Well, down here in Texas and Oklahoma, we seemed to have skipped right over winter and landed in spring. I kept thinking that we would get at least one freeze and snow but it never happened, and now Easter is just a day away.
The general timing of Jesus’ death is easier to pinpoint than most modern religious holidays because it is tied to the Jewish Passover. The Passover was always held in the spring month of Aviv (Nisan) which corresponds to March/April on the modern calendar. The Passover contained spiritual and physical significance. It marked the history of God’s provision of deliverance when the Israelites exited Egypt, and it also marked the barley harvest.
Currently, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon of the vernal equinox. The vernal or spring equinox is one of two times each year that the axis of the earth is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun. The center of the sun is on the same plane as the Earth’s equator. Night and day on earth are also about the same length.
Traditionally, Christians have participated in some kind of food fast in observance of Lent, the weeks leading up to Easter. A common practice was for Christians to give up eggs and dairy products. At the end of Lent, eggs and dairy could be eaten again. This is perhaps a reason the egg has became a symbol of Easter.
The bunny as a symbol of Easter has a more pagan origin, being brought into Christianity from animistic traditions. Hares reproduce rapidly, and were thus a symbol of spring and new beginnings. One strange significance appears to be that hares were thought to reproduce asexually and were thus a symbol of the virgin birth. Western culture replaced the rather ignoble hare with the cuddly bunny.
So, eggs were a traditional food eaten on Easter, and the hare was a well-established mascot for spring. As time went by, the two symbols began to merge; and bada bing bada boom, we now have an egg-laying bunny… dipped in chocolate. I don’t know of any spiritual significance for chocolate though the cocoa bean was originally harvested as a health food.
I decided to research the history of the Easter celebration in the hope of discovering some new bit of cool information that I didn’t know before. I did discover something new, but it isn’t cool. Apparently, the specific date of Jesus’ resurrection has been a major controversy at various times in church history. In fact, the controversy actually led to excommunications. Someone who believed in Date A became a powerful bishop and tried to settle the date argument by banishing everyone who believed in Date B.
I would like to be able to declare that this kind of vindictive Christian behavior is inconceivable. But, I suppose, given the history of Christian behavior, it’s not so inconceivable. As Indigo would say, “I don’t think it means what you think it means.” Indeed, vindictive behavior seems to have became rather common-place in the church.
I can envision Jesus standing in heaven and watching a heated debate between Christians over the date of Easter. Jesus shakes his head in utter disappointment. With all the work that needs to be done to show God’s love to others, the church decides to argue about trivial matters.
Happy Easter!
Go out and be nice to someone!
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