What did you always wanted to ask a real pastor?

@MrBrownstone: My church does not

@Dreammmer: Your telling me you don't celebrate easter?

@MrBrownstone: Easter is a Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

@Dreammmer: Actually, it does have Pagan roots. Sorry

@Quizzical: Sorry? Why are u sorry? Christians have celebrated the resurrection of Christ for centuries and no one sees pagan beliefs commemorated in Easter today. The roots are long since cut and there is nothing left of it.

@Dreammmer: Apart from the bunnies, the chicks, and the whole rebirth of Spring thing.

Not everyone goes to church, but almost EVERYONE buys an Easter Egg. The Pagan celebration is not gone, it's transformed.

Which is pretty much what any religion has to do is it is to survive.

@Quizzical: Easter Eggs are pagan? I dont worry about the survival of Christians and the church.

@Dreammmer: ALL of Easter is Pagan. Just as Christmas is. It's still referred to as Yuletide even to this day. And then of course there is also Saturnalia, running through the third week of December. These are not just coincidences. They are linked to the changing of the seasons and the movements of the sun. Ultimately, all religion is sun worship really.

Christianity took already existing festivals and celebrations and integrated them into their own belief system. Which actually makes perfect sense. If you want people to believe something then align yourself with something they already believe in.

It's quite fascinating how these things evolve and change over time really.

@Quizzical: Yes, they were really wise and smart to fill existing holidays with new meaning and in due time the old meaning is totally forgotten.

@Dreammmer: Eventually yes. All religions fade over time though and their stories and parables become myth and legend.

From a cursory glance, belief systems seem to have a shelf-life of a maximum of 3000 years, where either the system has changed so much it's totally unrecognisable, or the society that believed in them dies out.

@Dreammmer: In your dreams. The christians might have managed to suppress the various festivals' Pagan roots for a while but people are starting to remember. There has been a resurgence of Paganism is recent times and it's now officially recognized.

@suzie1960: I believe there are some people worshipping the Norse gods in Scandinavia again...

@suzie1960: There is no need to suppress pagan belief when a person comes to know Jesus Christ. Do you know any civilized country where a pagan holiday is officially celebrated like Christian holiday are?

@Dreammmer: Samhain, or as we know it, Halloween, celebrated across the Western world.

@Quizzical: Nice try :)

@Quizzical: Paganism is growing in all western civilizations.

@Dreammmer: It's not a try...

From the BBC religion website.

"Samhain (pronounced 'sow'inn') is a very important date in the Pagan calendar for it marks the Feast of the Dead. Many Pagans also celebrate it as the old Celtic New Year (although some mark this at Imbolc). It is also celebrated by non-Pagans who call this festival Halloween"

Incidentally, do you know which religion created All Saints Day to fall directly after a Pagan festival? lol

Tagging on again :D

@Dreammmer: Why did the christians attempt to suppress the Old Religion then? Why slaughter all the Pagans?

As the so-called christian holidays are actually Pagan in origin, Pagan hollidays are celbrated in most countries. Even the days of the week and most months of the year are named after Pagan gods.