happy EASTER Where Did the Idea of the Easter Bunny Come From? • When you think about it, the Easter Bunny is an odd tradition to be associated with a Christian holiday Just where did the idea of the Easter Bunny come from? The history of this tradition comes from a few different places, but at the center of each tradition is a recognition of spring as a time of fertility and rebirth Easter symbols Design an Easter Bonnet • Why not design an Easter bonnet this year and revitalize a trend? Both women and young girls used to put time into their Easter bonnets, and they are still a fun tradition you can share with your family Bonnets A Christian Holiday Easter as we know it in the United States has its roots as a Christian holiday Catholics and Protestants alike celebrate Easter as a time of great rejoicing They believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead Many fundamental Christians use the term "Resurrection Sunday" because of the pagan connotations that come with the term Easter Resurrection Sunday Spring Equinox and Pagan Celebrations As with many Christian holidays, some Easter traditions have been merged with pagan holidays and practices The celebration of the Spring Equinox was important to cultures and belief systems all over the world for thousands of years before Christ Many of these traditions have found their way into our Easter celebrations, but often without the same spiritual meaning they once held Spring Equinox Spring Goddesses Easter is said to have come from Eostre, Osatara or Ishtar, versions of the name for a pagan goddess of spring The spring equinox was a time of worshipping and celebrating this goddess who represented fertility and plenty The people of the area wanted to please her so that their crops would be blessed and they would bear children Along with this symbol of fertility comes another symbol, the egg Eostre, Osatara or Ishtar • Eostre assumiu vários nomes diferentes como Eostra, Eostrae, Eastre, Estre e Austra É considerada a Deusa da Fertilidade plena e da luz crescente da Primavera Seus símbolos são a lebre ou o coelho e os ovos, todos representando a fertilidade e o início de uma nova vida A lebre é muito conhecida por seu poder gerador e o ovo sempre esteve associado ao começo da vida The Easter Egg Easter eggs are a central part of any Easter tradition Children everywhere have fun dyeing brightly colored eggs every year Colorful plastic eggs are placed into Easter baskets and filled with goodies of all kinds In many countries, the art of decorating Easter eggs requires much skill The easter eggs Eggs have stood for new life and fertility throughout the ages Christians see it as a symbol of the new life brought to them with the resurrection of Christ During the Middle Ages, decorated eggs were said to have been given as gifts The ancient Persians decorated eggs to celebrate their New Year, which occurred during the Spring Equinox For Jews, Easter coincides with the Passover, and eggs dipped in salt water represent new life The Easter Bunny and Egg Hunts It is said that the hare was a symbol of the goddess Eostre Rabbits and hares, like the eggs, represent fertility Rabbits often make their nests in fields, and this gave rise to the children's belief that the rabbits laid eggs in the fields as well Thus the Easter egg hunt was born • In today's culture, the Easter bunny is a fuzzy, lovable character who brings Easter chocolates and Easter baskets to kids on Sunday morning He is no longer a symbol of fertility as in days of old Easter baskets are supposed to resemble "nests" for the eggs the Easter bunny will bring Hot Cross Buns Hot cross buns may taste delicious on Easter morning but they are also rich in traditions In pagan ceremonies, the cross on the buns was said to represent the quarters of the moon, or in some cultures the crossed horns of a bull To Christians, the cross icing represents the cross that Jesus was crucified on Hot cross buns The Easter Parade Legend tells us that the Emperor Constantine may have started Easter parades Supposedly he told his servants, court attendees and subjects to dress in their finest and parade up and down the city in celebration of the resurrection of Christ This might also indicate when the habit of dressing in new clothes on Easter began • Easter is a time of fun, food and fellowship, which has always been a part of any celebration, pagan or Christian It is a time we set aside to rejoice in what we have and the newness of spring and the gift of life The easter parade [...]... ovo sempre esteve associado ao começo da vida The Easter Egg Easter eggs are a central part of any Easter tradition Children everywhere have fun dyeing brightly colored eggs every year Colorful plastic eggs are placed into Easter baskets and filled with goodies of all kinds In many countries, the art of decorating Easter eggs requires much skill The easter eggs Eggs have stood for new life and fertility... egg hunt was born • In today's culture, the Easter bunny is a fuzzy, lovable character who brings Easter chocolates and Easter baskets to kids on Sunday morning He is no longer a symbol of fertility as in days of old Easter baskets are supposed to resemble "nests" for the eggs the Easter bunny will bring Hot Cross Buns Hot cross buns may taste delicious on Easter morning but they are also rich in traditions... crucified on Hot cross buns The Easter Parade Legend tells us that the Emperor Constantine may have started Easter parades Supposedly he told his servants, court attendees and subjects to dress in their finest and parade up and down the city in celebration of the resurrection of Christ This might also indicate when the habit of dressing in new clothes on Easter began • Easter is a time of fun, food and... Equinox For Jews, Easter coincides with the Passover, and eggs dipped in salt water represent new life The Easter Bunny and Egg Hunts It is said that the hare was a symbol of the goddess Eostre Rabbits and hares, like the eggs, represent fertility Rabbits often make their nests in fields, and this gave rise to the children's belief that the rabbits laid eggs in the fields as well Thus the Easter egg hunt... of fun, food and fellowship, which has always been a part of any celebration, pagan or Christian It is a time we set aside to rejoice in what we have and the newness of spring and the gift of life The easter parade ... fertility and rebirth Easter symbols Design an Easter Bonnet • Why not design an Easter bonnet this year and revitalize a trend? Both women and young girls used to put time into their Easter bonnets,... vida The Easter Egg Easter eggs are a central part of any Easter tradition Children everywhere have fun dyeing brightly colored eggs every year Colorful plastic eggs are placed into Easter baskets... eggs in the fields as well Thus the Easter egg hunt was born • In today's culture, the Easter bunny is a fuzzy, lovable character who brings Easter chocolates and Easter baskets to kids on Sunday