Easter is NOT about a rabbit!

[MK]

I hope tomorrow that people will be celebrating the true meaning of Easter.

Christ is risen!

 

[Nathan Flowers]

Christ is risen indeed.


No rabbits or eggs around my house.

 

[Chamorro]

Au contraire,

The ancient Anglo-Saxons celebrated the return of spring with a carnival commemorating their goddess of offspring and of springtime, Eostre. The word carnival possibly originated from the Latin ?¢‚ǨÀúcarne vale' meaning "flesh, farewell" or "meat, farewell." The offerings were rabbits and coloured eggs, bidding an end to winter.

As it happened, the pagan festival of Eostre occurred at the same time of year as the Christian observance of the Resurrection of Christ and it didn't take the Christian missionaries long to convert the Anglo-Saxons when they encountered them in the 2nd century. The offering of rabbits and eggs eventually (in the 8th century, it is thought) became the Easter bunny and Easter eggs.

Prior to 325 AD, Easter was variously celebrated on different days of the week, including Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In that year, the Council of Nicaea was convened by emperor Constantine. It issued the Easter Rule which states that Easter shall be celebrated on the first Sunday that occurs after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox. The "full moon" in the rule is the ecclesiastical full moon, which is defined as the 14th day of a tabular lunation, where day 1 corresponds to the ecclesiastical New Moon. It does not always occur on the same date as the astronomical full moon. The ecclesiastical "vernal equinox" is always on 21st March. Therefore, Easter must be celebrated on the first Sunday after 21st March.

Christians commemorate the Friday before Easter as Good Friday, the day that Jesus was crucified. Easter Sunday is celebrated as the day Jesus rose again.

The Easter Bunny has every right, historically, to this holiday, predating even Christian celebrations. Easter IS about a rabbit and eggs from an historical perspective. Christians just adopted the Bunny and the holiday to suit their purposes..

That being said, Happy Easter. Christ is risen!

 

[MK]

I figured you would say something like that.

The Easter Bunny has every right historically to this holiday, predating even Christian celebrations.

Satan always will try and distract from truth and holiness.......especially with counterfeits.

It is a shame that so many kids think that Christmas is only about getting toys from an old fat guy in a red suit and that Easter is only about a rodent with colored eggs. There is nothing wrong with Santa Clause......but kids should know the real meaning of Christmas......and Easter.

Glory to the Lamb!

 

[Chamorro]

Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again ...

 

[Panamabob]

I was in the middle of a post on Easter and a Dan Brown novel broke out...

 

[ITG]

Amen MK! It's hard for me to put Easter Bunny and Santa Claus decorations up because I feel it distracts from the true meaning of the holiday. Handling holiday decorations will be more challenging though one day when I have kids.

 

[Andykev]

My take

Is that the cherished memories I hold of Christmas and Easter DO include Santa and the Easter Bunny. We also, being a very large (7 kids) Catholic family, did the Christmas Mass, Easter Sunday, Good Friday, and the Stations of the Cross (which I can by the way still recite in proper order and from memory).

I have given my son the joys I had of those holidays, and have included the tratidional religious meanings for him as well.

My Irish background...and the strong faith of the relatives...carried over into my upbringing.

Tradition. We are loosing it in this country.

"They" want to erase all reference to God, In God We Trust, and the Pledge of Alegiance to The Fag Under God...etc.

I don't want to live in a steril society. Call God by the name your faith speaks of, and know of the one true God.

So, do I object to the Easter Bunny? No, not if parents still properly educate their children in true understanding of God.

I just pity those children who think that Christmas, Easter, and Halloween are all about Toys, Rabbits/eggs, and ghosts and trick or treat!! God is in all of those celebrations!


Happy Easter to all!

 

[Panamabob]

You might want to edit your Pledge of Allegiance.

 

[Matt Deckard]

I'm in it for the chocolate bunnies!

 

[Wild Root]

mmmmMMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmm..... Chocolate bunnies! AAAAAAhhhhggggggg.

 

[Renderking Fisk]

MK, your comment about counterfits reminds me of Satan holding a baby as he's following Jesus through the crouds as he's carring his cross through the streets.

"What ever you do... don't focus too long on the man on the cross, here! Have some Chocolate! Oh... Resurrection you ask? Here... JELLY BEANS!"

 

[Matt Deckard]

The ancient Anglo-Saxons celebrated the return of spring with a carnival commemorating their goddess of offspring and of springtime, Eostre. The word carnival possibly originated from the Latin ?¢‚ǨÀúcarne vale' meaning "flesh, farewell" or "meat, farewell." The offerings were rabbits and coloured eggs, bidding an end to winter.

If I'm reading right, The bunny came before Jesus.

The bunny rises too, and he brings candy!

 

[CoffeeDude]

The Christian celebration of Easter, I think, could use the metaphor of an Act III, where everything comes together. Israel has been celebrating it for thousands of years, though many probably don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t recognize it as such. The Passover, the protection from the Angel of Death and freedom from Egypt, was not only a historical event, but a foreshadowing of the redemptive work of the messiah, whom Christian have come to know as Jesus the Christ (messiah) the final part of that redemption being His resurrection. So some form of Easter (the Christian definition), whether looking forward in anticipation or back in remembrance has been around for millenniums.

If the bunny came before Jesus (who existed an eternity before time began) then I am wasting my time, but if not ...

 

[Dr. J]

If the bunny came before Jesus (who existed an eternity before time began) then I am wasting my time, but if not ...

Then, Happy Easter! Jess is Risen (and after ONLY fifteen cups of double-espresso and a Jolt Cola)!