Do Pagan Traditions Hinder the Message of Easter?

Easter is the time Christians celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a holiday which is also shared with secular traditions such as Easter egg hunts, candy and the infamous Easter bunny. Although some of these traditions derive from pagan observances which date all the back to the Roman Empire, do they hinder the gospel message?

While churches around the world celebrate the message of Easter some find its non sacred traditions troubling. The name Easter is not biblical; it is a derivative of Eastre, an Anglo-Saxon Goddess of Spring and Fertility. Many believe this Spring Goddess had a hare as her companion; the hare symbolized rebirth and fertility. Some reports say Christians later changed the symbol from a hare to the Easter bunny.

It has been stated that this goddess who was known by the names of Eastre, Oestre and Ostara is a goddess of the dawn and … click HERE to continue reading