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The True WMSCOG | March 28, 2024

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Easter Is Not Christian

Easter is not Christian

Rabbits Don’t Even Lay Eggs

One thing that I never understood in my life was the celebration of Easter. I mean, what do chocolate, eggs, and rabbits have to do with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Rabbits don’t even lay eggs, maybe if they used chickens it might make more sense. The whole Easter tradition is so out of place that comedian James Gaffigan said that it sounds like a drunk man made it up.

Easter Cartoon Gaffigan Joke

You see how ridiculous it sounds. But on a more serious note, what exactly is the history of Easter, and does it really have anything to do with the resurrection of Jesus Christ? Well, I did some research and this is what I found.

Origins of Easter

Why is the word “Easter” associated with the resurrection of Jesus Christ? Where did this word come from?

The origin of the “Easter” is thought to come from Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon name of a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility. Her festival was celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox which now falls around March 21st when the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, and the day has twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of darkness. Traditions associated with this pagan festival survive in the idea of the Easter rabbit, a symbol of fertility, and in brightly decorated Easter eggs, which are the symbol of rebirth. (1)

The classic poets are full of the fable of the mystic egg of the Babylonians; and thus its tale is told by Hyginus, the Egyptian, the learned keeper of the Palatine library at Rome, in the time of Augustus, who was skilled in all the wisdom of his native country: “An egg of wondrous size is said to have fallen from heaven into the river Euphrates. The fishes rolled it to the bank, where the doves having settled upon it, and hatched it, out came Venus, who afterwards was called the Syrian Goddess”–that is, Astarte. (2)

As we can see in the two references above, Easter has nothing to do with the resurrection of Jesus. This pagan spring festival combined with Jesus’ Resurrection Day and came into Christianity. Easter originated from the tradition of worshipping pagan goddesses, it has no relation with Jesus. The Festival of Eostre, the Teutonic goddess of spring, was traditionally celebrated with rabbits symbolizing fertility and eggs symbolizing rebirth. This Teutonic goddess is the same character as Astarte in Phoenicia. Moreover, there is Ashtoreth in Hebrew, Ishtar in Mesopotamia and etc. The goddesses and their myths respected by ancient countries changed into various forms but using the egg as a symbol of abundance, new life, or fertility has never changed.

This tradition of eating eggs during the ritual of the pagan goddess came into the Roman Catholic Church. Jesus’ resurrection was figuratively compared to the goddess hatching from an egg. Unfortunately, Jesus did not revive like a chick hatching out of the egg but resurrected.

Easter was established by the Roman Emperor Constantine I, in AD 325. Outwardly it seems like they are keeping Jesus’ resurrection, but it is just a pagan custom that was derived from the idea of worshiping the pagan goddesses. It is an idea and a ritual that cannot be celebrated along with Jesus’ resurrection.

How Should Resurrection Day Be Observed?

Leviticus 23:4-14 “‘These are the LORD’S appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: The LORD’S Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. On the fifteenth day of that month the LORD’S Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. On the first day hold a sacred assembly … When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. He is to wave the sheaf before the LORD so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath…This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live…’”

Resurrection Day, which is identical to the Day of Firstfruits of the Old Testament, is on ‘the day after the first Sabbath (the first Sunday) following the Feast of Unleavened Bread.’

For the Day of Firstfruits, the word “firstfruits” reveals its meaning. A sheaf of the first grain was brought to the priest and the priest waved the sheaf before God so it could be accepted. That is why it is also called as “the feast of the wave offering.” The Day of Firstfruits is a copy and shadow of Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus died on the cross on the Feast of Unleavened Bread and was the first to resurrect from among the dead on the day after the Sabbath (Sunday) following the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Mark 16:9 When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week … 

1 Corinthians 15:20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 

After Jesus resurrected, he opened his disciples’ spiritual eyes by breaking the bread with them. 

Luke 24:13-31 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him … When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 

The words “now the same day” in the verse above refer to the day Jesus resurrected. Though the disciples were being accompanied by Jesus, they couldn’t recognize him because their spiritual eyes were covered. After eating the bread of the Resurrection Day, they could recognize the Christ. The only way to realize the true Christ is by eating the bread of the Resurrection Day, which contains Jesus’ promise.

A feast celebrated with a sheaf of the first grain is the Day of Firstfruits in the Old Testament. This became the Resurrection Day, the day commemorating Jesus’ work of redemption: dying in atonement for the sins of all humankind and being raised up on the third day after his death. The Resurrection day is the day after the first Sabbath (the first Sunday) following the Feast of Unleavened Bread. If someone is to have their spiritual eyes opened and realize Christ, they must eat the bread of the Resurrection Day broken by Jesus, the true offering of the Day of Firstfruits, and this will make them rise to live.

In conclusion, if you are a real Christian, have nothing to do with the Easter celebration. As we can see, all the traditions associated with Easter derive from paganism. Come celebrate Resurrection Day at the World Mission Society Church of God, receive the bread of the resurrection and open your spiritual eyes to recognize the Christ.

1) Who Built the Moon, Chapter 1, Christopher Knight and Alan Butler 2005
2) The Two Babylons, Alexander Hislop 1916

Comments

  1. liyali

    Wow, this is crazy. No one ever explained to me the origin of Easter. It’s a bit complicated because the pagan goddess is found throughout different cultures, but that’s even further confirmation that Easter has nothing to do with Jesus or Christianity. Thanks for explaining this. I always wondered what eggs and bunnies had to do with Jesus too!

  2. Tim Torres

    Wow I’m shocked and also enlightened on this matter of Easter and the traditional holidays that are found by worshiping many pagan gods. It just so happens the bible condemned those who worshiped other gods following traditions of men. Easter, is Astarte in the bible who was destroyed and Christmas the worship of Baal and Mithra were also condemned through the bible, how can we even think of possibly keeping these festivities if they will severely cost us OUR SALVATION. I’m glad that the Church of God really holds the teachings of the bible and doesnt conform to the pattern of society or the rest of the world, The Church of God chooses to have the faith of those who even died for the truth of new covenant 2,000 years ago during Jesus’s time and even during the time of the early martyrs. I hope that everyone will soon get to visit and see the truth of the bible from this Church of God and see the light it is shining through the entire world.

  3. Antonia

    Love this article!! They never tell you the origin of Easter in church but yet everyone knows bunnies and eggs have nothing to do with Jesus Christ’s resurrection!

  4. Jordan Young

    Awesome article! I was always so confused why we had an Easter hunt and Easter basket and then went to church to celebrate Christ’s resurrection! Actually come to think of it most of the traditional Easter festivities I’ve been apart of were at Churches! Before I learned about the feasts of God I just followed what everybody else did but when you see Gods commands in the Bible you can definitely see the difference.

  5. James B.

    I really appreciate truth..
    Truth gives you choice,freedom & confidence!☺
    And i would choose not to celebrate easter and worhip something other then what i believe.. (The Resurrection Day)
    Thank you…!????

  6. Cory

    I always wondered about this too! They never explained this in the churches I went to before. I’m very excited for tomorrow! To keep the true resurrection with the bread of resurrection. Let’s open our spiritual eyes to realize the true christs – Father and Mother! Thank you for this great article.

  7. MT

    Wow. I knew the egg and bunny aspects of Easter were derived from paganism but I didn’t know that the Catholic church actually tried to relate it to Jesus somehow. That’s crazy and so far-fetched. Also, even though most people know that Jesus resurrected on this day, they don’t realize about the Feast of Firstfruits or the bread of resurrection. I’m so happy that as a member of the WMSCOG I can actually understand the reason why I do things in my life of faith.

  8. Antonia

    Very true MT! Everything you learn at the WMSCOG makes more sense than any other place.

  9. Jose Rojas

    im so glad I don’t keep easter anymore, in the past I blindly followed it but thanks to God for allowing me to understand The day for blessing is the Resurrection day…I hope everyone gets to see this and come to study at the church of God.

  10. Mercedes

    People nowadays try to cover up the fact that eggs and bunnies have absolutely nothing to do the resurrection of Christ. Their logic doesn’t make any sense. But I’m glad to have read this article which clearly states the facts.

  11. Quinn

    What in the Bible would ever prompt a real Christian to include eggs and rabbits in keeping the Resurrection Day? As these things are not even remotely related, Easter must have been generated from somewhere else.

    2 Tim 4:3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

    Easter is not a sound doctrine. As James Gaffigan said “it sounds like a drunk man made it up.”

    “An egg of wondrous size is said to have fallen from heaven into the river Euphrates. The fishes rolled it to the bank, where the doves having settled upon it, and hatched it, out came Venus, who afterwards was called the Syrian Goddess”–that is, Astarte.

    He was joking, but I think he is correct.

  12. Oscar G

    Easter just like all the other holidays derive from Pagan customs! When you look deep into these celebrations it’s clear they are not following the teachings of Christ, and more importantly leading people who claim to believe in God to worship unknown gods. Through this article I have a better understanding of what I need to do in order to give thanks to God for resurrecting and giving us hope for the resurrection. Thank you for posting!

  13. Fran B.

    Ah, so that’s where Easter comes from! I’ve always wondered what bunnies and eggs had to do with the Ressurection of Christ, and I’m glad I was able to read about it and find out. It’s truly sad how Christianity has become completely secularized by pagan teachings and traditions, and the people blindly follow them. Only in the Bible are we able to find the true teachings of Christ, the teachings that lead to life, not in human traditions even if the whole world is doing it.

  14. Marquis

    Wow this article is amazing, for so long I was deceived thinking it was okay to celebrate these pagan feast , but it wasn’t until I came to the realize through the bible, that everything I kept unknowingly was wrong, but no one ever said anything! So glad the church of God teaches the truth according to the bible

  15. Chanel

    Wow! I hope people wake up and start to realize the truth! even the name of the holiday “Easter” is pagan! It’s literally given the name of a pagan goddess, so obvious, yet I use to be so blind.. So glad I follow God the correct way by keeping the new covenant feasts!!!