germany, Ostern is derived from “eostarum”, meaning dawn or sunrise. This is not a transliteration of Pasha, like most other languages, so it is an error. Though Jesus rose at sunrise, that is just the time of His resurrection.
Other stories of the origin of this word coming from a pagan sun goddess is quite spurious. The idea that Christians would join this most important day in history to any false god or pagan belief is ridiculous. It is the Day of our Lord’s Resurrection. My Pastor actually dropped the word Easter and used to greet everyone with “Happy Resurrection Day”, and so it should be called. It is not even a Passover, like in Moses Day when the Angel of Death passed over your home if it had a lamb’s blood over the door. This is of course symbolism of Christ’s death. But it is more than just death passing over us. It is a day of transformation, a new life. Someday we will be resurrected and receive new bodies like Jesus has. It was also believed way back in the 5th Century that the Second Coming would occur on this day. That would make sense.
So Happy Resurrection Day to All!
* The Eggs. In the 13th Century, the Church made a prohibition on eating any eggs during this Holy Week. But chickens still laid eggs during this time, so to distinguish them from the others, they colored them. The egg itself became symbol of the Resurrection, just as Jesus rose, the egg symbolized new life. Red eggs symbolized the blood Jesus shed. So started that tradition.
* The Easter Bunny first arrived in America in the 1700s with German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and transported their tradition of an egg-laying hare called “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws.” Their children made nests in which this creature could lay its colored eggs. Wow – we got a lot of crap from Germany!
* The Chocolate – Hey leave that alone!
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