Second century Christian missionaries astutely observed
that the then ancient festival to Eostra, commemorating
the start of spring, coincided with the time of year they
themselves observed Christ's Resurrection. It was decided
to include the Christian ceremony with the Pagan ritual
which had the effect of creating a protective blanket
over the Christians and subsequently saved many lives.

The date of Easter is governed by a combination of the
phases of the moon and the vernal equinox. It falls on
the first Sunday after the date of the first full moon that
occurs on or after the vernal equinox (21^st March). The
same time as of the Anglo-Saxon and Norse Festivals
dedicated to Eostra, and the Pagan festival of Me'an
Earraigh. There are some marked similarities between
the pagan festivals and the Christian Easter. The name
itself can be seen, without too much stretch of the
imagination, to have derived from Eostra.

The Pagan festival Me'an Earraigh marks the time of
the vernal equinox, one of the two dates of the year when
both night and day are of equal length and the official
beginning of spring. It was thought of as the time of
resurrection, as after the equinox, the Sun will continually
grow in strength and the day lengthens until it reaches
its longest at the Summer Solstice. It was a convenient
time to replace an already important resurrection festival
with the celebration of the resurrection of Christ.

The egg was significant here, as it was the symbol of
rebirth, fertility and immortality. It was decorated, usually
boiled having previously been wrapped in leaves, bark or
flowers that would stain the eggs different colours. Some
would be buried in the earth or the grain store to promote
fertility others given to mummers or 'pace-eggers' who
went from door to door performing. Later the eggs were
used for games, they might be hidden or rolled down hills
and chased. How many children realize what an ancient
tradition they are following when they hunt eggs on the
White House lawn? And how many of the parents would
approve that help to hide eggs in their church grounds
for the children to find?

The Anglo-Saxon and Norse festivals of Eostra have also
left a mark on the traditions of Easter like Me'an Earraigh.
There are two versions of the Anglo-Saxon Eostra myth.
Firstly she was a goddess with whom a rabbit was besotted,
and he left eggs, dyed in the colors of spring, to please her.
She was so impressed with them that she gave him the duty
of pleasing all those who venerated her with gifts of dyed
'Eostara eggs'. The second version says she was a
constellation that looked like a rabbit, in the spring she
descended to earth as a great bird and laid eggs as gifts
of the returning spring. Eostra was the maiden aspect of
earth, the potential, the fertility, and the budding new life.
At the feast, an ox was sacrificed and the image of his horns
carved into ritual bread, this evolved into the Easter buns,
Hot Cross Buns. The word 'bun' is derived from the Saxon
word 'boun' meaning 'sacred cow'!

The Norse had a version of the myth with the same
elements, but a slightly different story line. It was a
festival of renewal, rejoicing and fertility, although for
most of the Northern People, winter was still very evident
and the ground too frozen to plough. The gift of colored
eggs were given to friends and loved ones as a way of
wishing them well for the coming season; a ritual of
prosperity and fertility. The rabbit was symbolized here
because of it's re-emergence during this season, and for it reproductive ability.

For several dacades after its inception, Easter was
variously celebrated on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
In 325, the Council of Nicaea that had been convened
by the Emporer Constantine, issued the so called 'Easter
rule', cementing the date configuration and the day as
Sunday.