Commonly regarded as the most important holiday amongst Christians, and even widely

celebrated by people of other religions because of its secular attributes, is the holiday known as

Easter (Easter symbols and Traditions Video). When Easter Sunday approaches, stores and

homes are filled with eggs, rabbits, and other symbols of Easter Sunday. Most do not know about

the hidden religious origins that Easter holds. Everything from the decorations, to the shared

meal and playful activities, all hold symbolic meaning and share a deep Christian history. Even

the name Easter originates from the Goddess named Eostre, who was the Goddess of spring and

fertility (Easter Symbols and Traditions Video). What is commonly left out is the meaningful

practice of Lent, a period of time preceding Easter, devoted to Jesus. The preparation and sharing

of the festive meal are also significant in the celebration of Easter; this is known as

Commensality. Though they are usually not referred to in these terms, most elements of Easter

remain today, like the elements of Rebirth, the Ludic and Commensality.

The relation of Easter and Christianity dates back to around 30 C.E when Jesus was

resurrected three days after being considered dead and even being buried (Durwell 300). From

that point on, every year Easter continued as the event to commemorate the death and

resurrection of Jesus. Easter is considered “the Christian equivalent of the Jewish Passover, a

spring feast of both harvest and deliverance from bondage” (Easter 2579). It was the Council of

Nicaea who decided that “Easter should always be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first

full moon following the spring equinox” (Easter 2579). This selection process used for

establishing a date for Easter was one of many ways for Christians to distance themselves from

their Jewish ancestors (Easter 2580). It is imperative for Christians to commemorate Jesus’
efforts to reconcile them with God. Jesus’ obedience to God and his sacrifice through crucifixion

symbolize the redeeming of sin from humanity (Montanari 133).

Easter Sunday is preceded by a religious observance period called Lent. Lent is a period

of fasting and renunciation of luxuries, it is used as a way to purify the body and clear the mind

for the celebration of Easter. Similar to the entirety of Easter, the practice of Lent is to

commemorate Jesus for fasting in the wilderness for a period of forty days (Lent and Palm

Sunday 1743). To imitate Jesus, Christians prohibit the consumption of certain types of foods,

instead of the completely denying food for a duration of forty days (Fasting and Dieting 3171).

Renunciation from foods such as meat, cheese, butter, milk and eggs were required by all

Christians, Orthodox Christians had more strict diets and were permitted to only eat fruits,

vegetables, bread, honey, and nuts (Egg 2702). Overall it is a personal commitment to the

Christian community, to become closer with God, to repent for sin, provide money to charity, as

well as a committing to eat less every day (Fasting and Dieting 3171). After Lent, Christian

families from all over the world get to, once again, indulge in their favourite foods on Sunday.

It is not a coincidence that the holiday of Easter falls during the season of spring. The

season of spring itself is a clear symbolization of rebirth. When winter comes to end, nature is

reborn from the death it once faced during the winter season (Montari 133). The rivers that were

once frozen flow again, the grass and trees that were once dead with no color blossom back to

their original form, all the animals and insects that were hibernating are back out once again.

Possibly the most commonly associated item with Easter is the egg. As Newall says, “all

over the world, wherever eggs are laid, they represent life and fertility and are symbolic of

creation and resurrection” (21). Take a baby chick for example, before it is born the chick has to
be to break through the hard egg shell it is born into (Easter 2580). So, the specimen within an

egg symbolizes the same struggle that Jesus had to suffer during his resurrection.

The rabbit is also very tied into the Christian holiday of Easter. According to one popular

theory, the goddess Eostre of spring and fertility consorted with a hare (Eastern Symbols and

Traditions Video). The rabbit is also known for its gentleness and because it is a very prolific

creature, hence it symbolizes the coming of spring and fertility (Easter 2580).

Lastly, a significant symbol of Easter was the lamb. This was because Jesus was often

referred to in the New Testament as the “Lamb of God” (Durwell 302). The lamb symbolizes

Jesus’ sacrifice to humanity, through his crucifixion Jesus wiped the sins away from humankind.

Lamb was also a staple dish amongst Jews during Passover (Durwell 303), so one could argue

the appreciation for lamb was passed down by Christian ancestors.

Ludic events are what keeps the Christian community collected while having fun,

whether it with activities for kids or an exchange of gifts. Besides its symbolic meaning to

Christians, eggs also carry practical value. Around the 18th century eggs were being encrusted in

gold and jewels by designers and commissioned by the wealthy elite. These extremely rare eggs

were given as gifts to loved ones during Easter holiday (Easter Symbols and Traditions Video).

In modern times this practice is mirrored with egg painting instead of bejeweling, “this exchange

of colored or decorated eggs at Easter has become customary” (Easter 2580).

Though there is no mention of the Easter Bunny in the bible, it has become one of the

most prominent and commercial symbols of Easter. It is said that the Easter Bunny myth was

brought along with German immigrants who settled in America (Easter Symbols and Traditions

Video). “In modern times, the Easter Bunny, whose eggs represent the source of life, seems to be
a continuation of archaic religious values associated with both the rabbit and the egg.” (Rabbits

7590). The Easter Bunny, similar to Santa Claus, is a mythical being that is said to deliver

chocolate eggs and other candies to children who are well behaved (“Easter Bunny”). In

preparation for the Easter Bunny, History states that 88% of parents make Easter baskets for their

kids (Easter Symbols and Traditions Video).

For children, Easter is more about candies and activities than anything else. Besides

Halloween, during Easter chocolate and candy sales are at their peak (Easter Traditions and

Symbols Video). Even the state got involved in the tradition of Easter, two popular Easter

activities include egg rolling and egg hunts. Since its first official egg roll in 1878, every year in

the U.S the White House hosts an egg roll with children, “the objective is to push the decorated

hard-boiled eggs across the White House lawn” (“Easter Eggs”).

“Since Easter was a time in which the newly baptized wore shining white garments, it

became customary to wear new clothes on Easter Sunday and to show them off by walking

around town and country side; thus, originated the Easter promenade or Easter parade.” (Easter

2580). Since the first introduction of the Easter parade, every year there are several parades held

across the country. Though most of these events do not hold religious significance, they are what

keep the participants engaged and gives them a sense of belonging in the religious community.

Besides the act of sharing gifts and activities, the sharing of a festive meal is one of the

most common traditions of marking the holiday, Easter is no different (Montanari 133). The act

of sharing of food together is known as commensality. Not only is the food important, but even Commented [HP1]: Mention the term commensality
somewhere in this part
the preparation of the food is part of ritual (Montanari 133). Foods that were prepared for the
banquet were typically the same foods banned during the period of Lent, this includes eggs,

meats, and dairy products such as butter and cheese (Egg 2702).

“Among Easter foods the most significant is the Easter lamb, which is in many places the

main dish of the Easter Sunday meal” (Easter 2580). As previously mentioned, the lamb holds

symbolic meaning to Christians but was also a staple dish for Jews during Passover, so it is not

unexpected that Christians still celebrate with lamb. This is not a time only for families to

celebrate, it is common for visitors to share eggs and other food as well (Newall 23).

Ham is also a main dish because “the pig was considered a symbol of luck in pre-

Christian European culture” (Easter 2580). In modern times honey smoked ham is a popular

dish. It also thought that Christians ate pork to further detach themselves from their Jewish

ancestors, though there is no tangible evidence to prove this.

Besides meats and eggs, another popular treat is hot cross buns. The hot cross buns were

a pastry dish with a cross marked on the top, the cross was made to symbolize the cross that

Jesus was once crucified on (Newall 25). Along with the hot cross buns, it is also common for

families to make large sized loaf to share with their families. As Newall states, “Every family

makes it differently and bigger families make a larger loaf, since it must be sufficient for the

Easter evening meal” (Newall 23).

To conclude, it is of upmost significance for all three main elements to continue within

the religion of Christianity and celebration of Easter in order for it to prosper. The symbolism

within Easter shows its strong religious ties to the Christianity. The practice of the ludic activities

allows for children to be initiated and engaged with the religion. The practice of commensality at

the festive banquet will further strengthen ties within family, friends, and the community as a
whole. The general practice of Easter not only makes you more spiritually sound, but it even

strengthens ties with your family and community. The practice of Easter and its secular attributes

will allow the Christian religion to be passed down for generations to come.
 Works Cited

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Newall, Venetia. “Easter Eggs: Symbols of Life and Renewal.” Folklore. 95.1 (1984): 21-29.

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“Rabbits” Jones, Lindsay (gen. ed). Encyclopedia of Religion. 2nd edition. Detroit: Macmillan

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