Easter's Secret History

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As a child I remember sitting through service on Easter Sunday. The longest sermon of the year, although for some reason I was intrigued. Maybe it was because I knew that when I got home a big Easter basket, a few new toys and so much chocolate candy that half of it would see the following Easter was waiting for me at home.

In all of my gluttony on Easter Sunday I never failed to question where my chocolate Jesus was. Where were my chocolate burrow, or palm tree and crucifix? This is what Pastor Bob talked about in his sermon every year. He never mentioned an Easter bunny, or an Easter basket. He never alluded to a biblical Easter egg hunt.

As I would come down from my sugar high and smile proudly at my bounty of found plastic Easter Eggs filled with money and chocolate I no longer cared why, I was just happy it was all mine.

Now I'm thirty years old, with two little boys of my own running around the yard searching for their share of the Easter bounty, and I have to ask myself why all over again.

Have you ever wondered why the celebration of Jesus Christ's crucifixion and resurrection is celebrated with an Easter bunny and colored Easter eggs? Well, the answers may surprise you. They surprised me.
Like many holidays, including Christmas, Halloween and Mayday, Easter's roots lie deep in the pagan religion, dating back centuries before Christianity.

Paganism is the earliest known religion. Although there are many facades of worship encompassed in the pagan religion the most relevant description of pagan belief is the worship of the Goddess, otherwise known as Mother Nature. Despite popular belief pagans do not worship Satan, practice human sacrifice or conjure up black magic.

While most of us know Easter as the celebration of Christ's resurrection it was first a pagan celebration known as Eastre and celebrated in central and northern Europe. It was, and still is for some, the celebration of the Vernal (Spring) Equinox and the Fertility Goddess, Eastre.

The Christian church converted many pagans by infusing the Christian God and customs with already existing pagan tradition and celebration rituals. Easter is one of many examples. Some may say it was an evil trick while others may say it was genius marketing. In order to convert the pagans, Christians chose to celebrate on or around the dates of pagan celebrations, keeping most of the rituals and traditions intact and only substituting their God, their names and their religion.

It is no coincidence that Easter and Eastre are nearly identical in spelling. Nor is it a coincidence that Easter takes place around the same time as the spring equinox. Easter celebrates the resurrection of Christ while Eastre celebrates the resurrection of spring.

I know what you're thinking. None of this answers the original question of 'Why the celebration of Jesus Christ's crucifixion and resurrection is celebrated with an Easter bunny and colored Easter eggs?'

It's easy to believe that the Easter bunny is a creation of commercial America. Well, that's wrong. At the celebration of the pagan festival of Eastre, pagan's worshiped a rabbit, the earthly symbol of the Goddess, Eastre. Thus, Peter Cotton Tail. Eastre was also symbolized with an egg. The egg symbolized fertility in nature and the season's rebirth from the long winter months. Eggs were used in these celebrations as well. The eggs were painted with bright colors and, again they represented the resurrection of spring.

They were then given as gifts to fellow pagans.
Although I now know why my children eat chocolate bunnies and search for colored eggs on Easter Sunday, and I have a pretty good idea why Pastor Bob has never mentioned paganism and the Fertility Goddess, Eastre in his sermon, I have to wonder is my family really better off knowing that the Easter bunny originated from another religion. I don't think so. The holidays are hectic enough without the thought of ancient religions dueling for our time and allegiance, besides there is something magical about the mystery of the Easter Bunny and his Easter Eggs.
But I am a man of equality so I would like to be the first, maybe ever, to wish you a happy Eastre, and it's more famous by product, Easter.
Happy Easter.

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History of Easter Gifts

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Easter gifts have a long and fascinating history. Gifting is tied to the holiday known as Easter, and ancient Pagan rituals focused at this time of year upon the renewal of the earth, the upcoming green new growth that the emerging sunlight and warmer weather encouraged, and the idea of birth and rebirth. The egg is a symbol of all of these ideas, and was adopted by and still is used in Christian Easter celebrations to this day.

To start, eggs were painted and decorated and used as gifts. They were given as a romantic gift to admirers, as well as to servants and children. People of Eastern Orthodox faiths made this tradition their own by dying their eggs red to symbolize Christ's blood, and on Easter day they would crack the eggs, to represent Christ breaking out of the tomb. As technology improved, there were hollow eggs crafted from cardboard that were filled with smaller gifts, typically food items. Hollow eggs were also formed from sugar, and were decorated with sugar royal icings. Perhaps the ultimate gift egg was the Fabergé egg, which was studded with real jewels and was given originally as a gift for the Czar of Russia. Around this time chocolate easter eggs were created, and soon became a favorite holiday tradition. As an extension of the egg, the chick was also associated with Easter, and today children will often find marshmallow chicks as a gift that was linked to the original prominence of the egg in the Easter celebration.

Another type of gift you will likely find in modern Easter baskets are rabbits, usually in the form of a toy stuffed rabbit or rabbit-shaped candies and chocolates. This tradition also traces back to early Pagan traditions. Rabbits are known for their ability to reproduce, and this idea of birth, especially in early spring when rabbits tend to give birth to their young, helped to tie them as yet another symbol of this holiday season.

Clothing was sometimes associated as an Easter gift. In the early Catholic tradition, if the faithful were baptized the night before Easter Sunday, they wore white robes for Easter week. If they were baptized before this night, then they got to wear new clothes. Everyone wearing their robes or new clothes could then take part in an Easter parade, which was a walk after mass on Easter Day.

Because of the association with a new growth cycle, gifts from the garden are also connected to Easter. Easter lilies are often given as gifts because they bloom around the time Easter is celebrated.

Easter baskets in early times contained gifts to the goddess Oestre in the hopes that she would grant a good harvest. Eggs were often collected in baskets as well. German legend of an Easter hare, later changed to rabbit, which would bring a basket filled with sweets and colored eggs to children on Easter morning, was brought to America by early German settlers, and the practice continues to this day.

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History of Chocolate Easter Confection

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The Mayans and Aztecs were two ancient people groups of Southern Mexico and Guatemala. What did they have to do with the history of Easter? This is where chocolate originated, and tied to the history of chocolate Easter confections provides a rich holiday legacy.

The Mayans and Aztecs discovered that the seeds of the cacao tree can be processed into chocolate. These early peoples mixed the ground cacao seeds with spices to create a beverage. The Aztecs used cacao seeds as money, and they exacted cacao seeds from their citizens and their conquered. In Aztec culture, only royalty and elite could drink chocolate, but in Mayan culture more people had access to chocolate. Both cultures used chocolate as religious offerings and during sacred rituals.

Spanish conquistadors, after exploring Mexico, brought the seeds with them back to Spain, and the cacao seeds eventually spread all over Europe. It was in Europe that the ground cacao seeds were mixed with sugar, and a new taste sensation was born. At this time in Europe only the rich could afford to drink chocolate.

The Industrial Revolution brought modern technology to the making of chocolate, and it was at this time that technology made it possible for chocolate to be eaten in its solid form. It could also be mass produced, making it more accessible to a wider audience. Even today machines are used to sort and clean the seeds, then weigh them. After this they are roasted and cleaned still further. At this point they get ground and through this process they are liquefied, then separated into cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Although each chocolate manufacturer has their own specific recipes for making chocolate, they all essentially mix together chocolate liquor, sugar, condensed milk and cocoa butter to create chocolate crumb. The crumb is pressed and forms chocolate paste, which is then blended in a large vat. At this stage, the chocolate is heated and cooled several times to temper it, making is shiny. After it is tempered, it can be poured into molds, forming all the familiar shapes in which chocolate comes. It can also be poured over flavored centers or the shaped chocolate can be filled with liquid. Finally, a machine is used to package the chocolate for sale.

The first solid chocolate Easter eggs were created in Germany and France around 1800. After this came the formation of hollow chocolate eggs, and with modern machines that could mass produce the confections, over time they became one of the best-loved Easter confections around the globe. To satisfy our worldwide sweet tooth requires the manufacture of ninety million chocolate Easter bunnies every year. Today's Easter baskets, filled with Easter gifts, are a chocolate-filled holiday tradition.

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Christmas in July - Fun Facts and History!

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The Australian 'Christmas in July' celebration is a somewhat unusual and some suggest even slightly eccentric festival that now attracts international travellers to the land down-under! Christmas in July' or Yulefest as it is also known is believed to have been born by accident one snowy wintery night in July of 1980 at an award-winning boutique hotel 'Mountain Heritage' in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. A group of Irish guests noticed the irony of winter weather in July and wanting to recreate the feelings associated with winter back home, asked the hotel proprietor if he could organise a few Christmas-style food and festivities for them that night. Thus was born Christmas in July sporting Christmas decorations, snowmen, mulled wine, carols, roast dinners, mince pies, plum pudding, egg nog, bonbons, Christmas crackers, log fires and the occasional snow fall amongst a magical winter Yuletide wonderland of festivities.

The idea spread fast and now in July, the peak season for the Australian snow fields, Christmas decorations and special events are meticulously planned to attract visitors for snow themed Yulefest celebrations. Many families now enjoy winter holidays at the snow fields where they build snowmen as they watch Santa Claus in the distance zip zagging through the snow slops HoHOho-ing!

Interestingly, the earliest reference for the phrase 'Christmas in July' was in July 1933 at a girl's summer camp in North Carolina USA. The term later gained momentum with the release of the Hollywood movie comedy 'Christmas in July' in 1940. Later in 1942, the Calvary Baptist Church in the USA celebrated 'Christmas in July' featuring a sermon 'Christmas Presents in July' which also included the erection of a Christmas tree, which by the end of the sermon would be covered with donations and gifts from the congregation. The donations and gifts are then distributed to missions worldwide. In 1946 this annual service began to be broadcast over local radio. It was not until the 1950's that American advertisers lead the way for "Christmas in July" themes for sales.

While the Yulefest has become an incredibly popular annual Australian non-official holiday season, Christmas in July in Copenhagen, Denmark at Bakken is quite unique, featuring the annual World Santa Claus Congress. Bakken is a popular amusement park where hundreds of Santas, Mrs Clauses and elves from around the world come together to be jolly at this festival each year. They hold parades and love to go to the beach for an annual beach paddle. It's known to be quite amusing to see all these Santas at the beach. The King of Santas for the year is named during this 'Christmas in July festival' and many challenging issues are discussed like what is Santa's true homeland and what size presents should be given! There are even belly shaking chuckle competitions as part of the festivities at this fun event.

Here are some universal thoughts on some of the symbols related to Christmas in July:

- Red is the main colour of Christmas in July - represents the magical flow of life, the blood that flows within all of us - so remember to let your love, passion and energy flow. Commit to show your love a little more each day and do what you do, no matter how insignificant you may consider it, with a little more love and enthusiasm each day and you will discover a new passion for life within you and a new flow of energy.

- The second colour of Christmas in July is green - greenery reminds us to honour the everlasting transformative element of nature. Everything is radiating energy. Energy does not die it merely transforms. Green soothes our heart knowing we are part of an endless cycle that disburses and rebirths anew.

- The combination of Red and Green on the colour wheel - red and green are opposites and opposites create balance. These two prominent colours of Christmas in July draw us to a deep unconscious connection to harmony and peace that we all seek within. The Christmas wreath has both red and green and is tied with a ribbon to remind us that we are all tied together; we belong to each other!

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