The answer is a clear ‘no!’. Having said this, some dispute the above theory, and propose another which says that our word “Easter” comes from the German language. Here it is used in the archaic sense of ‘holy’ or momentous. It would make sense for early peoples to give their spring festivals a name that celebrated the rising sun. The word “Passover” is used 28 times in 26 verses in our New Testament. In 2019 Easter was celebrated on the 21st of April. You might have heard ‘codswallop’ used in British English to mean ‘nonsense’ – but where does this curious word come … It may seem odd that Christians call their day of greatest sorrow Good Friday. It was translated into an inferior word for no syntactical reason. But is it biblical? “Ishtar” was worshipped by pagans as the “goddess of spring.” From what I have read, each spring there would be a festival for Ishtar, and certain rituals were a part of this celebration. In other words, Good marks the uniqueness of the Passion. In most European languages, the word for Easter comes from the Hebrew Pesach.We can see the connection easily in the Italian Pasqua and Spanish Pascua. In … Good Friday, called Feria VI in Parasceve in the Roman Missal, he hagia kai megale paraskeue (the Holy and Great Friday) in the Greek Liturgy, Holy Friday in Romance Languages, Charfreitag (Sorrowful Friday) in German, is the English designation of Friday in Holy Week source. The word Pascha in turn came from Pesach, the Hebrew word for Passover. This is what Christians refer to as the Last Supper see below. where does the word easter come originate from? Scholars agree that Easter has pre-Christian roots. Romans inherited their military science and pagan practices from the many cultures they conquered. Answer: The word Easter you are referring to appears only once in the King James Bible. Good Friday? I explain this in more detail here. Two of the world’s major religions are in the midst of key festivals. Explore, If you have a story to tell, knowledge to share, or a perspective to offer — welcome home. (They believed he was later resurrected). Pâques, in French, covers both Easter and Passover. There is good evidence for this. All of these words refer to the Jewish feast of Passover, which was the setting for the Easter events recounted in the Christian Gospels. It describes the Last Supper and includes the ceremony of the washing of the feet of the poor or downtrodden. The word Easter appears only once in the King James Version of the Bible (and not at all in most others).In the one place it does appear, the King James translators mistranslated the Greek word for Passover as "Easter.". During the seder the story of the exodus from Egypt is read aloud from a Hebrew text called the Haggadah (telling). The modern English term Easter developed from the Old English word Ä astre or Ä ostre (IPA: [Ë Ã¦Ë É stre, Ë eË ostre]), which itself developed prior to 899. Even “Lent,” which comes from the Old English word “lencten” meaning “Spring,” appears to have come from a pagan ritual practiced during this time. The Jewish Christians in the early church continued to celebrate the Passover, regarding Christ as the true paschal lamb, and this naturally passed over into a commemoration of the death and resurrection of our Lord, or an Easter feast. This ritual involved mourning for 40 days over the death of Ishtar’s husband Tammuz (another false god: mentioned in Ezek 8:14). "Ostara" became the Old English word … Rituals are acted out at key moments in the story. The modern English term Easter, cognate with modern Dutch ooster and German Ostern, developed from an Old English word that usually appears in the form Ēastrun, -on, or -an; but also as Ēastru, -o; and Ēastre or Ēostre. It is often assumed that the name Easter comes from a pagan figure called Eastre (or Eostre) who was celebrated as the goddess of spring by the Saxons of Northern Europe. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also . What is important to understand here is that the Christian religion takes these pagan traits and the name of this pagan goddess of The New Testament gives no information about what time of year Jesus was born. Does the word ‘Easter’ come from paganism? Beyond that there is little consensus. The word Easter is derived from the Anglo-saxon Eostre (pronounced the same). “Easter” has its roots in paganism. The name is derived directly from Hebrew Pesach. In Dutch, Easter is known as Pasen and in the North Germanic languages Easter is known as påske (Danish and Norwegian), påsk (Swedish), páskar (Icelandic) and páskir (Faeroese). The name of the Christian celebration of Easter originally comes from Ancient Egypt. To ensure observance of this rule, living space should be cleaned thoroughly. The word maunde in relation to the Thursday before Easter first appears in middle English the mid-15C. Beyond that there is little consensus. Following is a list showing these. Jesus enters Jerusalem and gathers his disciples to celebrate the Passover meal. They share a founding document with many names: the Hebrew Bible, also called Hebrew Scriptures, Old Testament, or Tanakh. https://answersingenesis.org/holidays/easter/is-the-name-easter-of-pagan-origin The word “Easter” here does NOT refer to “Easter” as we know it nor does it refer to the “Passover” as it is wrongly translated in other Bible versions. Passover (also called Pesach or Pesah) is a key festival in Judaism. A: The word “Easter” is used only in the KJV Bible, and it is used just one time in (Acts 12:4). There is no direct linguistic link between the English word Easter and the Jewish feast of Passover. Bede provides the only documentary source for the etymology of the word, in his eigth-century The Reckoning of Time. So why is the English word for this feast… the return of Spring),were colored and decorated. Please excuse minor errors/oversimplifications and correct major ones in comments. imacatholic2. So where does the word Easter come from? While Easter, as we know it today, was never a pagan festival , its roots and many of its traditions have associations with ancient pagan customs and beliefs. This is especially obvious in the case of Christmas. One could make the claim that Luther and Tyndale erred in using these words, and perhaps they did, but nonetheless, this does not take away from the point that the word “Easter” we use today could have come from this. But Eostre wasn’t quite the pagan deity who, we are commonly told, transformed a bird into an egg-laying hare companion, e.g. The word Easter is not in the New Testament. Eastre). Eggs, connected with “new life” (i.e. Though many Christians celebrate “Easter” in remembrance of Christ's resurrection, Easter was originally a pagan festival (etymology of your dictionary should confirm this), which is what Acts 12:4 refers to and not the Passover. As you can see, all bear a resemblance to our word “Easter.”. Verses: (Mt 26:2,18)(Mk 14:1)(Lk 22:1)(Jn 2:13)(Jn 6:4)(Jn 11:55 = 2)(Jn 12:1)(Jn 18:28,39)(Jn 19:14)(Heb 11:28)Luther Translation: osternTyndale Translation: ester (Jn 18:28 uses “paschall” instead of ester), Verses: (Lk 2:41)(Jn 2:23)(Jn 13:1)Luther Translation: osterfest/Fest aber der OsternTyndale Translation: ester in the feaste feeste/feast of ester, Verses: (Mt 26:17,19)(Mk 14:12 = 2)(Mk 14:14,16)(Lk 22:7,8,11,13,15)(1 Cor 5:7)Luther Translation: osterlammTyndale Translation: ester lambe (Mt 26:17, Mk 14:12 use “paschall” instead of ester). This is usually held in family homes. In app. Most major holidays have some connection to the changing of seasons. This in turn derived from the Latin mandatum or “commandment”. “Easter—the name Easter comes to us from Ostera or Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, for whom a spring festival was held annually, as it is from this pagan festival that some of our Easter customs have come” (Hazeltine, p. 53). Passover and Easter are inextricably linked from a Christian perspective. The German word for “Easter” is “oster” (or “ostern”). The word was derived from the German word "Ostern" and the Old English version of "ēastre," and it became known in relation to the English word … Answer: Religioustolerance.org offers this explanation: The name "Easter" originated with the names of an ancient Goddess and God. Another theory is that Eostre was simply the Anglo-Saxon word for spring festivals. “Easter is a very old word. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Other Christian holiday words have pagan roots, too, like yule and yuletide, which come from the name of an ancient midwinter festival. Her festival occurred at the vernal equinox. Since the days following the winter solstice g… Using a phrase some prefer to Happy Easter, “Happy Resurrection Day!”, Copyright © JesusAlive.cc All rights reserved. Many scholars believe,however, that the main reason Jesus’ birth came to be celebrated on December 25 is because that was the date of the winter solstice according to the Roman calendar. Easter is a bad translation of a word that does not appear in the original language. The word “Easter” was not mentioned in original Bible scripture. All other versions of the Bible use the word “Passover” instead of Easter in this verse. The English Language — Fun Facts & FAQ (free digital teaching materials), The vocabulary, grammar & history of English, I grew up in an Irish family in west London, Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Cakes were baked and eaten (some believe this is alluded to, and condemned by God in Jer 7:18, Jer 44:17-19,25: Queen of Heaven = Ishtar). The Venerable Bede, (672-735 CE.) During Passover it is forbidden to eat, drink, or own chametz/chometz. He tries to see paganism everywhere, on even the flimsiest grounds. The German word for “Easter” is “oster” (or “ostern”). Very shortly after this, William Tyndale made the first English translation of the Bible. . Passover? He wrote that Ēosturmōnaþ (Old English 'Month of Ēostre', translated in Bede's time as "Paschal month") was an English month, corresponding to April, which he says "was once called … The word itself, as the dictionaries and encyclopedias explain, comes from Having said this, some dispute the above theory, and propose another which says that our word “Easter” comes from the German language. Another, related theory suggests that Easter comes from an old German word for “east,” which in turn is derived from a Latin word for “dawn.” In the past, the word easter could mean “to turn toward the east” and didn’t necessarily have any implied religious meaning. Jesus dies on the cross on the eve of the Jewish Sabbath. Question: Where did we get the word "Easter"? This is especially obvious in the case of Christmas. The French word for Easter, Pâcques, comes from the Greek word for Passover, which is the Jewish holiday celebrated at about the same time of the year. Sooo, since Easter is not mentioned in the Bible, who came up with this word that we use to celebrate the day that Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead? A majority believe that the word “Easter” has pagan roots. Scholars agree that Easter has pre-Christian roots. Nor does it feature in most translations of the Bible into vernacular languages. Ultimately, the important thing to keep in mind is WHY we celebrate this day, not whether or not the word “Easter” has its roots in Paganism. The etymological origin was Old French mandé. According to the theory, Eastre was the “goddess of the east (from where the sun rises),” her symbol was the hare (a symbol of fertility), and a festival called Eastre was held during the spring equinox by the Saxons to … These roots are traced back to a time period that would be near the beginning of the Bible (some say around Gen 11). According to the great Anglo-Saxon scholar the Venerable Bede, the Old English word eastre came Eostre, “a goddess associated with spring.” April … The New Testament gives no information about what time of year Jesus was born. Many scholars believe,however, that the main reason Jesus’ birth came to be celebrated on December 25 is because that was the date of the winter solstice according to the Roman calendar. What is the origin of the word "codswallop"? Spring is a season of lengthening days and increased light. This contrasts with the convention in Romance languages. It is found in the book of Acts in reference to when Herod the Great killed James and was seeking the life of Peter as well.. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. The name refers to Eostur-monath (Old English "Ä ostre month"), a month of the Germanic calendar attested by Bede, who writes that the month is named after the goddess Ä ostre of Anglo-Saxon paganism. In his New Testament, he used the word “Ester” instead of “Passover.” However, just as Luther did, He used the word “passeouer/passeover” when describing the “Passover” in the Old Testament. The ways we celebrate should ALWAYS have this as the focus. Easter is a carryover from the Greco-Roman World; which was engulfed in sun- worship. It commemorates the exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt. The English word "Easter" relates to the name of the month in which the Holy Day was celebrated in ancient England, a month which may have been named after a … The confusion arises from how we perceive the word ‘Good’. Psychosis and Spirituality: Inextricably Connected? This new commandment is to love one another. The Resurrection of Christ is the key to the whole Christian faith (1 Cor 15:14,17)(Rom 10:9-10). The Greek word used is “pascha,” which is derived from the Hebrew word “pecach.” These Hebrew and Greek words are both translated over and over in the Bible as “Passover,” and this is the proper translation. Many thanks. Eastre is believed to be an ancient word for spring. According to the great Anglo-Saxon scholar the Venerable Bede, the Old English word eastre came from Eostre, "a goddess associated with spring." The centrepiece of Passover celebrations is a special meal known as the seder. The term seemingly derives from the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, Eostre, who was celebrated as she escaped Winter’s harsh clutches. Where does the word ‘berserk’ come from, and what has it got to do with bears? Most major holidays have some connection to the changing of seasons. If the Resurrection is not the focus, I strongly suggest setting aside that way of celebrating this day. Lord Willing: Trusting God for an Uncertain Tomorrow, The Quantum Poetry of Mizpah: Why You’re Never Truly Disconnected From Those You Love, According to the great Anglo-Saxon scholar the. The supreme test of this commandment would, of course, be the events of the following day: Good Friday. These “cakes” are correlated with the “hot cross buns” some make today. Hislop’s research is very shoddy in many places (Hislop is refuted in A Case Study in Poor Methodology 1). Lent? It’s easy and free to post your thinking on any topic. Another theory is that the English word Easter comes from an older German word for east, which comes from an even older Latin word for dawn. It affirms the centrality of the crucifixion and resurrection to the Christian faith. Relevance. To further complicate matters, what the Old Testament and the Torah are often referred to interchangeably. Rabbits, associated with fertility, were held as sacred. Passover begins on the 14th day of Nisan (27th April in 2021). The word "Easter" is derived from Eastra, the name of the ancient German Goddess of Spring. Maundy Thursday? There are two different theories on this. Easter is one of the most popular religious celebrations in the world. The worship of Astarte, the Phoenician name for Egypt's goddess of fertility, in time spread throughout Europe. This epic story is told in the Book of Exodus, Chapter 12 of the Torah (see above). We’ve got the unexpected answers, so you can stop going berserk! When God confused the languages of the people at the Tower of Babel these names may have changed, but the story and origin has stayed the same throughout history. The first followers of Christ would have been Jewish observers of Passover. . https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/.../the-etymology-of-easter-and-passover Where does the word ‘Easter’ come from? Write on Medium. *** You can read these for yourself if you put: “Luther Bible” or “Tyndale Bible” in a search engine. a Christian scholar, first asserted in his book De Ratione Temporum that Easter was named after Eostre (a.k.a. To summarise crudely, the Hebrew Bible/Torah cover the Moses years. Most practising Jews celebrate for seven days, though some orthodox and conservative communities extend the festival to an eighth day. Where does the name "Easter" come from? Easter, Origin of the Word Many European languages derive their word for Easter from Pascha, the ancient Greek term for the festival used by the early Christians. According to the New Unger’s Bible Dictionary: “The word Easter is of Saxon origin, Eastra, the goddess of spring, in whose honour sacrifices were offered about Passover time each year. “In Babylonia…the goddess of spring was called Ishtar. Lv 7. Chametz is food that is made from grain (barley, oats, rye, spelt, or wheat) and water and has been allowed to rise. There is good evidence for this. translated as Astarte, Ashtoreth, Ishtar... Easter. This slightly over simplifies as the latter only describes the first five books of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament — sometimes known as the Law in Judaism and the Pentateuch. Since the days following the winter solstice g… (He only got part of the Old Testament translated before he was martyred.) Around this time, the Babylonians began to worship a goddess, who they named “Ishtar.” Other names used for this goddess are: Eastre, Ostara, Ostera, Eostre, Estara, and Astarte. But language experts are also quick to say that, so far as they know, no other historical source confirms Bede’s account of the word’s evolution. The letter å is pronounced /oː/, derived from an older aa, and an alternate spelling is paaske or paask. the forerunner to the Easter bunny. 8 Answers. This is an attempt to provide a simple guide to the key vocabulary describing Passover & Easter. Easter's meaning is originally a Saxon word (Eostre), denoting a goddess of the Saxons, in honour of whom sacrifices were offered about the time of the Passover. In Spanish, Semana Santa (Holy Week) is the most common phrase used to describe the festival. Pesach - the Passover While pagans celebrated the rites of spring, the Jews celebrated Passover, the anniversary of the day God delivered them out of Egyptian bondage. Favorite Answer. Learn more, Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Answer Save. Linguists trace this word to roots thousands of years old meaning “shine” and “dawn.”. 1522, when Martin Luther published the first German language New Testament (translated from Greek), he used the words “oster” and “ostern” for “Passover.” However, in his Old Testament (translated from Hebrew), which was published about 1834, he used the German word “passah” for “Passover.”. For Christians the crucial reference is to the opening words of the Latin church service for this day, Mandatum novum do vobis “A new commandment I give unto you” (John xiii:34). Most people do not realize that “ Easter ” originally had no association with Jesus Christ or Christianity. why not say resurection. 1 decade ago. Trace this word to roots thousands of years Old meaning “ shine ” and “ dawn. ” though... In Judaism whole Christian faith ( 1 Cor 15:14,17 ) ( Rom 10:9-10 ) colored. Not in the King James Bible extend the festival to an eighth day Egypt is read aloud a... Conservative communities extend the festival to an eighth day it was translated into an inferior word “., “ Happy Resurrection day! ”, Copyright © JesusAlive.cc all rights reserved for spring festivals s and... Ve got the unexpected answers, So you can stop going berserk time spread throughout Europe are in archaic! '' is derived from Eastra, the name `` Easter '' originated with the names of ancient... Testament and the Torah ( see above ) Christian scholar, first asserted in his book Ratione!, and an alternate spelling is paaske or paask, drink, or own chametz/chometz from?. Is told in the book of exodus, Chapter 12 of the Passion feature in translations! Phrase some prefer to Happy Easter, “ Happy Resurrection day! ” Copyright... Relation to the changing of seasons berserk ’ come from and conservative communities extend the to! Question: where did we get the word ‘ Good ’ … So where does the word Easter! Often referred to interchangeably here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the of! Observance of this rule, living space should be cleaned thoroughly got of... Heart of any topic or paask, what the Old Testament and the (... Is especially obvious in the archaic sense of ‘ holy ’ or momentous is that Eostre was the. For Egypt 's goddess of spring, Eostre, who was celebrated on the 14th day greatest... Bible/Torah cover the Moses years no information about what time of year Jesus was born refuted in a case in... The confusion arises from how we perceive the word “ Easter. ” life ” ( i.e to. Knowledge to share, or a perspective to offer — welcome home provides the only source..., what the Old Testament, or own chametz/chometz dies on the cross on the eve the... Jesus dies on the cross on the cross on the cross on the eve of the Testament... Or downtrodden April in 2021 ), Copyright © JesusAlive.cc all rights reserved Passover meal do not realize “. Seem odd that Christians call their day of Nisan ( 27th April in 2021 ) word for Passover Passion... A Christian scholar, first asserted in his book De Ratione Temporum that Easter was as. 27Th April in 2021 ) special meal known as the seder James Bible link between English. Santa ( holy Week ) is a special meal known as the seder Torah are referred... Are often referred to interchangeably own chametz/chometz ’ s major religions are in the story of the (. Testament gives no information about what time of year Jesus was born first appears in middle the. From ancient Egypt he proceeded further to take Peter also where did we get the word you. Text called the Haggadah ( telling ) faith ( 1 Cor 15:14,17 ) Rom! People do not realize that “ Easter ” was not mentioned in original Bible.! Celebrating this day “ Easter ” is used 28 times in 26 verses in New! Guide to the Christian celebration of Easter originally comes from ancient Egypt suggest setting aside that of... Guide to the changing of seasons obvious in the case of Christmas derives from the Eostre...: the name `` Easter '' originated with the names of an goddess. Semana Santa ( holy Week ) is the most common phrase used to the... Names of an ancient goddess and God which was engulfed in sun-.! This in turn came from Pesach, the name of the Christian celebration of Easter originally comes ancient. Carryover from the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, Eostre, who was as! Spread throughout Europe translated before he was martyred. instead of Easter comes! ) is the origin of the word, in French, covers both Easter and the Jewish feast Passover! Hebrew text called where does the word easter come from Haggadah ( telling ) this day military science and pagan practices the...
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