Easter Sunday explanation please

Yes, nanna, doesn't matter that we don't know the exact date. We can still celebrate the event.

Romola

I've more or less become an atheist, but do not "rubbish" Christian traditions. On the contrary, I'm very conscious of being a "cultural Christian" in that I try to live up to the ethics of Jesus without believing that he was anything more than a human teacher.
As for Easter, if people want to believe that Jesus actually died and rose again, and all the other beliefs about an afterlife, that's up to them. To me, Easter is a celebration of the return of life after the hard months of winter.

I am in your camp, Romola.
As I don't believe that God is a person who revealed truths to us, I am not a Christian.

Nonetheless, what the 'Resurrection' means for me is that a good man ---any good man woman or child----dies and their legacy lives on as part of culture of belief.

The Christ of faith is therefore an icon that can inform anyone including atheists.

Anniebach

Easter Sunday is surely not a day to nitpick , the day is for rejoicing

Anniebach, curiosity and reasoning are good behaviours at any time, except possibly when one needs to get off to sleep.

Caleo

Romola

I've more or less become an atheist, but do not "rubbish" Christian traditions. On the contrary, I'm very conscious of being a "cultural Christian" in that I try to live up to the ethics of Jesus without believing that he was anything more than a human teacher.
As for Easter, if people want to believe that Jesus actually died and rose again, and all the other beliefs about an afterlife, that's up to them. To me, Easter is a celebration of the return of life after the hard months of winter.

I am in your camp, Romola.
As I don't believe that God is a person who revealed truths to us, I am not a Christian.

Nonetheless, what the 'Resurrection' means for me is that a good man ---any good man woman or child----dies and their legacy lives on as part of culture of belief.

The Christ of faith is therefore an icon that can inform anyone including atheists.

Romola, it's a problem that many people don't understand metaphor but have to understand everything literally.

Since churches include all their members including literalists- even the most liberal of pastors really have to sound supernaturalist.

It’s a shame that there have to be a few unkind comments. The OP was asking a valid question.

I agree with AuntieE, that well meant enquiries should be answered charitably as none of us can claim to know the correct answers to everything, can we - every day is a school day, as they say.

AuntieE

What a lot of unkind replies.

The thinking in the Ancient world, alias early Christian church was indeed that you counted both Good Friday and Easter Sunday, so that makes three days, as it still usually does if we count on our fingers from today to any amount of coming days.

Please could we try to answer well-meant enquires charitably in future?

Is it charitable to agree with responsible adults who talk nonsense?

Maremia

The plot thickens,
Tim O'Neill is an Australian blogger and amateur historian, according to Google.

You can see commendations of his work by professional academics here:
historyforatheists.com/pagan-origins/

He cites his sources in the text of his articles and links to them (example here:
historyforatheists.com/2017/04/easter-ishtar-eostre-and-eggs/)

He also gives lists of academic books for further reading, such as these (scroll down).
historyforatheists.com/2017/04/easter-ishtar-eostre-and-eggs/

historyforatheists.com/2025/08/the-great-myths-16-the-conflict-between-science-and-religion/

He’s pretty reputable. I wouldn’t quote him otherwise.

Maremia

Yes, nanna, doesn't matter that we don't know the exact date. We can still celebrate the event.

We can be fairly specific about the date.

Good Friday can be fairly accurately dated now as being Friday 3rd April, 33, ie 14th Nisan. It is a moveable feast now, however.
It is a moveable feast and the reasons given for this vary from a decision by the Council of Nicaea, by the Synod of Whitby or whether or not that church follows the Julian or Gregorian calendar etc etc etc ...

Yes, for the Resurrection, which I know was the original question, but not for the date of Christmas, which we do still enjoy, despite not knowing.

It’s an interesting fact that in most European languages the name for what we call Easter comes from the Greek word for Passover, Pascha.

(E g
French: Pâques
Italian: Pasqua
Spanish: Pascua
Swedish: Påsk
Welsh: Pasg
Russian: Paskha)

As Tim O’Neill points out,

//Christians had been celebrating Easter at this time [Passover] since at least the second century AD, which was around 400 years before Christianity came to England and encountered any worshippers of [the goddess] Eostre.//
historyforatheists.com/2017/04/easter-ishtar-eostre-and-eggs/

So much for the idea that the Christian festival is based on the worship of this goddess Eostre (about whom we know almost nothing). And in most languages it’s not even called after her.

An early mediaeval monk called Bede wrote in 725 that the Old English name for the month we now call April was Eostremonath, after the goddess Eostre.

Probably, in English, the Christian festival was called after the month. But not in other languages. They called it after Passover.

Ziplok

It’s a shame that there have to be a few unkind comments. The OP was asking a valid question.

I agree with AuntieE, that well meant enquiries should be answered charitably as none of us can claim to know the correct answers to everything, can we - every day is a school day, as they say.

The OP's question is valid but it's not explicit. She needs to explain who it is that marks the Resurrection on a Sunday.

On the other hand, which word does Easter look most like?

Pask or Eostre?

Eostre Anglo Saxon goddess of Spring.
Anglo Saxons at one time were Pagan.

Maremia The word Easter looks like Eostre because the festival Easter was probably named, in England, after the month it usually fell in - Eostremonath. The month was probably named after a goddess. But this was at least 400 years after the festival began elsewhere. The beginning of the festival had nothing to do with this goddess. That’s the point.

In other countries the Christian festival was also named after the time of year it was celebrated, but they used the word Passover (in their languages). It’s the same festival, and it had already been celebrated by Christians for at least 400 years before any Christians came to England and encountered any worshippers of the goddess Eostre.

The festival happened to be named after the month in England, later, but not elsewhere.

Eostre is not actually known to be a goddess of Spring. All we know about her is what the Venerable Bede wrote in 725: the month we now call April was called after her and people used to celebrate feasts during it in her honour.

(Some historians have doubted that Bede was even right, as this is the only mention of her in any sources and he was writing some time later.)

I have not been arguing that the Christian versions have evolved from Pagon ones. Sorry if that has been your interpretation of my posts.
Instead I think that the newer Christian practices have 'tacked on' to the timing of older ones. As humans, we have been Pagan for longer than we have been Christian, if that's what you are. By doing this, it has made the 'transition' much easier.
There are lots of pre Christian practices still observed in South American Christianity.
I am fascinated by detail of how all of this has evolved .
I don't feel that it detracts from respect or belief.
Let's find some more.

The Last Supper was a Passover meal so would have been probably on what is now Maundy Thursday or possibly Ash Wednesday, before the Good Friday.

Is Ash Wednesday not too early, as it is the beginning of Lent?

Fascinating discussion - thank you all. I wanted to find out if other religions are based on the turning seasons of the year.

these of course are based in the Northern Hemisphere - it would not be surprised by dont know for example what Aboriginal Culture in Australia or cultures in Southern Africa or South America practised in relationship to seasonal changes.

its AI, with the usual references

Yes, almost all world religions have major celebrations tied to the seasons, often focusing on spring renewal, autumn harvests, or winter light

These festivals align with nature’s cycles, marking agricultural milestones or celestial events like solstices and equinoxes, often featuring feasts, light, and new clothing.
Anabaptist World
Anabaptist World
+4
Examples of Seasonal Religious Celebrations:

Hinduism/Sikhism: Diwali (Autumn) is the "Festival of Lights" marking the changing season and new beginnings. Holi (Spring) celebrates the end of winter. Makar Sankranti marks the sun's journey into the Northern Hemisphere.

Judaism: Passover (Spring) coincides with the vernal equinox, while Hanukkah (Winter) brings light to the darkest time of the year. Tu BiShvat is the new year for trees.

Buddhism: Bodhi Day (December/January) commemorates the Buddha's enlightenment, and Songkran (Spring/April) is a water festival new year in Thailand.

Wiccan/Pagan: The "Wheel of the Year" includes eight seasonal festivals (Sabbats) such as Yule (Winter Solstice), Beltane (Spring/May Day), and Samhain (Autumn/Halloween).

Islam: While Islamic festivals move through seasons due to the lunar calendar, Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr are significant religious events often celebrated with community feasts.
Time Magazine
Time Magazine
+6
Cultural festivals like Lunar New Year also mark seasonal changes (spring) and are deeply integrated with tradition, even if not strictly "religious"

Maremia

Is Ash Wednesday not too early, as it is the beginning of Lent?

Yes, Duh!

I'm watching Ben Fogle at the same time!
Just Wednesday.

Wyllow3

Fascinating discussion - thank you all. I wanted to find out if other religions are based on the turning seasons of the year.

these of course are based in the Northern Hemisphere - it would not be surprised by dont know for example what Aboriginal Culture in Australia or cultures in Southern Africa or South America practised in relationship to seasonal changes.

its AI, with the usual references

Yes, almost all world religions have major celebrations tied to the seasons, often focusing on spring renewal, autumn harvests, or winter light

These festivals align with nature’s cycles, marking agricultural milestones or celestial events like solstices and equinoxes, often featuring feasts, light, and new clothing.
Anabaptist World
Anabaptist World
+4
Examples of Seasonal Religious Celebrations:

Hinduism/Sikhism: Diwali (Autumn) is the "Festival of Lights" marking the changing season and new beginnings. Holi (Spring) celebrates the end of winter. Makar Sankranti marks the sun's journey into the Northern Hemisphere.

Judaism: Passover (Spring) coincides with the vernal equinox, while Hanukkah (Winter) brings light to the darkest time of the year. Tu BiShvat is the new year for trees.

Buddhism: Bodhi Day (December/January) commemorates the Buddha's enlightenment, and Songkran (Spring/April) is a water festival new year in Thailand.

Wiccan/Pagan: The "Wheel of the Year" includes eight seasonal festivals (Sabbats) such as Yule (Winter Solstice), Beltane (Spring/May Day), and Samhain (Autumn/Halloween).

Islam: While Islamic festivals move through seasons due to the lunar calendar, Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr are significant religious events often celebrated with community feasts.
Time Magazine
Time Magazine
+6
Cultural festivals like Lunar New Year also mark seasonal changes (spring) and are deeply integrated with tradition, even if not strictly "religious"

Man is a religious animal because he needs to value what keeps him and his people alive.
Religious behaviour is composed of
* belief in foundation myths

* specialised sacred rituals

* codified ethics and moral systems

PS seasonal change is very important for rural peoples. Urban peoples tend to be out of touch with seasons and even out of touch with weather.

The Unitarian church I used to go to in Edinburgh was much concerned with the natural world and the present damage man is doing to it. |

Allira

Maremia

Is Ash Wednesday not too early, as it is the beginning of Lent?

Yes, Duh!

I'm watching Ben Fogle at the same time!
Just Wednesday.

Actually Holy Wednesday in the Christian calendar.

(Must not multi-task.)

Skye17

It’s an interesting fact that in most European languages the name for what we call Easter comes from the Greek word for Passover, Pascha.

(E g
French: Pâques
Italian: Pasqua
Spanish: Pascua
Swedish: Påsk
Welsh: Pasg
Russian: Paskha)

As Tim O’Neill points out,

//Christians had been celebrating Easter at this time [Passover] since at least the second century AD, which was around 400 years before Christianity came to England and encountered any worshippers of [the goddess] Eostre.//
historyforatheists.com/2017/04/easter-ishtar-eostre-and-eggs/

So much for the idea that the Christian festival is based on the worship of this goddess Eostre (about whom we know almost nothing). And in most languages it’s not even called after her.

Thank you. I wondered why Germans say 'Frohe Ostern'.

Maremia

I have not been arguing that the Christian versions have evolved from Pagon ones. Sorry if that has been your interpretation of my posts.
Instead I think that the newer Christian practices have 'tacked on' to the timing of older ones. As humans, we have been Pagan for longer than we have been Christian, if that's what you are. By doing this, it has made the 'transition' much easier.
There are lots of pre Christian practices still observed in South American Christianity.
I am fascinated by detail of how all of this has evolved .
I don't feel that it detracts from respect or belief.
Let's find some more.

That’s fine. In the case of England and this festival, though - the one that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus - I don’t think the festival can have tacked on to the timing of an older festival, as it was being celebrated in March/April 400 years earlier in another part of the world, before any Christians came across any worshippers of Eostre.

Yes, I am a Christian.