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Since it's Easter Sunday...I did quite a lot of research for our talk on Ostara last week. Modern pagan catma holds that the festival is named after an ancient pagan goddess, Eostre or similar. Someone who appears to have held a similar name was worshipped in the Main Valley during the Dark Ages, but this whole 'Eostre' thing appears to have been more or less made up by the Venerable Bede and revived by Jacob Grimm. Eostre herself was most probably a dawn goddess (the word seems to be related to Aurora) and quite possibly nothing to do with the spring at all.
Sue Thomason has just told me that Bede was, in fact, a more careful historian than I've previously given him credit for, and was careful to note that he he was reporting hearsay and did not have any further evidence for his comments on Eostre.
It's also debatable whether the ancient Celts regarded the egg as a symbol of renewal and rebirth, although there appear to have been egg rolling ceremonies at Beltane, which of course is 6 weeks after the Spring Equinox itself. One authority suggests that the prevalence of eggs during Easter stems from the excess quantity of eggs accumulated over Lent (not being a Christian, I can't comment accurately on Lenten dietary customs, but perhaps someone else can?)
The bunny thing probably does come from hares, as it was apparently forbidden to hunt hares except for this time of year - a relic of this is found in a Hare Chase in Leicestershire, where the hare is still symbolically hunted.
And hot cross buns were, until relatively recently, credited with magical powers. A woman in Norfolk, known for her magical prowess, used to throw one into the Ouse every year, to prevent flooding.
Chocolate is inter-denominational, however!
Sue Thomason has just told me that Bede was, in fact, a more careful historian than I've previously given him credit for, and was careful to note that he he was reporting hearsay and did not have any further evidence for his comments on Eostre.
It's also debatable whether the ancient Celts regarded the egg as a symbol of renewal and rebirth, although there appear to have been egg rolling ceremonies at Beltane, which of course is 6 weeks after the Spring Equinox itself. One authority suggests that the prevalence of eggs during Easter stems from the excess quantity of eggs accumulated over Lent (not being a Christian, I can't comment accurately on Lenten dietary customs, but perhaps someone else can?)
The bunny thing probably does come from hares, as it was apparently forbidden to hunt hares except for this time of year - a relic of this is found in a Hare Chase in Leicestershire, where the hare is still symbolically hunted.
And hot cross buns were, until relatively recently, credited with magical powers. A woman in Norfolk, known for her magical prowess, used to throw one into the Ouse every year, to prevent flooding.
Chocolate is inter-denominational, however!
