Hello Ladies, I just wanted to pop in and wish everyone a very HOPPY 
EASTER!!!
Going to post some of the origins of Easter from different religions 
to honor most everyone! Easter - Its Origins and Meanings
Overview:
Modern-day Easter is derived from two ancient traditions: one Judeo-Christian and the other Pagan. Both Christians and Pagans have celebrated death and resurrection themes following the Spring Equinox for millennia. Most religious historians believe that many elements of the Christian observance of Easter were derived from earlier Pagan celebrations.
The equinox occurs each year on March 20, 21 or 22. Both Neopagans and Christians continue to celebrate religious rituals linked to the equinox. Wiccans and other Neopagans usually hold their celebrations on the day or eve of the equinox. Western Christians celebrate Easter on the Sunday on or after the full moon that follows the nominal date of the Equinox -- MAR-21. The Eastern Orthodox churches follow a different calculation; their Easter celebration is often many weeks after the date selected by the Western churches.
Origins of the name "Easter":
The name "Easter" originated with the names of an ancient Goddess and God. The Venerable Bede, (672-735 CE.) a Christian scholar, first asserted in his book De Ratione Temporum that Easter was named after Eostre (a.k.a. Eastre). She was the Great Mother Goddess of the Saxon people in Northern Europe. Similarly, the "Teutonic dawn goddess of fertility [was] known variously as Ostare, Ostara, Ostern, Eostra, Eostre, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron and Ausos." 1 Her name was derived from the ancient word for spring: "eastre." Similar Goddesses were known by other names in ancient cultures around the Mediterranean, and were celebrated in the springtime. Some were:
Aphrodite from ancient Cyprus
Ashtoreth from ancient Israel
Astarte from ancient Greece
Demeter from Mycenae
Hathor from ancient Egypt
Ishtar from Assyria
Kali, from India
Ostara a Norse Goddess of fertility.
An alternative explanation has been suggested. The name given by the Frankish church to Jesus' resurrection festival included the Latin word "alba" which means "white." (This was a reference to the white robes that were worn during the festival.) "Alba" also has a second meaning: "sunrise." When the name of the festival was translated into German, the "sunrise" meaning was selected in error. This became "ostern" in German. Ostern has been proposed as the origin of the word "Easter". 2
There are two popular beliefs about the origin of the English word "Sunday." It is derived from the name of the Scandinavian sun Goddess Sunna (a.k.a. Sunne, Frau Sonne). 5,6
It is derived from "Sol," the Roman God of the Sun." Their phrase "Dies Solis" means "day of the Sun." The Christian saint Jerome (d. 420) commented "If it is called the day of the sun by the pagans, we willingly accept this name, for on this day the Light of the world arose, on this day the Sun of Justice shone forth." 7
Pagan origins of Easter:
Many, perhaps most, Pagan religions in the Mediterranean area had a major seasonal day of religious celebration at or following the Spring Equinox. Cybele, the Phrygian fertility goddess, had a consort, Attis, who was believed to have been born via a virgin birth. Attis was believed to have died and been resurrected each year during the period MAR-22 to MAR-25.
Gerald L. Berry, author of "Religions of the World," wrote:
"About 200 B.C. mystery cults began to appear in Rome just as they had earlier in Greece. Most notable was the Cybele cult centered on Vatican hill ...Associated with the Cybele cult was that of her lover, Attis (the older Tammuz, Osiris, Dionysus, or Orpheus under a new name). He was a god of ever-reviving vegetation. Born of a virgin, he died and was reborn annually. The festival began as a day of blood on Black Friday and culminated after three days in a day of rejoicing over the resurrection." 3
Wherever Christian worship of Jesus and Pagan worship of Attis were active in the same geographical area in ancient times, Christians:
"... used to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus on the same date; and pagans and Christians used to quarrel bitterly about which of their gods was the true prototype and which the imitation."
Many religious historians and liberal theologians believe that the death and resurrection legends were first associated with Attis, many centuries before the birth of Jesus. They were simply grafted onto stories of Jesus' life in order to make Christian theology more acceptable to Pagans. Others suggest that many of the events in Jesus' life that were recorded in the gospels were lifted from the life of Krishna, the second person of the Hindu Trinity. Ancient Christians had an alternative explanation; they claimed that Satan had created counterfeit deities in advance of the coming of Christ in order to confuse humanity. 4 Modern-day Christians generally regard the Attis legend as being a Pagan myth of little value with no connection to Jesus. They regard Jesus' death and resurrection account as being true, and unrelated to the earlier tradition.
Wiccans and other modern-day Neopagans continue to celebrate the Spring Equinox as one of their 8 yearly Sabbats (holy days of celebration). Near the Mediterranean, this is a time of sprouting of the summer's crop; farther north, it is the time for seeding. Their rituals at the Spring Equinox are related primarily to the fertility of the crops and to the balance of the day and night times. In those places where Wiccans can safely celebrate the Sabbat out of doors without threat of religious persecution, they often incorporate a bonfire into their rituals, jumping over the dying embers is believed to assure fertility of people and crops.
Judeo-Christian origins of Easter:
A very common theme present in many ancient Pagan religions described the life of a man-god -- a savior of humanity -- his execution, his visit to the underworld, his resurrection after two or three days, and his ascension to heaven. The life of Yeshua of Nazareth (a.k.a. Jesus Christ) as recorded in the Gospels includes the Christian version of this theme. Good Friday is observed in remembrance of Jesus' execution by the occupying Roman army, and his burial in a cave-tomb. Easter Sunday is the date when a group of his female followers first noticed the empty tomb, and concluded that he had either been resurrected, or his body had been stolen.
The timing of the Christian celebration of Easter is linked to the Jewish celebration of the Passover. Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were observed by the ancient Israelites early in each new year. (The Jewish people followed the Persian/Babylonian calendar and started each year with the Spring Equinox circa MAR-21). "Equinox" means "equal night;" on that date of the year, the night and day are approximately equal. The name "Passover" was derived from the actions of the angel of death as described in the book of Exodus. The angel "passed over" the homes of the Jews which were marked with the blood obtained from a ritual animal sacrifice. The same angel exterminated the first born(s) of every family whose doorway was not so marked - one of the greatest acts of mass-murder mentioned in the Bible. Victimized were first-born sons as well as the first-born of domesticated animals.
Liberal theologians trace Passover to an ancient pre-Israelite Pagan ritual practiced by wandering Semitic shepherds. The Feast of Unleavened Bread was originally a traditional Canaanite agricultural harvest which was adopted by the Israelites. It marked the start of the barley harvest; barley was the first crop to ripen. Because they occurred at about the same time each year, the two celebrations became merged into a two day observance. The Passover became associated with the exodus of the Jews from Egypt.
Conservative theologians generally believe that the original Passover was established up by God as described in Exodus 5, and that the annual Passover observances were created as "appointed feasts" established by God as described in Leviticus 23:5-14. Both were recorded by Moses.
When was Yeshua (Jesus) executed?
Passover was the most important feast of the Jewish calendar, celebrated at the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox. (The Equinox typically occurs on March 20, 21 or 22 according to our present calendar.) The Gospels differ on the date of Jesus' execution:
The Synoptic gospels (Mark, Matthew and Luke) state that Jesus' last supper was a Seder - a Passover celebration at the start of 15th Nisan, just after sundown. (Jewish days begin at sundown and continue until the next sundown). Jesus was executed later that day and died about 3 PM.
The gospel of John states that the last supper at the beginning of 14th Nisan. Jesus is recorded as having died on the afternoon of 14th Nisan.
Most theologians reject John's timing. They assume that John chose a false date for symbolic reasons. He made Jesus' execution synchronize with the sacrifice of the Pascal lamb in the Temple at Jerusalem. If Jesus was murdered on a Friday, then Passover would have fallen on a Thursday. This happened both in the years 30 and 33 CE.
Many theologians accept an execution date of Friday, 30-APR-7 CE as correct. However, this date does produce some difficulties with the timing of Jesus' ministry. Most theologians reject the inference in the Gospel of John that Jesus taught over an interval in excess of two years and less than four years. An early crucifixion date is compatible with a one-year ministry, as implied in the Synoptic gospels where only a single Passover is mentioned. Some authorities prefer the date of 33-APR-3 CE. However, this late timing causes problems in other ways. It does not seem to allow sufficient time for Saul's persecutions of Christians, Paul's conversion, his three-year absence from Palestine, and his early evangelism before the Jerusalem Council was held. In 1733, the great British scientist, Sir Isaac Newton, computed two likely dates: 33-APR-7 and 34-APR-23. He preferred the latter. The AD 34 choice has few supporters today; it conflicts with the date of Paul's conversion. Also, it requires that five Passovers had occurred during Jesus' ministry and depends on a reference of the corn at Passover in Luke 6:1. These are not considered compelling. 1
Most Christians believe that Jesus Christ was executed and buried just before the beginning of Passover on Friday evening. A minority believe that the execution occurred on a Wednesday or Thursday. Various dates other than the two above have been suggested:
30-APR-5 CE, a Wednesday
30-APR-6 CE, a Thursday
31-APR-26 CE, a Thursday
32-APR-10 CE, a Thursday
Some liberal Christians have suggested that the actual date of Jesus' execution is unknown, that it might have happened at any time during the year, and that the early Christian church arbitrarily selected Passover as the time. This allowed them to link the most important religious days in Judaism and Christianity. It also allowed the human sacrifice of Jesus ("Christ our paschal lamb" in 1 Corinthians 5:7) to be linked to the sacrifice of the Pascal lamb in the Jewish Temple.
Other theologians have suggested that Yeshua of Nazareth never existed, or that he lived centuries earlier, or that he was never crucified. Over one billion Muslims in the world believe that he was not executed by the Roman Army.
Reference:
John P. Pratt, "Newton's Date For The Crucifixion," Quarterly Journal of Royal Astronomical Society 32, (1991-SEP), Pages 301-304. Online at: Newton's Date For The Crucifixion
Easter
How and when it is celebrated
Sponsored link.
The Christian Liturgical Calendar:
Until the 4th century CE, Easter and Pentecost were the only two holy days that Christians observed. Easter Sunday was the main day of celebration, formally recognized by the Council of Nicea in 325 CE. Pentecost Sunday was also observed as a less important holy day, 7 weeks/49 days after Easter. Other occasions related to Jesus' execution were gradually added to the church calendar:
Lent: This was a period of spiritual preparation for Easter which typically involves fasting, penance and prayer. It was originally established by various Christian groups as an interval ranging from a few days to several weeks. It was eventually fixed in the 8th century CE at 40 days. (The number 40 is one of many magical numbers with religious significance in the Bible. 40 days recalls the interval that Jesus, Moses and Elias spent in the desert. Other magical numbers were 3, 7, 12, and 70). Among Roman Catholics, Lent lasts for six and a half weeks before Easter, excluding Sundays. Among the Eastern Orthodox churches, it is a full eight weeks, because Saturdays and Sundays are not included.
Ash Wednesday: This is held on the first day of Lent, a Wednesday.
Holy Week: the week before Easter Sunday: Palm Sunday: This is held on the Sunday before Easter Sunday. It recalls Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem one week before his execution.
Holy Monday commemorates Jesus' cleansing of the temple, when he committed aggravated assaulted against money changers and other commercial interests who had tables within the Temple. Some believe that this triggered his arrest and crucifixion. It certainly would have been considered an act of insurrection by the occupying Roman Army, particularly because it occurred so close to a Passover when nationalistic feelings among Jews were at an all-time high.
Holy Tuesday recalls Jesus' description to his disciples on the Mount of Olives of the destruction of Jerusalem.
Holy Wednesday (once called Spy Wednesday) recalls Judas' decision to betray Jesus in exchange for 30 pieces of silver.
Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper, Jesus agony in the garden and his arrest. "Maundy" is derived from the Latin "mandatum" (commandment of God in John 13:34-35 For centuries, people in authority have washed the feet of their followers on this day.
Good Friday recalls Jesus' death on the cross. The origin of the word "good" has been lost. Some claim that it is a corruption of "God" and that the early Christians called this day "God's Friday." "God" morphed in to "good" just as "God be with you" has become "goodbye." Others claim that "good" refers to the blessings of humanity that Christians believe arose as a result of Jesus' execution.
"A fourth-century church manual, the Apostolic Constitutions, called Good Friday a 'day of mourning, not a day of festive Joy.' Ambrose, the fourth-century archbishop who befriended the notorious sinner Augustine of Hippo before his conversion, called it the 'day of bitterness on which we fast'." 10
Holy Saturday (a.k.a. Easter Eve) is the final day of Holy Week and of Lent.
Easter Sunday commemorates Jesus' resurrection. In the early church, converts were baptized into church membership on this day after a lengthy period of instruction. This tradition continues today in some churches.
Feast of the Ascension (a.k.a Ascension Day) is a celebration of Jesus' ascension up to heaven. This is described in Acts 1:9 as happening 40 days after his resurrection. The church celebrates the feast on a Thursday, 40 days after Easter Sunday. Although tradition states that it was first celebrated in 68 CE, it did not become formally recognized by the church until the late 3rd century.
Pentecost (a.k.a. Whit Sunday) is now celebrated 7 weeks/49 days after Easter Sunday. It recalls the visitation of the Holy Spirit to 120 Christians, both apostles and followers. They spoke in tongues (in foreign languages that they had not previously personally known) to the assembled crowd. Three thousand were baptized. The day was originally a Jewish festival which was called "Pentecost," because it was observed 50 days after Passover. (The Greek word for 50'th day is "pentecoste.") This is usually regarded as the date of the birth of the Christian church. The feast was mentioned in a 2nd century book, and was formally recognized in the 3rd century CE.
How the date of Easter is determined:
It is important to realize that Easter is not celebrated at the anniversary of Jesus' death and reported resurrection. The year of his execution is unknown; estimates range from 29 to 33 CE. And so, the anniversaries of the actual events go unobserved year by year.
Easter Sunday falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after MAR-20, the nominal date of the Spring Equinox. Many sources incorrectly state that the starting date of the calculation is the actual day of the Equinox rather than the nominal date of MAR-20. Other sources use an incorrect reference date of MAR-21.
A little known fact is that the timing of the full moon is based upon the Metonic Cycle, a method of calculating the date of the full moon known to the ancient Greek astronomer Meton, who lived in the 5th century BCE. This calculation is only approximate; it occasionally diverges from the actual astronomical data. 5 For example, in the year 2019, the date of Easter according to a precise astronomical calculation would be MAR-24. However, the Western Church will observe it on APR-21. 6
Easter Sunday in the West can fall on any date from March 22 to April 25th. The year-to-year sequence is so complicated that it takes 5.7 million years to repeat. Eastern Orthodox churches sometimes celebrate Easter on the same day as the rest of Christendom. However if that date does not follow Passover, then the Orthodox churches delay their Easter - sometimes by over a month. To make matters more complex, most Eastern Orthodox churches use the Julian Calendar which is currently offset by 12 days from the more generally used Gregorian Calendar.
Some dates related to Easter are celebrated on the following dates 9 by the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches:
Year /Ash Wed/Easter / Ascension/ Pentecost
1996 /Feb-21 /Apr-07 /May-16 /May-26
1997 /Feb-12 /Mar-30 /May-08 /May-18
1998 /Feb-25 /Apr-12 /May-21 /May-31
1999 /Feb-17 /Apr-04 /May-13 /May-23
2000 /Mar-08 /Apr-23 /Jun-01 /Jun-11
2001 /Feb-28 /Apr-15 /May-24 /Jun-03
2002 /Feb-13 /Mar-31 /May-09 /May-19
2003 /Mar-05 /Apr-20 /May-29 /Jun-08
2004 /Feb-25 /Apr-11 /May-20 /May-30
2005 /Feb-09 /Mar-27 /May-05 /May-15
2006 /Mar-01 /Apr-16 /May-25 /Jun-04
2007 /Feb-21 /Apr-08 /May-17 /May-27
2008 /Feb-08 /Mar-23 /May-01 /May-11
2009 /Feb-25 /Apr-12 /May-21 /May-31
2010 /Feb-17 /Apr-04 /May-13 /May-23
2011 /Mar-09 /Apr-24 /Jun-02 /Jun-12
See The Date of Ortodox Easter 1875 to 2124 for corresponding Eastern Orthodox dates, in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars.
Although these dates were taken from sources that we believe to be reliable, do not rely on their accuracy. We cannot accept responsibility for any errors.
R.W. Mallen's "Easter Dating Method," shows for methods of calculating the dates of Easter Sunday, both for the Western and Orthodox churches. 1
Graeme Mcrae, a mathematician, calculated the date of Easter according to the Gregorian calendar for all dates from 1583 to 31583 CE! He found dates that ranged from MAR-22 to APR-25. APR-29 was the most common. Dates from MAR-28 to APR-20 were relatively equal in frequency of occurrence. 7
Easter Traditions:
These have been derived primarily from Pagan traditions at Easter time:
Hot Cross Buns: At the feast of Eostre, the Saxon fertility Goddess, an ox was sacrificed. The ox's horns became a symbol for the feast. They were carved into the ritual bread. Thus originated "hot cross buns". The word "buns" is derived from the Saxon word "boun" which means "sacred ox." Later, the symbol of a symmetrical cross was used to decorate the buns; the cross represented the moon, the heavenly body associated with the Goddess, and its four quarters.
Easter Rabbit and Eggs: The symbols of the Norse Goddess Ostara were the hare and the egg. Both represented fertility. From these, we have inherited the customs and symbols of the Easter egg and Easter rabbit.
Dyed eggs also formed part of the rituals of the ancient, pre-Christian Babylonian mystery religions. "The egg as a symbol of fertility and of renewed life goes back to the ancient Egyptians and Persians, who had also the custom of coloring and eating eggs during their spring festival." 2
"Like the Easter egg, the Easter hare came to Christianity from antiquity. The hare is associated with the moon in the legends of ancient Egypt and other peoples....Through the fact that the Egyptian word for hare, UM, means also "open" and "period," that hare came to be associated with the idea of periodicity, both lunar and human, and with the beginning of new life in both the young man and young woman, and so a symbol of fertility and of the renewal of life. As such, the hare became linked with Easter...eggs." 2
Christian tradition states that when Mary Magdalene visited Emperor Tiberias (14 - 37 CE), she gave him a red egg as a symbol of the Resurrection -- a symbol of new life. Some believe that the Christian tradition of giving eggs to each other at Easter time came from this event. 8
Easter Lilies: "The so-called 'Easter lily' has long been revered by pagans of various lands as a holy symbol associated with the reproductive organs. It was considered a phallic symbol!" 3
Easter Sunrise Service: This custom can be traced back to the ancient Pagan custom of welcoming the sun God at the vernal equinox - when daytime is about to exceed the length of the nighttime. It was a time to "celebrate the return of life and reproduction to animal and plant life as well." 4 Worship of the Sun God at sunrise may be the religious ritual condemned by Jehovah as recorded in:
Ezekiel 8:16-18: "...behold, at the door of the temple of Jehovah, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of Jehovah, and their faces toward the east; and they were worshipping the sun toward the east. Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen (this), O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have turned again to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose. Therefore will I also deal in wrath; mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them." (ASV)
Easter Candles: These are sometimes lit in churches on the eve of Easter Sunday. Some commentators believe that these can be directly linked to the Pagan customs of lighting bonfires at this time of year to welcome the rebirth/resurrection of the sun God.
Easter is the most important observation in the Christian liturgical year.
It is called by many names in different languages:
Based on Pagan name: The English word, "Easter" and the German word "Ostern" are derived from the name of an ancient Pagan Goddess Eostre. Alternate, less common, names for the holy day in English-speaking contries are the "Sunday of the Resurrection," "Pascha," and "Resurrection Day."
Based on "Pesach:" In most of the remaining languages in countries with a Christian heritage, the name for Easter is derived from "Pesach" ("פסחא" in Hebrew) the name for Passover: These include:
Afrikaans: Paasfees
Albanian: Pashkët
Amharic: (Fasika)
Arabic: عيد الفصح (Aīd ul-Figh)
Azeri Pasxa: Fish (pronounced fis`h)
Berber: tafaska (nowadays it is the name of the Muslim "Festival of sacrifice")
Catalan: Pasqua
Danish: Påke
Dutch: Pasen or paasfeest
Esperanto: Pasko
Faroese: Pákir (plural, no singular exists)
Finnish: Pääsiänen
French: Pâues
Greek: Πάσχα (Pascha)
Hebrew: פסחא (Pascha)
Icelandic: Pákar
Indonesian: Paskah
Irish: Cáisc
Italian: Pasqua
Japanese: Seidai Pasuha, "Holy and Great Pascha", used by Eastern Orthodox members
Latin: Pascha or Festa Paschalia
Lower Rhine: German Paisken
Malayalam: പെശഹ (Pæsacha/Pæsaha)
Northern Ndebele: Pasika
Norwegian: Påske
Persian: Pas`h
Polish: Pascha
Portuguese: Páscoa
Romanian: Paşte
Russian: Пасха (Paskha)
Scottish Gaelic: Casca
Spanish: Pascua
Swedish: Påsk
Tagalog: (Philippines) Pasko ng Muling Pagkabuhay (literally "the Pasch of the Resurrection")
Turkish Paskalya
Welsh: Pasg
Based on "Great Day" or "Great Night:"
This is used in most Slavic languages: Bulgarian: Великден (Vělikděn')
Czech: Velikonoce
Latvian Lieldienas (Plural; no singular exists)
Lithuanian Velykos (Plural; no singular exists)
Polish: Wielkanoc
Slovak: Veľká Noc
Slovenian: Velika no
Ukrainian: Вялікдзень (Vjalikdzěn')
Based on "Resurrection" Bosnian:
Uskrs or Vaskrs (literally "resurrection")
Chinese: Fùhuó Jié (literally "Resurrection Festival")
Croatian: "Uskrs," meaning 'Resurrection'."
Korean: Buhwalchol, literally "Resurrection Festival"
Lakota Woekicetuanpetu (literally "Resurrection Day")
Serbian Ускрс (Uskrs) or Васкрс (Vaskrs, literally "resurrection")
Vietnamese Lễ Phục Sinh (literally, "Festival of Resurrection")
Based on multiple names:
Armenian: Զատիկ (Zatik or Zadik, literally "separation") or Սուրբ Հարություն (Sourb Haroutiwn, literally "holy resurrection")
Belarusian: Вялікдзень or (Vialikdzen', literally "the Great Day")
Bulgarian: Великден (Velikden, literally "the Great Day") or Възкресение Христово (Vazkresenie Hristovo, literally "Resurrection of Christ")
Japanese: Iisutaa, pronunciation of Easter in Japanese katakana or Fukkatsusai, literally "Resurrection Festival"
Macedonian Велигден (Veligden, literally "the Great Day") or, rarely Воскрес (Voskres, literally "resurrection")
Ukrainian: Великдень (Velykden) or Паска (Paska)
Other bases: Estonian: Lihavõtted (literally "meat taking")
Georgian: აღდგომა (Aĝdgoma, literally "rising")
Hungarian Húsvét: (literally "taking, or buying meat")
Maltese L-Għid il-Kbir (means, "the Great Feast")
Ossetic куадзæh, means "end of fasting"
Persian عيد پاك (literally "Chaste Feast")
Tongan (South-pacific) Pekia (literally "death (of a lord)")
When have Christians celebrated Easter?
The Encyclopedia Britannica states: "There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament or in the writings of the apostolic Fathers. The sanctity of special times was an idea absent from the minds of the first Christians." 1
According to BibleWorld.com, "Some church historians assert that Easter observance began in the first century (CE), but they must admit that their first evidence for the observance comes from the second century." 2,3,4
There was no consensus within the second century church about when to celebrate Easter. "...the early Christians had followed the Jewish calendar and celebrated the resurrection on the Passover which was the fourteenth of Nisan, the first month of the Jewish year...." 5 "By the end of the 2nd century some churches celebrated Easter/Pascha on the day of the Jewish passover, [sic] regardless of the day of the week, while others celebrated it on the following Sunday." 6 The Council of Nicea in 325 CE later set the date as the first Sunday after Passover. That is, if Passover was on a Sunday, then Easter was delayed by seven days. Thus, it was observed on a date between the fifteenth and twenty-first day of the Jewish month of Nisan. 5 Eventually, the date of Easter was set as the first Sunday after the first full moon (the Paschal Moon) on or after the nominal date of the vernal (spring) equinox: MAR-21. The church celebrated Easter between the 15th and 21st day of Nisan. However, this did not achieve harmony within Christianity:
Local differences "differences in the mechanics of determining the date of Easter/Pascha remained even after Nicea" 6 "...by the 6th century the mode of calculation based on the studies of Alexandrian astronomers and scholars had gained universal acceptance."
The Celtic Church did not delay Easter in the event that Passover occurred on a Sunday. Thus, they celebrated Easter on a date between the 14th and 21st day of Nisan. In about one year in seven, their observance would be one week before the Roman church. This practice continued for the remnants of the Celtic Church at Iona in what present-day Scotland until 716 CE. The Welsh church did not adopt the Roman dating until 768 CE. 5
The Julian calendar, which was used by the entire Christian Church until the mid 16th century was in error about 11 minutes and 14 seconds each year. This accumulated to form a full day error every 128 years. By the late 16th century, this error had accumulated to an intolerable 10 days. Pope Gregory XIII commissioned a study to decide how to correct it and how to prevent it from drifting in the future. The solution was to make most of the century years into non-leap years; only those which were evenly divisible by 400 (e.g. 1600, 2000, 2400 etc.) were to be leap years. Roman Catholic countries corrected the calendar by making 1582-OCT-15 CE follow 1582-OCT-4. England delayed the adoption of the Gregorian calendar until the mid 18th century. They made an 11 day correction; the day following 1752-SEP-2 was SEP-14. Eastern Orthodox Churches continue to use the Julian calendar. It is currently 13 days later than the Gregorian calendar. Since 1923, the Romanian Orthodox and Greek Orthodox churches have adopted the Gregorian calendar. However, they continue to use the Julian calendar for Easter calculations.
The gap between the two calendars continues to grow. Most Greek Orthodox churches currently celebrate Christmas on JAN-7 and New Year's Day on January 14 (according to the Gregorian calendar). This gap generally causes Easter to be celebrated on the same Sunday in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches only about once every three or four years. In other years, the Orthodox Easter -- called Pascha -- is delayed by one, four, or five weeks: 7Year Easter
(Gregorian calculation) Easter
(Julian calculation) Matching dates?
2001 APR-15 APR-15 Yes
2002 MAR-31 MAY-5
2003 APR-20 APR-27
2004 APR-11 APR-11 Yes
2005 MAR-27 MAY-1
2006 APR-16 APR-23
2007 APR-8 APR-8 Yes
2008 MAR-23 APR-27
2009 APR-12 APR-19
2010 APR-4 APR-4 Yes
References:
Encyclopedia Britannica, VIII:859. Cited in Reference 5.
Schaff, "History of the Christian Church," II:207. Cited in Reference 5.
Latourette, "A History of Christianity," I:137. Cited in Reference 5.
Ferrell Jenkins, "Should Christians Observe Easter?," at: http://www.bibleworld.com/easter.pdf. You need software to read these files. It can be obtained free from:
"[Synod of] Whitby," at: http://itsa.ucsf.edu/~snlrc/britannia/
"Toward a Common Date for Easter," World Council of Churches / Middle East Council of Churches Consultation, 1997 at: Page Not Found - Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Welcome to the WCC | Bienvenue | Willkommen | Bienvenidos
Copyright 2003 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Two dates for Easter:
As described elsewhere, Eastern Orthodox churches generally use the Julian calendar, while Roman Catholics and Protestants use the Gregorian calendar. Methods of calculating the date of Easter differ. Thus Easter is celebrated on the same day in Christianity only about once every three or four years. In other years, the Orthodox Easter -- called Pascha -- is delayed by one, four, or five weeks from the Roman Catholic/Protestant date: 1
Year Easter
(Gregorian calculation) Easter
(Julian calculation) Matching dates?
2001 APR-15 APR-15 Yes
2002 MAR-31 MAY-5
2003 APR-20 APR-27
2004 APR-11 APR-11 Yes
2005 MAR-27 MAY-1
2006 APR-16 APR-23
2007 APR-8 APR-8 Yes
2008 MAR-23 APR-27
2009 APR-12 APR-19
2010 APR-4 APR-4 Yes
Attempts to merge the dates of Easter:
In 1920, the Patriarchate of Constantinople suggested that the Orthodox churches discuss a common date for Easter.
In 1923, the Pan Orthodox Congress decided to revise their calendar. This prompted several schisms among Orthodox churches.
Also in the 1920s, some secular groups were proposing a fixed date for Easter; the Sunday following the second Saturday in April was one suggestion. This would help commercial and public groups plan more easily. But it would sever the linkage between Easter and the Jewish Passover. Also, it would probably further split Christian observance of Easter as some churches adopted a fixed date, and others continued to use the current pair of dates.
Orthodox churches resumed discussion in 1961 during preparations for the Great and Holy Council of the Orthodox Church.
The Roman Catholic church discussed a common day at the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council, in 1963.
Since 1965, The World Council of Churches has discussed the topic repeatedly. In 1997, the World Council of Churches and the Middle East Council of Churches sponsored a meeting in Aleppo, Syria. Participants included the Anglican Communion, Armenian Orthodox Church, Ecumenical Patriarchate, Evangelical Churches in the Middle East, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, Lutheran World Federation, Middle East Council of Churches, Old-Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, Orthodox Church in America, Patriarchate of Moscow, Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Seventh-day Adventists, and Syrian Orthodox Church. The group issued what has since been called "The Aleppo Statement." It said in part:
"By celebrating this feast of feasts on different days, the churches give a divided witness to this fundamental aspect of the apostolic faith, compromising their credibility and effectiveness in bringing the Gospel to the world. This is a matter of concern for all Christians. Indeed, in some parts of the world such as the Middle East, where several separated Christian communities constitute a minority in the larger society, this has become an urgent issue. While there has been some discussion of this question, it still has not been given the serious attention that it deserves." 2
They recommended that the original Nicene formula be continued: that Easter falls on the Sunday following the first full moon following the Spring Equinox. They recommend three changes in the method of calculating the date, to take effect in the year 2001:
Abandoning use of MAR-20 as the nominal date of the equinox, and adopting the actual date, which may range from MAR-19 to MAR-21.
Abandoning the use of what they call "conventional tables" to determine the time of the full moon, and use the actual astronomical predictions.
To base the day on the meridian of Jerusalem, where Yeshua was executed.
They concluded that a fixed date for Easter would not work. Some faith groups would reject the idea, and the end result would be two or three Easter dates each year.
The North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation formed in 1965 by the U.S. Catholic bishops' Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs and the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of America endorsed the Aleppo Statement in 1998-OCT. 3
In 1999-MAY, the Anglican Journal commented: "The [Anglican Communion's] Lambeth Conference com-mended [sic] the Aleppo proposal for consideration by member churches. The Conference of European Churches plans to do the same, and other groups, including Baptists, Methodists, Old Catholics, Presbyterians, Societies of Friends and Free Churches, have reacted positively. Except for the Greek Orthodox Church, most Orthodox churches also welcome the initiative but won't yet commit to action." 4
In 2000-MAR, a dialogue established by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA) recommended adoption of the Aleppo Statement. 5,6
Easter for year 2001 came and passed. The World Council of Churches is currently promoting adoption of the for 2004, when Easter will once more be celebrated on the same day throughout the world. Some have suggested that a common Easter date be explored on a regional basis. One example would be in the Middle East, where the dual Easter dates are of particular concern.
Attempts to agree on a fixed date for Easter:
According to Encyclopædia Britannica:
"In the 20th century attempts were made to arrive at a fixed date for Easter, with the Sunday following the second Saturday in April specifically proposed. While this proposal has supporters, it has not come to fruition." 7
Was Jesus executed on a Wednesday
& resurrected on the following Saturday?
Overview:
There is a near consensus among Christians that Jesus was executed on a Friday by the Roman Army, and resurrected on the following Sunday morning. However, there have always been alternate explanations for the timing of the various events associated with his execution and resurrection. One theory is that Jesus died on Wednesday afternoon, and was resurrected on Saturday evening. The empty tomb was discovered on Sunday morning, many hours after Jesus had left.
One Sabbath or two?:
An initial clue that might point to a Wednesday crucifixion is found in Matthew 28:1. This passage discusses Mary and "the other Mary" making a Sunday morning visit to the tomb where Jesus' body had been placed. This was after the weekly Sabbath which ran from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. The following are translations according to the:
New English Bible: "The Sabbath was over,...."
New International Version: "After the Sabbath,..."
Jerusalem Bible: "After the Sabbath,..."
King James Version: "In the end of the Sabbath...came Mary Magdalene"
Living Bible: "Early on Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene..."
Philips Modern English: "When the Sabbath was over..."
Revised Standard Version: "Now after the sabbath...."
Today's English Version: "After the Sabbath,...
However, less commonly used translations of the Bible render Sabbath in plural form:
Young's Literal Translation: "And on the eve of the Sabbaths..." (Emphasis ours)
Alfred Marshall's Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, Green's Literal Translation, and Ferrar Fenton's Translation also render "Sabbaths" in plural form. To most Christians, the original Greek, Aramaic or Hebrew copies of the Bible are much more important than any English translation. The Greek in this passage also refers to Sabbaths (plural).
Many people do not realize that the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) discusses two different kinds of Sabbaths:
One type occurs on a weekly basis, from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset.
The other type -- called "high days" consist of the seven annual Sabbath days listed in Leviticus 23. These could occur on any day of the week.
Unless the plural form of Sabbath in Matthew 28:1 was an error by the author of Matthew, or an error subsequently made by a copyist, then the week in which Jesus was executed must have contained two Sabbaths, not one.
The presence of the second Sabbath -- a High Sabbath -- is confirmed in John 19:31:
King James Version: "The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away."
It mentions that Jesus' body had to be quickly removed from the cross before sundown, to avoid polluting the land. This is based on Deuteronomy 21:22-23:
"And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God
that thy land be not defiled...."
A second confirmation is found in Mark 16 and Luke 23:
Mark 16:1: And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
Luke 23:55-56: And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
So, after the first Sabbath -- the high day -- had passed, three of Jesus' female followers bought spices in order to care for Jesus' body. Then they prepared the spices, and later rested on the second Sabbath day, Saturday.
How many days were between Jesus' execution and resurrection?
A number of passages in the Christian Scriptures (New Testament) mention that three days would pass between Jesus' death and resurrection. Yet traditional belief is that he died on Friday before sunset, and was resurrected on Sunday morning. That interval consists of only a few hours on Friday, Saturday which ran from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, and part of Sunday morning -- a total of perhaps a day and a half, not three. This discrepancy is normally rationalized by counting each part of a day -- part of Friday and part of Sunday -- as a full day. But this conflicts with Matthew 12:39-40:
"But he [Jesus] answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Emphasis ours)
If Jesus died on Friday afternoon before sunset then Friday counts as one day and one night. All day Saturday also counts as one day and one night. Sunday doesn't count because John 20:1 says:
"The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre."
That is, Mary came to the tomb while it was still night. So we end up with two days and two nights -- one day and one night short.
Possible explanations to the discrepancy:
Conservative Christians view the autograph -- original -- copies of the books in the Bible to be the Word of God. Its authors wrote text that is without error under God's inspiration. One approach to harmonize the conflicting passages described above would be to assume that Matthew 39:40 did not specify "three days and three nights." It actually referred to three "days" (or partial days), as in other biblical passages. The wording that we see in Matthew would then be the result of a copyist error.
Liberal Christians see no problem here. They interpret the Bible as a historical document, and not inerrant. They view the four gospels as written by individuals or groups who were not eyewitnesses to the events of Jesus' life. The authors relied on many oral traditions which varied from each other. When one compares passages from various gospels, one can anticipate errors and assume that they cannot be harmonized.
There is at least one more possibility: Jesus might have been crucified on a Wednesday afternoon, and resurrected on Saturday evening. The chronology would look something like this:
Tuesday: Jesus and his disciples ate an evening meal together, and was arrested.
Wednesday: This is the preparation day mentioned in John 19:31. i.e. the day before the high-day Sabbat. Jesus appears before Pilate, and is crucified; he dies about 2 PM in the afternoon, before sundown. His body is removed from the stake or cross and placed in the tomb.
Thursday: This is a high Sabbath day: the first day of Unleavened Bread, mentioned in Matthew 27:62.
Friday: Jesus' female followers purchased spices.
Saturday: This was a regular weekly Sabbath, different from the high Sabbath day on Thursday. All rested and did no work during the day. Jesus was resurrected sometime in the afternoon before sunset.
Sunday: Mary Magdalene (by herself according to the Gospel of John or with other women according to the synoptic gospels) went to the tomb and found it empty.
Adding up the days and nights:
Jesus died on Wednesday afternoon and is laid "in the heart of the earth" (Matthew 12:40) at or just before sunset.
The first night and first day passes: Wednesday sunset to Thursday sunset.
The second night and day passes: Thursday sunset to Friday sunset.
The third 12 hour night passes between Friday sunset and Saturday morning.
Part of the third 12 hour day passes on Saturday, and Jesus is resurrected before sunset.
The woman or women find the empty tomb very early on Sunday morning.
According to The Good News magazine:
"Several computer software programs exist that enable us to calculate when the Passover and God's other festivals fall in any given year. Those programs show that in A.D. 31, the year of these events, the Passover meal was eaten on Tuesday night and Wednesday sundown marked the beginning of the 'high day,' the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread."
This agrees well with the many theologians' estimate that Jesus was executed between the years 29 and 32 CE.
It is a neat theory, but has little chance of being accepted because of almost two millennia of church tradition supports a Good Friday execution and Easter Sunday resurrection. Also if Jesus actually was resurrected on Saturday afternoon, then the church's justification for moving the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday would collapse, and the 35,000 or so Christian faith groups whose prime day for religious services is Sunday would have to admit that the Seventh-day Adventists and other Sabbatarian groups were right after all.
About Jesus' resurrection
Most Christians believe that Jesus was executed in Jerusalem by the Roman occupying army circa 30 CE, and that a miracle happened about a day and a half later: he was bodily resurrected. This is one of their cardinal beliefs.
They believe that he returned to life in his original body. On that day -- or 40 days later (Gospel sources differ) -- he left earth and ascended through the clouds to Heaven.
Most Muslims, progressive Christians, secularists, etc. disagree.
Quotations:
George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury & spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion:
"Belief in the resurrection is not an appendage to the Christian faith. It is the Christian faith." London Times, 1992-APR-19.
"While we can be absolutely sure that Jesus lived and that he was certainly crucified on the cross, we cannot with the same certainty say that we know he was raised by God from the dead." The Mail newspaper 1999-AUG-04. 6 Cary became at the center of a media storm over the resurrection because of this quotation. Opposition Member of Parliament Ann Widdecombe said that if the Archbishop "in any way leaves the Resurrection open to doubt, then that is the ultimate betrayal." Archbishop Cary commented later that he had been misquoted. He had actually said that there is enough historical evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Jesus lived; however there is not the same amount of evidence that he was resurrected.
John S. Spong, retired Episcopal bishop:
"Jesus...was...placed into a common grave, and covered over...in a very short time only some unmarked bones remained. Even the bones were gone before too long. Nature rather efficiently reclaims its own resources." 4
"A deceased man did not walk out of his grave physically alive three days after his execution by crucifixion."
Paul (1 Corinthians 15:12-14): "Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the death, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith is in vain."
Statement of the World Council of Churches / Middle East Council of Churches Consultation, 1997:
"Viewed as the ultimate victory over the powers of sin and death, the resurrection of the Lord is not only an historical event but also the sign of God's power over all the forces which can keep us from his love and goodness. It is a victory not only for Christ himself but also for all those united with him (1 Peter 1:3f). It is a victory which marks the beginning of a new era (John 20:17).
The resurrection is the ultimate expression of the Father's gift of reconciliation and unity in Christ through the Spirit. It is a sign of the unity and reconciliation which God wills for the entire creation." 2
Rev. Steve Huber of St. Columba's Episcopal Church in Washington DC: "The truth of the Resurrection shouldn't be the real battleground. I think what we want to do is try and rise above that and ask, 'What is the metaphoric truth of Easter?' The real power of Easter is the transformation that, as Christians, we believe continues to happen in people's lives....If Easter is about proving the veracity of some historical event that happened 2,000 years ago, that misses the point."
Anon: "On the Resurrection, however, no eyewitness wrote anything--not Jesus, not Peter, not Mary, not any of the Twelve, nor any of the Seventy, nor any of the Five Hundred. All we have is Paul, who saw nothing but a 'revelation,' and who mentions no other kind of experience or evidence being reported by anyone."
"On the Resurrection, no neutral or hostile witness or contemporary wrote anything--not Joseph, not Caiaphas, not Gamaliel, not Agrippa, not Pilate, not Lysias, not Sergius, not anyone alive at the time, whether Jewish, Greek, or Roman."
"On the Resurrection, no critical historian documents a single detail, or even the claim itself, until centuries later, and then only by Christian apologists who can only cite the New Testament as their source (and occasionally bogus documents like the letter sent by Jesus to Abgar that Eusebius tries to pass off as authentic).
On the Resurrection, no physical evidence of any kind was produced--no coins, no inscriptions, no documentary papyri, no perpetual miracles. And everything that followed in history was caused by the belief in that resurrection, not the resurrection itself--and we know an actual resurrection is not the only possible cause of a belief in a resurrection. So, again, we still have no eyewitness testimony to the Resurrection." 5
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Overview:
The Bible teaches that Jesus was executed by the occupying Roman Army at the time of a Passover in Jerusalem. Most theologians believe that this happened during the springtime of either 30 or 33 CE. A common belief is that he died on a Friday afternoon and was resurrected sometime before sunrise on the following Sunday morning, perhaps a day or a day and a half later. This was when, according to the Gospels, Mary Magdalene (alone or in the company of other women; the gospels differ) visited the tomb. Most, but not all, Christians believe that he was resurrected (either under his own power or as a result of God's intervention) in his original body.
When normal people die, their heart stops pumping blood through their brain. Brain death occurs, and various degenerative processes soon begin; the body starts to rot; rigor mortis sets in. The processes are irreversible; they never come back to life. According to the gospels, Jesus remained dead for perhaps 33 hours or more -- from Friday afternoon until early on Sunday morning. This would have been a sufficient interval to "leave no doubt as to the reality of His death." 1 Yet, he was described as having returned to life, leaving the tomb, and subsequently appearing before various groups of his followers. This, of course, would be a miracle.
Ever since the first century CE, alternative explanations have been offered to account for the stories in the Gospels. Muslims, for example, believe that Jesus' crucifixion never happened. Rather, another person was executed in Jesus' place.
Alternative explanations have been promoted by individuals who deny that the resurrection miracle happened. They believe that most, but not all, of the components of the gospel stories are correct: that Jesus was actually attached to a stake or cross by the Roman occupying army, and was believed to have died. He was removed and taken away by his supporters. But other components are believed to be myth, fiction, and perhaps a pious fraud.
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Beliefs about Jesus death and resurrection differ:
For almost 2 millennia, the Christian Church has taught that Jesus was crucified, died, and was bodily resurrected (i.e. returned to life in his original body) about a day and a half later. This has long been one of the church's foundational beliefs, along with the inerrancy of the Bible, and the virgin birth, the atonement, the future second coming of Jesus, etc. Many Christians regard belief in the resurrection as the central belief of the church.
Almost all Muslims, who total in excess of 1.2 billion believers worldwide, believe that Jesus was not crucified as described in the New Testament. They feel that such a great prophet of God would not suffer such a humiliating death. They believe that he did not die on the cross, and that he has not died since. Rather, he was one of a very few persons who ascended bodily to Paradise. (The Muslim Paradise is somewhat similar to the Christian Heaven).
A few Muslims believe that Jesus survived his crucifixion, and later died on earth of natural causes.
The best-selling novel in history "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown was on the New York Times best seller list for 136 consecutive weeks until 2005-NOV. It generated considerable interest among religious seekers. Brown's tale revolves around Jesus having survived the crucifixion, marrying Mary Magdalene and going into hiding.
Gary Habermas, a historian who chairs the Liberty University philosophy and theology department, a Fundamentalist educational facility, has written 13 books about the Resurrection. His review of 2,200 scholarly articles and books published about the resurrection in the past 30 years found that about 75% of New Testament scholars accept the resurrection as a fact. 3
Some progressive Christians, secularists, etc. suggest that the crucifixion happened, but that the resurrection didn't:
They suggest that Jesus was executed, and his body thrown into a pit for scavengers to eat. They do not believe in Jesus' bodily resurrection. Many suspect that his reappearances to his followers after his death were a form of individual and mass hallucination.
Burial in a pit was the normal fate of crucified victims. The entire process of crucifixion was designed by the Roman army as a terror weapon against rebellious slaves and insurrectionists. One factor in the process was particularly horrific to Jews: the Romans refused a proper burial for their vidtims. 1
Others suggest that the disciples moved the body from the tomb to some other secret location.
Or, there could have been confusion over the location of the tomb where Jesus was buried. The women followers of Jesus may have gone to the wrong place. 7
Finally, many suggest that the entire resurrection story -- the tomb, the visitation by the women, Jesus appearance to the disciples, his ascension, etc. are pure myths, taken from the many god-man resurrection myths of other religions in the Mediterranean and Middle East at the time.
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