Easter is normally associated with the Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ however there are also suggestions that Easter celebration also came from different pre-Christian origins.
Easter was a Pagan festival a long time before Christianity although it is thought to have gone by many names.
The Festival of Eostre is the most prominent in mythology, it is thought to be named after the goddess ‘Eostre’ her name came from an ancient word for 'Spring', which she is associated with, and she was worshipped by the Anglo- Saxons.
The goddess was celebrated at the Spring Equinox it was said that the festival was for the coming of the light and renewal.
During the festival, Anglo-Saxons would offer coloured eggs and place them at graves as a charm of rebirth.
Also, the Hare was a symbol of fertility associated with the Goddess as her playful companion who was said to bring dying plants and flowers back to life.
Wiccans and other modern-day Neopagans continue to celebrate the Spring Equinox as one of their yearly celebrations, Their rituals are related mostly to the fertility of crops and the balance of the day and night, they often light a bonfire and jump over dying embers to assure the fertility of people and crops. This Easter Whatever your religion it is a time for family and celebration the cold has gone and the sunshine is here!
Happy Easter!