"mythical hare " - Blending with their Pagan Ancestors Beliefs

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing;... 2 Corinthians 6:17

"As Christians probably already know, the Bible makes no mention of a mythical hare that produces eggs for children on the day of Jesus Christ's resurrection. 

Q: So, why exactly has a rabbit become a prominent part of one of

Christianity's most important celebrations of rebirth and renewal? One theory is that the symbol of the rabbit stems from the ancient pagan tradition on which many of our Easter traditions are based — the festival of Eostre, which honored the goddess of fertility and spring. The goddess's animal symbol was a rabbit, which has long been associated with fertility due to its high reproductive rate.

As for how the character of the Easter Bunny made its way to America, History.com reports that it was first introduced in the 1700s by German immigrants to Pennsylvania, who reportedly brought over their tradition of an egg-laying hare named "Osterhase" or "Oschter Haws" from the Old Country. Legend has it that the rabbit would lay colorful eggs as gifts to children who were good, so kids would make nests in which the bunny could leave his eggs and even sometimes set out carrots in case the hare got hungry.

According to History.com, the tradition of decorating eggs for Easter may date back to the 13th century, when eggs were traditionally considered a forbidden food during the Lent season. That's why people decorated them as the fasting period came to an end, making them an even more celebratory way to feast on Easter Sunday." GoodHouseKeeping

Background of Easter

And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? 

 2 Corinthians 6:16

"Easter is less a purely Christian invention and more a cultural hybrid. While modern religion marks it as a sacred celebration of resurrection, the symbols we recognize today—rabbits, eggs, buns, and the timing of the festival itself—are all rooted in pre-Christian, pagan traditions. 

Q: So how did this blending happen? 

Q: And what were people really celebrating before Christianity ever took hold?

Easter falls at a particularly symbolic point in the solar calendar: just

after the spring equinox, when day and night are of equal length. This balance between light and darkness has long been celebrated as a time of renewal. Winter’s grip loosens, the soil warms, buds bloom, and life returns to the land.

The death of the “son” (or sun) on a cross—interpreted by some as a reference to the constellation of the Southern Cross—followed by resurrection after three days, was a motif familiar to ancient peoples. Christianity reimagined the myth within its theological framework. But it also retained key aspects of paganism: the lunar calendar, the seasonal symbolism, and the emphasis on triumph over death.

Unlike Christmas, which was fixed to the 25th of December, Easter is a movable feast. It is observed on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox—a formula that has no scriptural basis but is entirely aligned with pagan lunar-solar calendars. That many churches today still hold “sunrise services” at Easter is an echo of solar worship, not a New Testament directive.

Anglo-Saxon tradition refers back to Ēostre, or Ostara, a Germanic

goddess of spring and dawn. Writing in the 8th century, the monk Bede described her as a deity honored during spring festivals, with the hare as her sacred animal.
The egg, an ancient emblem of life and fertility, is one of the most enduring symbols of Easter. In many ancient cultures, it represented the cosmic egg or the rebirth of the Earth each spring.

As with many pagan symbols, Christianity reinterpreted the egg

through its theological lens. The shell became a stand-in for Christ’s tomb, and the breaking of the egg represented his resurrection.

From its earliest days, Christianity found common ground with pagan beliefs in order to expand and endure. There is no Easter celebration in the New Testament, but early Church fathers embraced the symbolism and seasonality of pagan spring rites." 

DannyDutch

Who set the Date for "Easter"?

But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Matthew 15:9

"In AD 325, the First Council of Nicaea, convened by the Roman
emperor Constantine, agreed that Easter would be the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.
The date for Easter Sunday on our calendar will always be in the range 22 March to 25 April. The last time it fell on 22 March was 1818, and the next time will be 2285. For the upper end of the range, the last time it fell on 25 April was in 1943, and this will next happen in 2038." CMI

Creation Moment 4/20/2025 - Remembering the Creator during "Easter"

"At Easter time we focus on the cardinal Christian doctrine of the Resurrection. Without the Resurrection, Christianity is a sham. The truth that Jesus Christ rose from the dead sets Christianity apart from all religious systems.

Many of the world’s religions look back to the martyrdom of their leader/founder. None but Christianity look back to an empty tomb which once contained His body. Only in Christianity has the slain

martyr risen from the grave.

In today’s secular religion of naturalistic evolution, no resurrection from the dead is possible. Only once, they say, did lifeless chemicals spring to life, eventually descending into us all. But even they recognize that the spontaneous generation of life is “impossible,” and has been disproved, yet they still believe it. It takes a Creator to have life.

In Christianity the Creator is identified as Jesus Christ. The very same One who died on the cross created life in the first place. Thus, only He had the power and authority to again take up His life.

There is perhaps no greater threat to the veracity of Scripture than the modern-day conventional science claims that the earth is billions of years old. 

---Once a Christian caves into this notion, it forces him or her to radically transform the plain narrative of the creation week into esoteric poetry, myth, or fiction. The “slide down the slippery slope” is then set in motion as “profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called” (1 Timothy 6:20) pull the Christian from faith in God’s inerrant Word to a sole reliance on man’s latest interpretation of science. In too many cases, it leads to a tragic abandonment of the Christian faith." 

ICR

IN the News - Some people have Nothing Better to do on Easter

"Demonstrators demanding a cease-fire in Gaza interrupted an Easter Vigil Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City before being removed from the service. "Free Palestine!" one demonstrator yelled while shaking his fist as security escorted him from the cathedral. At least some of the protesters are associated with XR NYC Palestine Solidarity, which is associated with Extinction Rebellion New York City, a chapter of an international movement of climate activists......Matthew Menzies, 31, Gregory Schwedock, 35, and John Rozendaal, 63, were charged with disruption of religious service.". 

JustTheNews

Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception,.... Romans 1:29 NLT

IN the NEWS - Australia goes #TDOV

And as He sat upon the mount of Olives,
the disciples came unto Him privately, saying,
Tell us, when shall these things be?
and what shall be the sign of Thy coming,
and of the end of the world?...

And because iniquity shall abound, .... 

And don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning...Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot;

....But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

Matthew 24:3,12Jude 1:7/Luke 17:28,29

"Australia’s left-wing Labor government has joined U.S. President

Joe Biden and issued gushing praise on Easter Sunday for the “Transgender Day of Visibility.”
Australia’s government was not alone in rushing to embrace the “Transgender Day of Visibility.” 

"The Albanese Labor Government stands with trans and gender diverse people across Australia. On this #TDOV, we celebrate your strength and your courage - and we recommit to advocating for trans and gender diverse rights in the pursuit of equality." 

Breitbart

Would Paul have "adapted" any of these things to a commemoration of the Resurrection?

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing,... 2 Corinthians 6:17

"Easter was originally a celebration of Eostre, goddess of Spring, otherwise known as Ostara, Austra, and Eastre. One of the most

revered aspects of Ostara for both ancient and modern observers is a spirit of renewal.
Celebrated at Spring Equinox on March 21, Ostara marks the day when light is equal to darkness and will continue to grow. 

As the bringer of light after a long dark winter, the goddess was often depicted with the hare, an animal that represents the arrival of spring as well as the fertility of the season. 

According to Jacob Grimm’s Deutsche Mythologie,... “Ostara, Eástre seems therefore to have been the divinity of the radiant dawn, of upspringing light, a spectacle that brings joy and blessing, whose meaning could be easily adapted by the resurrection-day of the christian’s God.” 

AncientOrigins

Council of Nicaea, Sunday & Easter

But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Matthew 15:9

"The Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. decreed that Easter should be

observed on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox (March 21). Easter, therefore, can fall on any Sunday between March 22 and April 25." 

Britannica

Where did Easter Eggs Come From?

And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? 

for ye are the temple of the living God; 

as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; 

and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 

2 Corinthians 6:16

"The egg as a symbol of fertility and of renewed life goes back to the ancient Egyptians and Persians, who had also the custom of coloring and eating eggs during their spring festival.

In ancient Egypt, an egg symbolized the sun, while for the Babylonians, the egg represents the hatching of the Venus Ishtar, who fell from heaven to the Euphrates.
During pagan spring festivals, eggs were offered as gifts or sacrifices to several different pagan gods. In medieval Europe, these offerings were made as prayers or offerings for a bountiful harvest, fertility, and protection.
Eggs were seen as fitting offerings to the gods and goddesses associated with springtime and agricultural abundance because of their rebirth connotations.

While the origins of Easter eggs are rooted in pagan traditions, they have been assimilated into Christian celebrations and gained a significant meaning in the Christian tradition over time. Today, Easter eggs hold both pagan and Christian associations.
Many pagan traditions from the festival of Eostre were adopted by Christian missionaries to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, as a way to encourage conversion.

The tradition of dyed and decorated eggs dates back to the 13th century when nobles would exchange them as gifts. English villagers would also frequently give eggs to their church on Good Friday.

Through the religious perspective, another source argues that in Mesopotamia, early Christians dyed eggs red to mimic the blood that Jesus shed during his crucifixion.
However, the tradition of dyeing eggs originated at least some 2,500 years ago in the Trypillian culture that lived in Central Europe. Historians believe the ancient Persians, or Zoroastrians, painted eggs for Nowruz, or Persian New Year. "
History Cooperative/ABC

Good Friday & "Fish" - When Christians Touched the Unclean Thing

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 2 Corinthians 6:17

"Michael Rood continues his terse explanation of the Easter season by describing for us the pagan practice surrounding Dagon:

"In later years “Good Friday”, the day that the Philistines sacrificed

to Dagon, the Philistine fish god, also became an integral part of the Easter pageantry (if you are over 40 years of age, you will recall eating fish on Friday in the public school system in America). This entire menagerie of satanic festivities is the pinnacle of the abominations that God had pronounced to the Children of Israel before they entered the Promised Land. (John Michael Rood, The Mystery of Iniquity, Chapter 8)."

During the time of the Messiah and afterward, Friday was well known in pagan circles to be a celebration of Dagon. And so, as the Scriptural practices of appointed times were being abandoned and the pagan sun-god and other deity worship began to get melded into the worship practices of followers of the Messiah, too, the blending of Dagon\fish-god worship into worship of the Messiah proceeded.

The Christian Church had adopted the pagan symbol of the fish. We all know how the third century "believers" took the symbol of the fish and used it as a representation of faith in Messiah (whom they called "Christ"). 

 The justification goes something like this: 

 The Greek word for fish, ivcqu,j, represents Christ because the

letters which spell it also are the beginning letters of these words: the iota begins the Greek name of the Christ, Iaysous; the chi is the first letter in the Greek Christos (Xristos or "Christ"); the theta begins the word "theos" or "God"; the upsilon begins the word hwee-os ("son"); and the sigma represents "sotayr" or Savior. 

* Thus, the reasoning goes, ichthus ("fish") represents "Iaysous Xristos theos huee-os sotayr" - or "Jesus Christ God('s) son, (and) Savior."

The fish symbol really has nothing to do with the Messiah of Scripture. But in order to make palatable the fish god Dagon in "Christian" circles, the word "fish" had to be given a Christian meaning! And thus was born the adoption of the very pagan fish symbol and fish god into the worship practices of those who follow the Savior of the world."

BT

On the Streets of Babylon: Easter Drag Shows on the Streets

Babylon is fallen, is fallen,..

Come out of her, My people,
Revelation 14:8/18:4

There seems to be " Easter Drag Shows "spotted on the Streets of Babylon ....

"A Canadian church is incorporating a drag show as part of their Easter Sunday service to show “solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community” and serve as a “sacred act of protest.”

Calgary Unitarian ‘Church,’ led by the excretable Samaya Oakley, is putting on the ‘Drag Me to Church’ event to honor and celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility, which overlaps with Easter Sunday.
They explain on their Facebook page: "Come join us for an Easter Sunday you’ll never forget! This will be a a thought-provoking service and sacred act of protest as we support our Trans Siblings during this current political climate. We’ll exploring the concept of TRANSformation in today’s society with DRAG Queen performances and story time, singing, dancing, and thought-provoking speakers. We’re also going to pass the collection plate and 100% of the proceeds will go to Skipping Stone – a non-profit that supports Trans folx and are mobilizing to bring legal action to protect our communities." 

Protestia

Christian Holiday: Enter the Easter Bunny

And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?
2 Corinthians 6:16

"The most famous image of Easter, the Easter Bunny, has a history going back to antiquity. In ancient times, it was widely believed, as

typified by Pliny, Plutarch, Philostratus, and Aelian, that the hare was a hermaphrodite, an idea that held a rabbit could reproduce without loss of virginity. Later, mistakenly, the misunderstood rabbit was associated with the Virgin Mary. 

In Ancient Rome, and even prior, rabbits were associated with rebirth and new life. Because of this, people would include rabbits on their gravestones. According to historians, The Easter Bunny origin, however, can likely be traced back to the pre-Christian Anglo-Saxon era where pagans would worship a deity that took the form of a rabbit: Eostre. Known as the goddess of springtime or dawn, Eostre (or sometimes seen as Eostra or Eastre) is associated with rabbits, pastels, and springtime celebrations. 

---A popular legend tells the story of Eostre entertaining a group of children. As part of the demonstration, she transformed her pet bird into a pet rabbit. To the astonishment of the audience, this rabbit could still lay eggs like a bird. And thus, rabbits and eggs become inexorably tied to the Easter tradition. 

Thus, what began as a celebration of a Germanic goddess with an egg-laying rabbit transformed into the holiday we know as Easter today." 

Catholic365

"Easter syncretism" with Paganism & 595 A.D.

Q: Why did they Blend the Resurrection with Paganism when Paul clearly states: Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,... 2 Corinthians 6:17

"In AD 595, 40 Roman monks were sent by Pope Gregory to England with the assignment of converting the Anglo Saxons to

Christianity......led by a Benedictine called Augustine, prior of St Andrew’s monastery in Rome (and later the first Archbishop of Canterbury).

Under the Pope’s instructions, the 40 missionaries convinced the pagan Britons to integrate their ancient celebrations with Christian festivities, where both festival calendars coincided. 

But knowing that the pagans were unlikely to simply drop their beliefs and embrace Jesus overnight, he instead gave a blueprint for conversion through coercion. 

Pope Gregory instructed his missionaries to embrace, rather than reject, local pagan customs in order to make Christianity more palatable for the potential converts. 

Over time, Christian symbols and messages were worked into these long-standing traditions, a form of syncretism. Christianity became ubiquitous, and knowingly or not, the pagans slowly became Christians. Similar to Christmas and Halloween, 

Christians attempted to blend elements of pagan religion with Christian tradition, 

in order to make the message of Christianity more palpable to those of other religions."
Catholic365

The Event Celebrated at so-called "Easter" is Crucial to Christendom

 "As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:14,

 "If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain." 

Without Easter—without the Resurrection of Christ—there would be no Christian Faith. 

---Christ's Resurrection is the proof of His Divinity."

LearnReligions

On the Streets of Babylon: Iron Man Crucified on the Streets...

Babylon is fallen, is fallen,..

Come out of her, my people,
Revelation 14:8/18:4

There seems to be the "crucifixion of Iron Man" seen on the Streets of Babylon...

 

"Church of the Rock in Winnipeg, led by pastor Mark Hughes, is

known for its unique Easter sermons, interpreting the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord of glory as Hollywood blockbusters,... the church also told the Easter story using The Avengers story, with Loki playing the role of Satan and Iron Man Jesus, who gets crucified on stage, featuring the devil singing REM’s – It’s The End Of The World As We Know It and Jesus Chumbawumba’s Tubthumping...Also pastor Hughes dresses up like a superhero while he preached the subsequent message- so there’s that too." Protestia

The "Really" File - (Profane Babblings of Burger King)

 But shun profane and vain babblings: 

for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

2 Timothy 2:16

 

"Burger King came under fire during Holy Week after running an ad

campaign in which they used the words of Jesus Christ at the Last Supper to sell their new vegetarian burger. 

“Take all of you and eat of it,” wrote one ad. “Which doesn’t have meat. 100% vegetarian. 100% flavor. Big King Vegetable.” Another ad read, “Flesh of my flesh,” with the word “flesh” crossed out and replaced with “vegetable.” In Spain, the word “flesh” is synonymous with “meat.”

Burger King, which is headquartered in Miami, Florida, chose to run an advertisement campaign in Spain in which they used a spoof of the Eucharist to sell their vegetarian products, like the “Impossible Whopper”.

From the "Really" File

In response to the backlash, Burger King took to Twitter to apologize for the campaign. “We apologize to all those who have been offended by our campaign aimed at promoting our vegetable products at Easter. Our intention has never been to offend anyone and the immediate withdrawal of the campaign has already been requested,” the company tweeted in Spanish." Sputnik

REALLY?

Why the Reformers Frowned on "Easter"

"Martin Luther and his fellow reformers forever changed Christianity
and the Western world. Their mounting opposition to Roman Catholic rituals, teachings and control over everyday life led to the formation of new faith groups, whose followers were collectively called Protestants. 

No religious practice was safe from the reformers' scrutiny, not even Easter..."(Protestants) were very big on regulating their worship exclusively by the scripture, and the Bible doesn't mention Easter or any Christian festivals," said Alec Ryrie.

But what was once a point of contention among believers has evolved over the centuries into a common celebration. Christians around the world — including Catholics and Protestants alike — will recognize Easter this weekend with pageantry, musical performances and even egg hunts....

Catholics at the time were required to go to confession and receive communion at least once a year. Most believers fulfilled this obligation during Easter week, and churches were flooded with unfamiliar faces.

For the reformers, high levels of participation didn't mean the church was thriving. They criticized Catholic rituals that focused believers' attention on celebrations, rather than religious teachings.

"Protestant ministers worried about superstition and idolatry, and what they called 'will-worship,' that is, worshipping in a way that humans have invented, not a way God has commanded," Ryrie wrote.

 

They saw the pomp and circumstance surrounding holidays like Easter as a distraction from the true work of religious leaders: helping church members develop strong personal faith." 

KesleyDallas

Papal Notes - Vatican Wizards' "holy water" & "Easter Truce"

Pope Francis with holy water as he celebrates Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Sunday.

Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: Deuteronomy 18:11,12

 

"Pope Francis called for an Easter truce in Ukraine and condemned the "folly of war" as he led Palm Sunday services in St. Peter's Square before an audience of tens of thousands of people. 

 

He also urged negotiations to find a solution to the conflict. In an

apparent reference to Russia, he said: "What kind of victory would be one that plants a flag on a heap of rubble?"..."Put the weapons down! Let An Easter truce start. But not to rearm and resume combat but a truce to reach peace through real negotiations open to some sacrifices for the good of the people," Francis said.

 

Some in the crowd put small Ukrainian flags at the tip of olive branches and a woman who read one of the prayers near the altar was dressed in the flag's blue and yellow colors."

Newsmax

Fit Music For That March Of Woe

And there followed Him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented Him. Luke 23:27

 "AMID the rabble rout which hounded the Redeemer to His doom, there were some gracious souls whose bitter anguish sought vent in wailing and lamentations—fit music to accompany that march of woe. 

When my soul can, in imagination, see the Savior bearing His cross to Calvary, she joins the godly women and weeps with them; for, indeed, there is true cause for grief—cause lying deeper than those mourning women thought. 

 

They bewailed innocence maltreated, goodness persecuted, love bleeding, meekness about to die; but my heart has a deeper and more bitter cause to mourn. 

 

My sins were the scourges which lacerated those blessed shoulders, and crowned with thorn those bleeding brows: my sins cried "Crucify Him! crucify Him!" and laid the cross upon His gracious shoulders.

Why those women loved and wept it were not hard to guess: but they could not have had greater reasons for love and grief than my heart has. 

Nain's widow saw her son restored—but I myself have been raised to newness of life. 

Peter's wife's mother was cured of the fever—but I of the greater plague of sin. 

Out of Magdalene seven devils were cast—but a whole legion out of me. 

Mary and Martha were favored with visits—but He dwells with me. His mother bare His body—but He is formed in me the hope of glory. 

In nothing behind the holy women in debt, let me not be behind them in gratitude or sorrow."

Charles Spurgeon

Papal Notes - Unfurling That Flag....along with Chocolate Easter Egg Diplomacy

  .....and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her... Revelation 18:3

"Pope Francis on Wednesday condemned Bucha killing and held up a Ukrainian flag sent to him from the town where tied bodies shot at close range, a mass grave and other signs of executions were found.

 

"Yesterday, precisely from Bucha, they brought me this flag," he said, unfolding it and holding it up for the audience of several thousand, which broke into applause. 

 The flag looked darkened and stained and had writing on it.

 

"It comes from the war, precisely from that martyred city, Bucha," he said, before asking a group of children war refugees who arrived on Tuesday from Ukraine to come up to him.

 

"These children had to flee in order to arrive in a safe land. This is the fruit of war. Let's not forget them and let's not forget the Ukrainian people," he said, before giving each child a gift of a chocolate Easter egg." WION Q: Each child only got one?