What’s the real history behind Easter and its traditions? Before Christmas I posted about the historic roots of Christmas traditions, and I thought it’s time to shine my light on Easter.

What are historical facts about Easter?

The story of Easter (the betrayal of Jesus, his crucifixion and resurrection) is described in the Bible which is not regarded as a trustworthy historical source. Historians mostly rely on Roman sources and have reached consensus only on a couple of facts.

-Jesus was born and baptised sometime between 7 and 2 BC.

-Jesus was crucified sometime between 30 and 36 AD and probably in March.

There is a debate about why Jesus was crucified, but he most likely posed a threat to the Roman authorities and was seen as a dangerous public figure.

Crucifixion was (one of) the most cruel, gruesome, and humiliating Roman forms of punishment and only used for slaves and enemies of the state.The fact that Jesus was crucified is proof for many historians that it really happened. Followers of Jesus would have never come up with such a humiliating way to die.

Origin of Easter: Date, traditions, and celebrations.

First, the date. During the first centuries of Christianity there was a debate between the clergy when Easter should be celebrated. In the end they agreed to use a complicated calculation, computus, based on the lunar calendar and the data of the Jewish feast of Passover. It is now celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon in March.

The most famous Easter symbols, eggs and bunnies, originate from Pagan traditions, like the Christmas tree. On their quest to convert everyone to Christianity, missionaries combined the story of Jesus with existing celebrations and traditions. As Christmas celebrates Midwinter and the fact that the shortest day has passed, Easter celebrates the spring, new life and fertility. What better symbols for new life and fertility than eggs and bunnies?

Painting eggs is probably related to Lent. Christians traditionally fast 40 days before Easter and couldn’t eat eggs. They would save them, decorate them and eat them when Easter arrived. 

Originally posted on Instagram on April 14, 2022