EASTER / EASTRE

From Philosopedia

Eastre (a.k.a. Eostre) was the Great Mother Goddess of the Saxon people in Northern Europe. Her name was derived from the ancient word for spring: eastre. Other variations of the name for goddesses of fertility were Ostare, Ostara, Ostern, Eostra, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron and Ausos

EASTER / EASTRE

As a strictly religious holiday, Easter has no relevance for freethinkers.

The day is named after a spring goddess, Eastre. Bede (an English Christian monk who died in 735) in De temporum ratione (On the Reckoning of Time) wrote

Eostur-monath, qui nunc paschalis mensis interpretatur, quondam a dea illorum quae Eostre vocabatur et cui in illo festa celebrabant nomen habuit.

Translated:

Eostur-month, which is now interpreted as the paschal month, was formerly named after the goddess Eostre, and has given its name to the festival.

Pagan practices included the exchange of gifts, such as Eastre-eggs, and by generous hospitality to friends and the poor.

Christians, starting at the end of the second century, began celebrating the feast of the resurrection of the supernatural Christ on an Easter Sunday, a date variously prescribed but set by the Council of Nicaea in 325 as the first Sunday following upon the spring equinox. Today, the event is generally held on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox.

Indicative of the confusion of pagans’ and religionists’ observances at that time of the year, Ken Alley in Once Upon a Pew (1996) describes a church bulletin’s editing which ended,

• This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Johnson to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.

(See entry for John Shelby Spong.

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