As another contradictory holiday approaches, another opportunity to shed light on the confusion surrounding this tradition presents itself. Easter is supposed to be about the resurrection of Jesus Christ yet instead we see this holiday centered around a bunny and painted eggs?! As is typical of the modern capitalist society we find ourselves entrenched in, the icons have very little to do with what we’re told about this celebrated event. It might seem like we’re being encouraged to spend money on decorations and other paraphernalia, but the roots of these symbols actually go much deeper.

Eostre, or Ostara, was goddess celebrated in ancient times during the month of April for fertility, renewal and rebirth. It is from her name that we get the word for the feminine hormone estrogen. The Old High German adverb Ôstar actually translates into, “expresses movement towards the rising sun.” She was also known as the Goddess of the dawn, daughter of heaven, who reluctantly brought light for which she was punished. This sounds more like Prometheus or Lucifer than it does Jesus Christ!

What the spring, or vernal equinox, actually signifies is the defeating of the winter and the ushering in of the spring. During this day, there is perfect balance between the length of the day and the length of the night. This can be seen as the coming together of the masculine and feminine, the inner and outer, or the light and the dark. If we’re honest with ourselves, Jesus Christ, the “SUN” of God, synonymous with the Egyptian sun God Horus, is actually resurrected every morning!

The hare, or bunny as the modern symbol of the tradition, is a nocturnal animal and therefore represents the moon. This animal is associated with many lunar goddesses such as the Norse deity Freyja. The date for the Christian tradition of Easter changes from year to year because it is actually based on a lunar cycle. As rabbits are are known to have many offspring, this symbol of fertility goes hand in hand with the blessings sought after by agricultural societies of the past with the coming of spring season. Spring cleaning and egg painting are actually tied to Iran, and the Zoroastrian beliefs of ancient Persia, which celebrates its new year, “Norwuz” during this same spring equinox!