Origin of Easter Color?
449155
Tumescence.\n\n(Hey, it was originally a pagan fertlilty celebration.)
308818
The Easter Bunny is one among many pagan symbols associated with the Christian Easter holiday.  In fact, even the name of the holiday "Easter" is a pagan reference to the pagan goddess of spring, Eostre.  The bunny is a pagan symbol of fertility.  The eggs are also a sign of fertility.  Don't ask me why the bunny brings the eggs...I don't know what that bunny was doing to the chicken!\n\nIt's generally understood that, in order to reduce conflict and increase adoption of the Catholic faith (which has been the dominant "version" of Christianity for most centuries), the Catholic Church integrated many pagan symbols, festivals, etc. into Christian holidays.  Christmas, for example, is another solstice celebration that borrowed many elements from pagan Mithrasism and Saturnalia.
729889
white cross on green background (I think)
350141
Heres a website with the answer that is way to complex for me to say unless i just copyed and pasted, good luck.\nhttp://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/easter.html
194569
I have done searches on the internet for various topics like this and others.  All you have to do is type "origins of -----".  You can type in origins of any holiday, or even religious customs, etc.  You can even type in the trinity, the cross, etc.  There is a lot of good information to be found by doing this, but read a lot of different versions.
338206
German Protestants wanted to retain the Catholic custom of eating colored eggs for Easter, but did not want to introduce their children to the Catholic rite of fasting. Eggs were forbidden to Catholics during the fast of Lent, which was the reason for the abundance of eggs at Easter time.\n\nThe idea of an egg-laying rabbit came to the United States in the 18th century. German immigrants in the Pennsylvania Dutch area told their children about the "Osterhase" (also: "Oschter Haws"). "Hase" means "hare", not rabbit, and in Northwest European folklore the "Easter Bunny" indeed is a hare, not a rabbit.\n\nOnly good children received gifts of colored eggs in the nests that they made in their caps and bonnets before Easter. Presumably, the Oschter Haws laid them when the children were not looking.\n\nA hundred years later Jakob Grimm wrote of long-standing similar myths in Germany itself. Noting many related landmarks and customs, Grimm suggested that these derived from legends of Ostara.
299037
The colors were originally an adaptation of the Flag of France, with green instead of blue. Some have tried to attribute some particular values to the colors, and a common interpretation is that green is for the plains and the hills, white for the snowy Alps, and red for the blood spilt in the Italian Independence wars. A more religious intepretation is that green represents hope, white represents faith and red represents charity. This interpretation connects to the three theological virtues.
408751
Easter comes from a pagan celebration for the coming of spring.(early christians adopted the celebration so more pagans would become christian).  the rabbit symbolized fertility along with eggs.  I have no clue where the whole chocolate thing came from.
420919
Easter is derived from an ancient Germanic name for the month of April, Eostremonat--or rather Eostre Month, in dedication to the goddess Eostre. Eostre, or Ostara was a German goddess of fertility and her return was marked by the coming of spring and the sun. The Ost in her name refers to the East--the rising of the sun. The rebirth of the day and the rebirth of the spring were her specialties, and her celebrations occured during the vernal equinox--the first day of spring. Of course calendar dates have gotten juggled about for quite a few different reasons over time and now April is no longer where it once was on the calendar at what is now March 21st.\n\nThe rabbit was a traditional symbol of the goddess because of its great fertility, and the fact that the coming of spring marked the time when all of the little bunnies were seen starting to be born.\n\nWhen Christianity became the predominant religion it was an easy transition to introduce the rebirth of the Christ figure into the already extant birth and rebirth tradition. Old ways die hard, and the bunny stuck around. \n\nAlthough there are several explanations for the eggs the Easter bunny brings, (other than eggs are another traditional symbol of birth/rebirth) the most likely is that eggs were forbidden during the fast of lent, and were decorated and eaten in abundance to mark the end of the fast.\n\nGerman protestants, although breaking with Roman Catholocism and the tradition of the lent fast, liked the egg tradition and kept it. And when German immigrants came to America, they brought with them the traditions of the Osterhase (Easter hare) and his eggs.\n\nInasmuch as Christianity has stolen the ancient goddess' name for their own holiday, it seems only fitting that its original mascot still puts in an appearance each year.
324788
Easter Sunday's date is loosely based on the Jewish calendar. That is the reason it is so complicated. And the reason it is based on the Jewish calendar is that the historical event occurred on the Jewish holiday of Passover. (Note, however, that some years, the computation of Easter does *not* bring it to a date on or near Passover, as the computation is different for 2 or 3--I don't remember any more--of the 19 year cycle.)\n\nThere are 2 different ways to calculate the date in any given year. One is based on a list of 19 dates (when you get to the bottom of the list, you start over at the beginning), where Easter is the Sunday following the corresponding date on the list.\n\nThe other method requires computing full moons after the (northern hemisphere) spring equinox, then adding days, again to bring it to a Sunday.\n\nThis is somewhat simplified. It is the basic information, not the detail. See below if you want to do the math yourself. Note, also, that the Eastern churches celebrate Easter on different dates in most years.
234560
I've know about the pagan link between the Easter Bunny and fertility and such for a while.  Here's some other websites I've found:\nhttp://www.easterbunnys.net/easterbunnyhistory.htm\nhttp://wilstar.com/holidays/easter.htm\nhttp://www.chiff.com/a/easter-bunny.htm\n\nPretty much, it seems we get the word Easter from the German holiday that used to take place at about the same time of year.  Easter falls close to Passover - the story of Jesus on the cross takes place in the new testament immediately following the last supper, which was a Passover feast.\n\nBasically, the early Christians borrowed symbols from pagan religions for all of their holidays.  Many Christmas traditions stem from these rituals as well.
314658
I'll tell you what i was taught\n\nan egg represents birth and is tied into jesus ressurection\n\na rabbit symbolizes fertility and thus more life\n\nnow i read that easter was actually a pagan holiday to begin with (much like christmas) and christians changed it around to be apart of the bible.\n\nso I'm sure the rabbit and the eggs may stem from that, but that's what i was taught and what i teach
425131
Some churches begin celebration of the Resurrection from Saturday night called an Easter Vigil. It is not just Catholic Churches who practice this. My church has a Saturday night Easter Vigil, (which I just got home from-LOL) a "Son-rise" service at about 5AM, and another Easter Morning Service at 10AM. Our church does not make people come to all three services. \n\nThe significance of the fire is it is to symbolize light in the dark-- as Christ is the light in our darkness. At the Easter Vigil, sometimes a number of scripture readings are read, such as the story of creation from Genesis, so the light/dark metaphor is also illustrated this way as well. Usually people who go to Sonrise Services have a fire lit as well, but then the natural daylight takes over. Again, it is the same principle. The service starts in the dark, and the fire represents the light of Christ in our dark world. The rising of the sun symbolizes the light of Christ AND the Resurrection.
676741
EASTER NOT FOUND IN THE BIBLE\n"The English word 'Easter' came from the Anglo-Saxon Eastre or Estera, a Teutonic goddess to whom sacrifice was offered in April, so the name was transferred to the Pashal Feast. The word does not properly occur in Scripture although the AV (King James Translation) has it in ACTS 12:4 where it stands for 'Passover' as it is rightly rendered in RV (Revised Version). There is no trace of Easter celebration in the New Testament..." (INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPEDIA VOL.2, P.889). The word 'Easter' has confused some but the word in the original form is "Pascha" meaning "Passover". It occurs 29 times in the New Testament & everytime it's translated Passover except in Acts 12:4. If you read carefully (ACTS 12:1-4); it says that Herod killed James and was trying to kill Peter in an effort to "vex the church"(Please the Jews). Then in VERSE 3 "were the days of unleavened bread"; see LEV.23. He put him in prison intending to try him "after Easter" (KJV). Now if Herod was trying to "please the Jews" & "vex the church" Why would he have delayed the trial until after 'Easter?'" BY GROVER STEVENS (WWW.BIBLEANSWER.COM/EASTER2.HTM) If this was a "christian holy day", especially one in honoring Christ's resurrection, he would surely not be pleasing the Jews, Wouldn't it be more pleasing to the Jews to vex the church by killing one of it's Apostles on it's own "holy-day," would it not?\n\nORIGIN OF EASTER: WHERE DID IT COME FROM?\nEaster was never observed by the Apostles of Christ or Christ's Religion. "The name 'Easter' comes to us from the mythlogical writings of the Ancient Teucrians (who lived 1200BC along the southern coast of Palestine) where it's known as 'Ostern'" BY GROVER STEVENS. "The name 'Easter' is merely the slightly changed English spelling of the name of the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian idol goddess, Ishtar (pronounced eesh-tar)." WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY says "Easter is from the pre-historic name of a pagan spring festival." THE OXFORD DICTIONARY OF ENGLISH ETYMOLOGY says, "Easter is derived from the name of goddess whose feast was celebrated at the vernal equinox." THE SCHOLARY NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA says, "This goddess is also widely known as Astarte...The cult originated in Babylonia and spread to Assyria, Mesopotamia, Syria & Palestine, then through the Phoenicians to all of the Meditteranean peoples...Ishtar was in fact primarily and chiefly identified as Venus, the most beautiful of celestial objects & from the terrestrial side, the primarily motive of the worship of Ishtar was the impulse to deify sensuous and sensuality." ALEXANDER HISLOP SAYS IN THE TWO BABYLONS (P.103), "Easter bears its Chaldean origin on its forehead. Easter is nothing else than Asarte, one of the titles of Beltis, the queen of heaven..."\n\nVERSES-- DEUT.4:19,28-31; 11:26-28; 17:3 & GAL.4:8-10.\n\n\nINFORMATION ABOUT THIS TOPIC AND OTHER PAGAN DAYS IN--\n\nWWW.PANTHEON.ORG/ARTICLES/I/ISHTAR.HTML\nWWW.INFOPLEASE.COM/SPOT/EASTERINTROL.HTML\nwww.goddessgift.com/pandoras_box/easter-history.htm\nWWW.RETAKINGAMERICA.COM/EASTER_AND_ISHTAR.HTML\nWWW.SABBATARIAN.COM/PAGANISM/PAGANHOLIDAYS.HTML\nWWW.YAHWEHSWORD.ORG/11_PAGAN_HOLIDAYS_1.HTML\nWWW.LASTTRUMPETMINISTRIES.ORG/TRACTS/TRACT6.HTML\nWWW.BIBLESTUDY.ORG/BASICART/VALENTIN.HTML\nHOME_SPRYNET.COM/~PABCO/STVALEN.HTM\n"ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA", ART., "CUPID".\n\nGOT ALL INFORMATION IN WEBSITE BELOW--
310666
easter is the day that jesus ressurected and people celebrate it to honor that.  its the day that lint is over and most (religious) people go to church.  the whole easter egg thing probably began because eggs symbolize life and whatnot and somewhere in the past it turned into a hunt for children to do.  and easter is always celebrated on the 3rd sunday of april.  the wednesday before is passover and the friday before is good friday.
1045743
Only with great difficulty.\n\nSee http://www.davros.org/misc/easter.html
456746
The Decorated Easter Egg\n\n\nThe egg is nature's perfect package. It has, during the span of history, represented mystery, magic, medicine, food and omen. It is the universal symbol of Easter celebrations throughout the world and has been dyed, painted, adorned and embellished in the celebration of its special symbolism.\n\nBefore the egg became closely entwined with the Christian Easter, it was honored during many rite-of-Spring festivals. The Romans, Gauls, Chinese, Egyptians and Persians all cherished the egg as a symbol of the universe. From ancient times eggs were dyed, exchanged and shown reverence.\n\nIn Pagan times the egg represented the rebirth of the earth. The long, hard winter was over; the earth burst forth and was reborn just as the egg miraculously burst forth with life. The egg, therefore, was believed to have special powers. It was buried under the foundations of buildings to ward off evil; pregnant young Roman women carried an egg on their persons to foretell the sex of their unborn children; French brides stepped upon an egg before crossing the threshold of their new homes.\n\nWith the advent of Chrisianity the symbolism of the egg changed to represent, not nature's rebirth, but the rebirth of man. Christians embraced the egg symbol and likened it to the tomb from which Christ rose.\n\nOld Polish legends blended folklore and Christian beliefs and firmly attached the egg to the Easter celebration. One legend concerns the Virgin Mary. It tells of the time Mary gave eggs to the soldiers at the cross. She entreated them to be less cruel and she wept. The tears of Mary fell upon the eggs, spotting them with dots of brilliant color.\n\nAnother Polish legend tells of when Mary Magdalen went to the sepulchre to anoint the body of Jesus. She had with her a basket of eggs to serve as a repast. When she arrived at the sepulchre and uncovered the eggs, lo, the pure white shells had miraculously taken on a rainbow of colors.\n\nDecorating and coloring eggs for Easter was the custom in England during the middle ages. The household accounts of Edward I, for the year 1290, recorded an expenditure of eighteen pence for four hundred and fifty eggs to be gold-leafed and colored for Easter gifts.\n\nThe most famous decorated Easter eggs were those made by the well-known goldsmith, Peter Carl Faberge. In 1883 the Russian Czar, Alexander, commissioned Faberge to make a special Easter gift for his wife, the Empress Marie.\n\nThe first Faberge egg was an egg within an egg. It had an outside shell of platinum and enameled white which opened to reveal a smaller gold egg. The smaller egg, in turn, opened to display a golden chicken and a jeweled replica of the Imperial crown.\n\nThis special Faberge egg so delighted the Czarina that the Czar promptly ordered the Faberge firm to design further eggs to be delivered every Easter. In later years Nicholas II, Alexander's son, continued the custom. Fifty-seven eggs were made in all.\n\nOrnamental egg designers believe in the symbolism of the egg and celebrate the egg by decorating it with superb artistry. Some use flowers and leaves from greeting cards, tiny cherubs, jewels and elegant fabrics, braids and trims, to adorn the eggs. They are separated, delicately hinged and glued with epoxy and transparent cement, then when completed, they are covered with a glossy resin finish. Although the omens and the mystery of the egg have disappeared today, the symbolism remains, and artists continue in the old world tradition of adorning eggs.