14th April, 06
The real and original meaning of Easter has its roots in antiquity celebrating survival through the harsh northern winter into a food productive spring. The joy generated by the return of the Sun is as old as humanity itself. Our ancient forebears accredited this event to the particular gods in vogue. The European god Eostre, from which Easter derives its name and the Greek god Persephone are but two of note but numerous others strutted the supernatural stage.
Christianity usurped the existing gods, replacing them with their own by assimilation and by force. Similarly, the Easter festival slowly took on the trappings of the new ‘faith’. This feat achieved by retaining the age-old themes of god/men, virgin births, resurrections and miraculous happenings. There is nothing new in the Christian myths.
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