This Easter 9: Myths and Misconceptions

Prove all things, hold on to that which is true, 1 Thess 5:21

The crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection is central to the Christian faith. Easter is the season that this is given the spotlight, though, it is a crucial part of the weekly doctrine and acts of the Christian church.  Easter is associated with Christianity but many Easter traditions date back to pre-Christian, pagan times. Some myths have unfortunately mixed with the truth and many today cannot tell the truth from myths and misconceptions.
let us take a look at different myths surrounding Easter from different parts of the world as described by the guardian

The name “Easter”
It is widely speculated that the name “Easter” was coined from Ishtar; the Babylonian goddess of love and fertility, or Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring. This belief stems from the fact that some Easter traditions connect the name with Ishtar. Ishtar was worshipped by the Babylonians, Assyrians, Akkadians as the ‘Queen of Heaven’. Easter was modeled after pagan celebrations of spring and fertility. 

 The Easter Bunny

Just as Christmas is associated with Santa Claus (Father Christmas), the Easter Bunny is associated with Easter. The Easter Bunny is of German origin just like Santa and the myth surrounding the Easter Bunny is that he shows up as a deliverer of eggs, bent on rewarding the good. The Easter Bunny first emerged in 16th-century literature and it is believed that he delivers coloured eggs only to well-behaved good children. The tradition of the bunny was brought to the U.S. by German settlers to Pennsylvania but the bunnies might not have as much to do with Easter as some people believe. 

 Eggs

The Easter Egg is a symbol of resurrection and continuation of life with the egg considered a natural wonder and proof of the renewal of life. In relation to Easter, the egg is considered the ultimate symbol of fertility and the farther Christianity spread, the egg was adopted as a symbol of Christ’s resurrection from the tomb.

 The Easter Island

Relatively unknown to many, but there is actually a myth about an island. Hau-Maka, a wise man, a prophet, and counselor of the Akiri (king) had a vision during a dream, where the God of creation, Make-Make appeared to show him the way to Easter Island. This is how the Rapa Nui culture, guided by the stars and Hau-Maka, managed to arrive at their new home and survived the disappearance of their original settling when the world was destroyed with flooding. 

 Ham eating

There is the myth-turned tradition that ham should be eaten on Easter day. This tradition of eating ham most likely came from the slaughter of an animal before fall and then preservation in salt over the winter, sometimes buried near the sea. A study showed that 67% of Americans serve ham at their Easter dinners, and this typically breaks any meat fast that is undertaken during Lent.

Christmas is more important than Easter
It is undebatable that in terms of popularity, level of preparation and general ambience towards Christmas and Easter, Christmas is easily more popular than Easter. While there are several films about Christmas, there is only a handful film about Easter. This might lead you to think that Christmas is far and away the most important Christian holiday. However, Christmas’s overwhelming domination of the holiday market doesn’t make it more important than Easter because Easter is actually far more important in terms of its spiritual meaning. It is understandable that the birth of Christ is obviously important, however, it is his eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday that provides the basis of the Christian faith. 

Eating of flesh and blood

In Nigeria, there is the myth surrounding Easter that anything that has blood should be avoided. Meat, fish and their animal products are considered taboo on this sacred day because it is believed that should anything that has blood or flesh be eaten, Christ is being condemned to death all over again. 

Please Note: The word Easter is not found anywhere in the bible, however, in Acts 12:4, the KJV uses the word Easter instead of Passover, read here. 

It must be noted that Christianity doesn’t align with myths and misconceptions around Easter, such as the pagan origin as described above, neither does it give preference to bunnies, eggs, and the likes, rather, the core issues of the faith that is highlighted at this time, which is a core emphasis on the Passover (the death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord, Jesus Christ). This Passover (Easter) is the reason for our faith.