# Is Easter Heathen?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-easter-heathen/851682>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [April 13, 2020, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-easter-heathen/851682 "2020-04-13T08:44:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-easter-heathen/851682/61 "2020-04-25T20:12:57Z")

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> [@DrDeth](#):
>
> Maybe they we heathen, maybe not, but we have no evidence they were connected with Eostra.

I’ve made no mention of Anglish-Teutonic festivals or deities. I do argue that absorbing pagan influences transforms Xian holidays into heathen events.

> [@](#):
>
> Eggs however are a Christian thing, as Catholics were forbidden to eat them during lent, so of course they ate them at Easter, with rejoicing. Similar with meat.
> 
> So that disproves that.

Where are eggs mentioned in New Testament texts? [Eggs in the Bible](https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/words/Eggs) shows no NT occurrences. [Lent](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lent) (a Teutonic term) itself, the 40 days preceding Easter, is likely an invention of the Council of Nicea in 325 and thus a political event. Note how many “church fathers” were of Roman senatorial families. [(cite)](https://www.jstor.org/stable/30224309) Ah, tradition!

Again, it’s might handy for Xianity to have a springtime festival for entertainment. Without an uncorroborated crucifixion, they’d have to invent an excuse. Wait, they did!

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**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-easter-heathen/851682/62 "2020-04-25T20:24:57Z")

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> [@RioRico](#):
>
> I’ve made no mention of Anglish-Teutonic festivals or deities. I do argue that absorbing pagan influences transforms Xian holidays into heathen events.  
> …  
> Again, it’s might handy for Xianity to have a springtime festival for entertainment. Without an uncorroborated crucifixion, they’d have to invent an excuse. Wait, they did!

It’s very hard to show that anything to do with Easter is pagan. Even Christmas is mostly folk, not pagan. Paganism was dead in Western Europe a long time ago.  
It wasnt originally for entertainment. And they didnt have to invent a excuse, Passover was centuries old.

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