Easterisaconvergenceofthreetraditions.Pagan,HebrewandChristian.AlthoughtheobservanceofEasterwasataveryearlyperiodinthepracticeoftheChristianchurch,aseriousdifferenceastothedayforitsobservancesoonarosebetweentheChristiansofJewish,andthoseofGentiledescent,whichledtoalongandbittercontroversy.PaganOriginsThePaganoriginsoftheholidayaccordingtoaVenerableBede,Englishhistorianoftheearly8thcentury,thenameEaster,likethenameofthedaysoftheweek,isasurvivalfromtheoldTeutonicmythology.AccordingtoBedeitisderivedfromtheNorseOstaraorEostre,theAnglo-Saxongoddessofspring,towhomthemonthofApril,andcalledEostur-monath,wasdedicated.TheGreekmyth,DemeterandPersephone,withitsLatincounterpart,CeresandPersephone,conveystheideaofagoddessreturningseasonallyfromthenetherregionstothelightofday.Thisisinconjunctionwiththefestivalofspring,orvernalequinox,March21,whennatureisinresurrectionafterwinter.Theoriginoftherabbiticon,orEasterBunny,comesfromthefactthatrabbitsarenotablefortheircapacityofabundantproductionofyoungespeciallyatthistimeofyear.TheuseofEastereggs,hasitsrootsinthecharacteristicofeggslaidingreatnumbersinthespringbeingcoloredlikeraysofthereturningsunandthenorthernlightsorauroraborealis.ThereisalsoalongtraditionofdecoratingEastereggsandgivingthematEaster.SeeTheHistoryofEasterEggsformoreinformationaboutthistradition.HebrewOriginsThemonth(April),Bedesays,wasthesameasthemensispaschalis,'whentheoldfestivalwasobservedwiththegladnessofanewsolemnity'Therootpasch,fromwhichsomanyothernamesforEasterarederived,isfromtheHebrewpesach(Passover)fromtheverbform'hepassedover.'InExodusXIIwereadofthenightinEgyptwhentheangelofdeath'passedover'thedwellingsoftheIsraelites,sosparingtheirfirst-born.Hence,thePassoverorJewishPesach,celebratedduringNisan,thefirstmonthoftheHebrewyear.ChristianOriginsItwasatthefeastofthePassoverinJerusalemthatJesus,aJew,wascrucifiedandrosefromthedead.AnameforEaster,therefore,isPasch,invariousspellings,andchurchesthroughouttheEastandWestcelebrateEasterasamajorfeastrankingwithChristmas,witnessthe'hotcrossbun'orboondistributedamongthefaithful.ThereisnoindicationoftheobservanceoftheEasterfestivalintheNewTestament,orinthewritingsoftheapostolicFathers.ThesanctityofspecialtimeswasanideaabsentfromthemindsofthefirstChristians,whocontinuedtoobservetheJewishfestivals,thoughinanewspirit,ascommemorationsofeventswhichthosefestivalshadforeshadowed.ThusthePassover,withanewconceptionaddedtoitofChristasthetruePaschalLambandthefirstfruitsfromthedead(vernalequinoxwintertospringtheme),continuedtobeobserved,andbecametheChristianEaster.