What is in a Word? The Origin of the Word Easter

Ezekiel 22:26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed [difference] between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.


If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck, it's a duck.

Somehow we never bother to question that which is most obvious and we have a real tendency to ignore what challenges our tradition and the traditions of our culture. We just get in line and march forward like everyone in front of us, never asking "why"? Most of us have been taught to disregard what is plainly there and what is obviously not there.

Easter is a pagan word, the name of a pagan goddess, and it is not in the Bible. So how did it get in "Christian" vocabulary and why is it celebrated?

I beg you to please check me out. Check out everything I am writing for yourself. You can find what I am going to share on the Internet, in books, in encyclopedias, in libraries....you name it. It is in plain site. So I am not going to footnote any of this. It is not hard to find and I want you to check this out for yourself. It will mean nothing to you if you just take my word for it. We have been "taking peoples word for it" in the church for a long time. Lets not do that, OK. Check out sources without agendas if you get my drift. Most importantly check out the Bible, your Bible. If I am wrong and what I am saying does not line up with the Word of God, correct me. The truth is of the utmost importance to me, God's truth, not man's, and that only comes from the Word. Ask questions! It's ok.

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

I really believe that the words we use are really important. I began to study Etymology in college years ago,and fell in love with it. Even prior to becoming a believer or having any interest in religion I found it fascinating. However, after becoming a believer, for years, I stuffed down my curiosity and went with the flow. That was a mistake and one I intend to never make again. Etymology is the history of a linguistic form (as a word) shown by tracing its development since its earliest recorded occurrence in the language where it is found, by tracing its transmission from one language to another, by analyzing it into its component parts, by identifying its cognates in other languages, or by tracing it and its cognates to a common ancestral form in an ancestral language. When you understand the beginning or root of a word, you begin to understand everything thing else that proceeds from it. We ought to know what our words mean and where they come from before they proceed from out of our mouths. The Words of our Creator spoke the world into existence. Words can hurt and words can heal. The importance of the spoken word cannot be underestimated in every area of our lives.

Exodus 20:3 You shall have no other gods before me.

We need to make sure that we do not "mix" that which is profane to Him, with that which is Holy to Him. If you are believer and a true follower of Jesus Christ or Yahshua Ha'Mashiach, then you know He calls us to be a set apart (holy) people as He is Holy, so I think it matters what we embrace and celebrate and whether or not it lines up with His Word. We may have to stand alone or in a very small crowd, but that's OK if we are standing with Him.

The English term "Easter" developed from the Old English word Ēastre or Ēostre. The name refers to Eostur-monath, a month of the Germanic calendar. The month is named after the goddess Ēostre of Anglo-Saxon paganism. Ēostur-monath was the equivalent to the month of April. The Venerable Bede, (672-735 CE.) a Christian scholar, first asserted in his book De Ratione Temporum that Easter was named after Eostre (a.k.a. Eastre). She was the great mother goddess of the Saxon people in Northern Europe. Her name was derived from the ancient word for spring: "eastre." Similarly, the "Teutonic dawn goddess of fertility [was] known variously as Ostare, Ostara, Ostern, Eostra, Eostre, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron and Ausos." Similar fertility goddesses were known by other names in ancient cultures around the Mediterranean, and were celebrated in the springtime. Some were Aphrodite from ancient Cyprus, Ashtoreth from ancient Israel, Astarte from ancient Greece, Demeter from Mycenae, Hathor from ancient Egypt , Ishtar from Assyria, and Kali, from India.

Today, Ostara is one of the eight major holidays, or festivals of Wicca. It is celebrated on the Spring Equinox. There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament. A comment made by St. Chrysostom on I Cor. V. 7 has been supposed to refer to an apostolic observance of Easter, but was shown to be erroneous.

So how did she make her way into the Christian Church? Or, at least her NAME?? We will get to that.

Yahshua and the early believers did celebrate feasts, the feasts of YHVH, as detailed in the book of Leviticus 23. First it is important to understand that the Greek word pascha in scripture does not refer to Easter it is derived from the Hebrew word Pesach there is no original Greek word for Passover. For example, in the New Testament you can find evidence of the Passover being observed by Yahshua in Luke 2:41, Matt. 26, Mark 14, Luke 22 and early believers observing it and making reference to it in Acts 12:1-4, Acts 18:21, Acts 20:6, 1 Cor. 5:6-8 and others.Other feasts are mentioned as well. See John 7:2 Act 2:1-4; 20:16;1 Cor 16:8, Mat. 24:35; 2 Peter 3:7, 10 &13; Rev 21:1 which refer to Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles. Mention of the Feast of Trumpets is in 1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thes. 4-16. The Day of Atonement is referred to in Romans 3:24-26; Hebews 9:7; 10:3, 30-31; 10:19-22; Acts 27:9; 2Peter 3:7; Rev. 17:4 and 20:12.

Yahshua was the perfect Passover Lamb (John 1:29) and the Passover is a perfect picture and a foreshadowing of His death, burial and resurrection. Check this out in Exodus 12:1-28, Leviticus 23:4-8, Numbers 9:1-14, Deuteronomy 16:1-8. Eusebius, historian of the early centuries of the Church, speaks of the true Christians observing Passover on the 14th of Nisan, first month of the sacred calendar. The historian Gieseler wrote that "the Gentile Christians observed also the Sabbath and the Passover," during the latter half of the first century. Unfortunately decrees were passed by Constantine in A.D. 363,forbidding believers from keeping God's Sabbath and God's festivals. From that point on a general "removal" took place of anything resembling Judaism and the way in which the early believers in the Jewish Messiah, Yahshua Ha'Mashiach, both Jews and non Jews, worshipped Him and observed His feasts. Removal is kind of a polite word. This extraction of everything Jewish took place in deceptive and sometimes horribly violent ways and this antisemitic tsunami still impacts the church today. We have been lied to. We have been robbed. We have been looted of the blessings that are the Feasts of YHVH.

So how did she, or atleast her name get in the church? It happened long ago. The decision was made by Constantine and the Council of Nicaea to observe Easter as the day of Yahshua's ressurection. This decision was made to appease those who were still worshipping the pagan goddess and season and out of great disdane for the Jews. Those that did not agree were exiled and persecuted. You need to remember that at this point, Constantine, was actively a polytheist, someone who worshipped more that one god. He declared himself a Christian but at the same time maintained his ties to the Mithra cult. He retained the title "Pontifus Maximus" the high priest. On his coins were inscribed: "Sol Invicto comiti" which means, committed to the invincible sun. This new blend of the two faiths, he officially proclaimed as Christianity. We will let Constantine speak for himself.

"From the letter of the Emperor (Constantine) to all those not present at the council. (Found in Eusebius, Vita Const., Lib III 18-20)

When the question relative to the sacred festival of Easter arose, it was universally thought that it would be convenient that all should keep the feast on one day; for what could be more beautiful and more desirable than to see this festival, through which we receive the hope of immortality, celebrated by all with one accord and in the same manner? It was declared to be particularly unworthy for this, the holiest of festivals, to follow the customs (the calculation) of the Jews who had soiled their hands with the most fearful of crimes, and whose minds were blinded. In rejecting their custom we may transmit to our descendants the legitimate mode of celebrating Easter; which we have observed from the time of the Saviour’s passion (according to the day of the week).

We ought not therefore to have anything in common with the Jew, for the Saviour has shown us another way; our worship following a more legitimate and more convenient course (the order of the days of the week: And consequently in unanimously adopting this mode, we desire, dearest brethren to separate ourselves from the detestable company of the Jew. For it is truly shameful for us to hear them boast that without their direction we could not keep this feast. How can they be in the right, they who, after the death of the Saviour, have no longer been led by reason but by wild violence, as their delusion may urge them? They do not possess the truth in this Easter question, for in their blindness and repugnance to all improvements they frequently celebrate two Passovers in the same year. We could not imitate those who are openly in error.

How, then, could we follow these Jews who are most certainly blinded by error? For to celebrate a Passover twice in one year, is totally inadmissible.

But even if this were not so it would still be your duty not to tarnish your soul by communication with such wicked people (the Jews). You should consider not only that the number of churches in these provinces make a majority, but also that it is right to demand what our reason approves, and that we should have nothing in common with the Jews."

Do a little research on Constantine. While you are at it check out the writings of Justin Martyr, Ignatius Bishop of Antioch, Origen of Alexandria. You will be surprised. When you do, if you do, keep this scripture in mind, Romans 11:18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Without the Jewish people, we would not have a Savior. He was a Jew! He was of the line of David. Hate and unforgiveness is not an option. Our forgiveness, because we have all sinned, was costly to the One who paid for it. We will never be an effective example of the love of God with a spirit of contempt towards the Jewish people, or anyone for that matter. It is time to clean house and get rid of the leaven as a church.

1 Corinthians 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.



The Truth is important. So important, that He says this in John 14:6 :

Yahshua saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.


Shouldn't Truth be important to us too?

Don't believe me, find out for yourself.

Many blessings to you!