5 interesting myths about Easter
Ever thought about what Easter is all about and the myths surrounding one of the most famous holidays in the world?
Here are our top five interesting myths about Easter
Surrounded by a lot of controversies regarding the date when it should be celebrated, Easter is a movable feast, meaning it changes depending on some factors. However, the first council of Nicaea in 325 determined that it would occur after the full moon following the vernal equinox on the next occurring Sunday – unless this happened to interfere with Passover, in which case it should be the Sunday after that.
It can occur anytime between March 22 and April 25.
It is popular belief that Easter was coined from Ishtar; the Babylonian goddess of love and fertility, or Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring. She was worshipped by the Babylonians, Assyrians, Akkadians as the ‘queen of Heaven’
The Easter Bunny is of German origin just like Santa, he shows up in 16th-century literature as a deliverer of eggs, in his own way a springtime St. Nicholas bent on rewarding the good. Coloured eggs were left only for well-behaved good children.
Talking about eggs, they are very obvious symbols of resurrection and continuing life. Early humans thought the return of the sun from winter darkness was an annual miracle and saw the egg as a natural wonder and proof of the renewal of life. The egg is also the ultimate symbol of fertility. As Christianity spread, the egg was adopted as a symbol of Christ’s resurrection from the tomb.
The Easter Island. Sure, you must be hearing about this for the first time. Yes, it does exist. Hau-Maka, a wise man, a prophet and counselor of the Akiri (king) had a vision during a dream, in which the God of creation, Make-Make appeared to show him the way to Easter Island. This is how the Rapa Nui culture, guided by the stars and Hau-Maka, managed to arrive to their new home and survived the disappearance of their original settling when the world was destroyed with flooding.
