Happy Easter: The Pagan Holiday That Christianity Stole

**bradybaker** · 03-27-2005 09:13 PM

Before Christianity: 'Easter' was a pagan holiday celebrating the birth of spring. The flowers were blooming, the animals mating, 'and all that crap' (<- For Seinfeld fans).

After Christianity: Well, they couldn't just do away with the holiday all together. So what better to do than have it mark the day of Jesus' resurrection?

That always makes me laugh.

Oh, and don't forget about Christmas. Before Christianity, the pagans celebrated the return of the Sun at around the same time (the shortest day of the year is December 21st). After Christianity, they decided that it would be a good day to mark the birth of Jesus.

**A Lost Soul** · 03-28-2005 12:39 AM

I'm sure I'll get stoned and crucified for saying this, but I think that Jesus' "resurrection" may have been a metaphor for the rebirth of the seasons altered to fit the Christian/Catholic/etc. religion. Or, the man could have faked his death to prove a point? Who knows, really? We could all be completely off base. It's not like any of us were standing there when Mr. Christ came walking out of that cave after being dead for, what was it, three days?

Also, not to sound like a bitch or anything, but you may want to find a better source than a crappy sitcom to quote in this forum. I fear that you'd get eaten alive by the masses. Christians especially get a little territorial when it comes to their religion, and we pagans get annoyed when people go on about ours without having any clue at all what they're talking about. I'm not really sure what you were trying to accomplish with this post, but the title alone suggests some amount of anger that seems to want to provoke members of other religions into a flame war.

*waits to get eaten alive by the masses for calling "Seinfeld" a crappy sitcom...* O_o

**bradybaker** · 03-28-2005 01:30 AM

Originally posted by A Lost Soul
I think that Jesus' \"resurrection\" may have been a metaphor for the rebirth of the seasons altered to fit the Christian/Catholic/etc. religion.

...that's exactly the point that I was making, but I added the point that this metaphor was originally part of Pagan tradition and was adapted into Christianity when it became the 'mainstream' religion.

Originally posted by A Lost Soul+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(A Lost Soul)</div>

you may want to find a better source than a crappy sitcom to quote in this forum.[/b]

...only the part in quotations was from Seinfeld.

ie. THIS PART ----> 'and all that crap'

Not the entire quote. It was obviously a joke.

Originally posted by A Lost Soul@
I fear that you'd get eaten alive by the masses.

Don't worry buddy, I think I can handle myself.

<!--QuoteBegin-A Lost Soul
I'm not really sure what you were trying to accomplish with this post, but the title alone suggests some amount of anger that seems to want to provoke members of other religions into a flame war.

I would have used the word "discussion", but I guess flame war works too.

In conclusion, you need to calm down. Try laying off the caffiene.

**Joseph_Stalin** · 03-28-2005 03:45 AM

Anything philosophical that you were planning to discuss? This has been always been an interesting bit of information, but I'm not sure how you would turn this into a philosophical sort of a discussion.

**dream-scape** · 03-28-2005 03:59 AM

I was going to ask the same question as Joseph_Stalin. But then again, it could be asked about the majority of posts in the "Philosophy" section.

**bradybaker** · 03-28-2005 04:49 AM

Perhaps I should've posted it in Extended Discussion. I would like to extend to you my deepest apologies.

I was hoping it would turn into a spirited debate about the validity of Christianity, but I guess not.

**A Lost Soul** · 03-28-2005 08:29 AM

*sigh* How tiring. I'm sorry that you saw my post as energetically negative as you did ("lay off the caffeine"?--how random). That's what I get I suppose.

**Yume** · 03-28-2005 08:56 AM

*Clings to Purim* Oh thank you Judaism! It is in the same month as Easter and this year it was the day before. It is so much better than this supposidly stolen holiday.

**A Lost Soul** · 03-28-2005 03:37 PM

Originally posted by Yume
*Clings to Purim* Oh thank you Judaism! It is in the same month as Easter and this year it was the day before. It is so much better than this supposidly stolen holiday.

I just like Easter for the ham.

Not this year though... My brother is out in the field and there's more cat food in the house than people food. >.<

**Gwendolyn** · 03-29-2005 04:51 AM

Well, from the time I was able discuss things like religion with my father I've been aware of this....Pagans have been around longer than Christians. I'm quite sure that when Christianity started to get popular in Europe, Kings and such who sought political power took the holidays that pagans celebrated and slowly integrated Christian elements until eventually, it's Pagan roots were forgotten. Churches were built on Pagan grounds because they knew that the pagans would continue to go there to worship their own Gods...Traditions die hard, and generations after continued to go.......I do not think this means that Christian holidays have no signifigance, although I personally don't choose to associate Christianity with them. A holiday is whatever you wish it to mean....To me, Easter is a holiday that I spend with my family, have a good time, and hunt easter eggs with my little cousins (I may be 17, I'll never be too old to help them hunt easter eggs).

**bradybaker** · 03-29-2005 05:02 AM

Originally posted by Gwendolyn
I'm quite sure that when Christianity started to get popular in Europe, Kings and such who sought political power took the holidays that pagans celebrated and slowly integrated Christian elements until eventually, it's Pagan roots were forgotten.

Exactly.

But what I'm saying is that Christianity is nothing more than a political power struggle. Christian holidays have no divine merit (ie. Jesus wasn't born on X-mas, He didn't come back to life on Easter.) These stories were CREATED by individuals in positions of power to gain control over the masses.

**Gwendolyn** · 03-29-2005 05:28 AM

I agree, although I think that you personally make a holiday what it is, with or without divine merit. But you know, I think they could have a lot more meaning if families and individuals made up more holidays for themselves when speacial things happen. Not just anniversarys and birthdays....Holidays for whole families to share based on their own individual taste....Or even just one or two people. It would mean so much more.

**A Lost Soul** · 03-30-2005 05:28 AM

Originally posted by Gwendolyn
I agree, although I think that you personally make a holiday what it is, with or without divine merit. But you know, I think they could have a lot more meaning if families and individuals made up more holidays for themselves when speacial things happen. Not just anniversarys and birthdays....Holidays for whole families to share based on their own individual taste....Or even just one or two people. It would mean so much more.

I can't remember the names of them, but there are holidays in Japan where families get together to honor their ancestors or they get together just because (I want to say they might be Shinto holidays, but I could be way wrong... I'm too tired to look it up right now, but I know the general idea idea is correct. O_o). Also, they have TWO Valentine Days. One is a day for boys to give the girls a present, and the other ("White Day") is for the girls to give the boys a present. How sweet! ^_^

We should totally have more holidays. Or at least be allowed to celebrate more holidays (don't hit me--other than Christian and Jewish holidays). I remember asking my boss if I could take my two company-granted "extra holiday" days for the two most important pagan holidays of the year (aside from Yule, which we celebrate on Christmas anyway). She knew I was a witch and I even offered to work the mainstream holidays but she still said no. Why? Because the company didn't consider my holidays as "real" holidays. Like everyone else, I could take the day off with enough notice. Unlike everyone else, I wouldn't get paid for it. And one of these holidays is October 31st! Doesn't everyone else celebrate Halloween too? Ah, well. Sadly, that's life.

Anyway, this isn't a bad topic. I think it's fascinating to compare religious celebrations and their origins. I just didn't want to see another war with Christians on one side and everyone else on the other, because then no one learns anything. =(

**eyeofgames** · 04-29-2005 08:41 PM

All "Chistain" hoidays are really old pagan hoilly days dressed up even Xmas is really a christaineifyd verson of a pagan festivile.I dont celabrate anything.