The True Meaning of Easter

by Mike Renzulli

The holiday of Easter is taken from the early Anglo-Saxon pagan goddess Eostre. She was the mother goddess of Saxon pagans whose symbol was the rabbit which represented spring and fertility. 

Additionally, the month of April was set aside by many ancient peoples in order to celebrate spring which is a time of renewal and rebirth.

Another symbol used by ancient pagans to celebrate Eostre's holiday was done with bright colored painted eggs. They symbolized new life in the form of fertility and the blooming flowers of spring in which people gladly exchanged painted eggs and flowers with each other.

A Greek tale of the goddess Persephone, discusses her return from the underworld to the light of day after being abducted by the god Hades from her mother, Demeter.

Persephone's return was symbolic to the ancient Greeks that the resurrection of life in spring took place after the desolation of winter.

The story of Persephone is certainly one legend Christians might have borrowed from for their resurrection tale when the story of Jesus was written.

What is unique about the tale of Jesus's rise from the dead is that it takes place on a different date each year. This is due to it taking place, not only during the spring equinox, but also on the first Sunday after the first full moon of Spring.

The holiday Easter is taken from the ancient pagan cults and it was just as common for pagans to celebrate the Spring equinox just like they commemorated the Winter solstice.

Yet it is during April when Christians, who adopted Easter and most of its pagan traditions as their holiday, are reminded of the glory of sacrifice and suffering of their savior, Jesus.

According to the myth attributed to him, Jesus was crucified, died and then rose from the dead in order to to cleanse mankind of sin. Religious clergy continue to remind their flock of this and that we should emulate their messiah's example.

Christian clergy continuously reverberate the same mantra that it is only when one sacrifices in this life to another that one will, upon death, reach their spiritual paradise (heaven). Only then will they know their diety's glory and attain full salvation.

Despite being an atheist, I still continue to celebrate Easter. Not to celebrate the resurrection of any god or conduct any sacrifice, but to commemorate my rational mind that I use to further my life and happiness. I am proud of the work I do, wealth I accumulate, and life I live.

You should be proud too.

At the same time, you should reject philosophies that place sacrifice, human suffering as the standard of values since they condemn you and others to a life of self-destruction and misery.

I gladly buy chocolate bunnies, candy eggs and cards as a non-sacrificial, egotistical expression of my gratitude toward those I love and am friends with while celebrating the selfish-driven life I lead.

It is the entrepreneurs, creators and men and women of initiative whom I celebrate. Especially during holidays, since they are the ones who make the commercialism and abundance during holidays, like Easter, possible.

Let Easter and spring come to symbolize a time of rebirth for you by rejecting religious, altruistic notions of considering people like you as a means to an end and, instead, embrace a life of reason, happiness and freedom.

Happy Easter!