How did rabbits and chocolate eggs get associated with Jesus rising from the grave?
We raised rabbits when I was a kid. Trust me, you DO NOT want to eat the chocolate eggs they make 😂
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DrWatson · 70-79, M
In pre-Christian times, people in England honored a fertility/Springtime goddess named Eastre. Her symbols were eggs, bunnies, and flowers.
The Jewish feast of Passover contains within it a ritual about dedicating the first fruits of the field to God. Seven weeks later is the feast of Shavuot, celebrating the full harvest. The Greek name for this feast is Pentecost.
The Bible refers to Jesus as the first fruits from the dead, and the events described in Acts regarding Pentecost are thus the beginning of the full harvest of saved souls. So there is a Biblical connection between the resurrection and celebrating Spring.
Since the Christian feast of Easter roughly is at the same time as Passover , and Passover occurs in spring, the pagan festival of the goddess Eastre was going on at the same time.
( And as is pointed out elsewhere on this thread, eggs and bunnies were the symbols of fertility goddesses in many places, and hence they were appropriated into the celebration of the Christian holiday, just as many symbols of the winter solstice have become a part of Christmas.)
The Jewish feast of Passover contains within it a ritual about dedicating the first fruits of the field to God. Seven weeks later is the feast of Shavuot, celebrating the full harvest. The Greek name for this feast is Pentecost.
The Bible refers to Jesus as the first fruits from the dead, and the events described in Acts regarding Pentecost are thus the beginning of the full harvest of saved souls. So there is a Biblical connection between the resurrection and celebrating Spring.
Since the Christian feast of Easter roughly is at the same time as Passover , and Passover occurs in spring, the pagan festival of the goddess Eastre was going on at the same time.
( And as is pointed out elsewhere on this thread, eggs and bunnies were the symbols of fertility goddesses in many places, and hence they were appropriated into the celebration of the Christian holiday, just as many symbols of the winter solstice have become a part of Christmas.)