The Symbols of Easter

So this time of the year, we see many articles and status updates on Facebook that say that the accepted symbols of Easter are nothing more than pagan elements that the Christian church has adopted into their annual worship, for instance, Easter eggs and the Easter Bunny.  So what’s the truth?

There is, without a doubt, a pagan influence in these Easter symbols.  For centuries, eggs and rabbits were associated with the worship of the pagan goddess Eostre in the spring, for the eggs represented new life and the rabbit represented fertility.  However, the traditions of painting eggs was a Christian tradition from the beginning.

According to Eastern Orthodox tradition, Mary Magdelene visited the Emperor Tiberius and showed him an egg as a way to talk about the resurrection of Jesus.  According to tradition, the egg was white to start with, and the Emperor scoffed that the resurrection was as likely as the white egg turning red.  After his words were uttered, the egg did turn red.  Another version of the story is that the egg was read to begin with, as a sign of the blood of Christ.

This tradition has been translated into Orthodox icons and historical paintings portraying Mary Magdalene holding a red egg or a flask of myrrh.  The flask of myrrh was a sign of Mary’s presence at the tomb to anoint Christ’s body for burial.  Coloring eggs red at Easter became a tradition and a symbol of the blood of Christ, and has evolved into our modern tradition of brightly coloring eggs for Easter.

The tradition of the Easter Bunny in America began with the immigration of the German people into the Pennsylvania area in the 1800s.  Their traditions, derived from the pagan worship of the goddess Eostre, included the Easter Hare, which became our Easter Bunny, an Americanized symbol tied to the Easter holiday.

The egg has continued as a symbol of the resurrection of Christ to this day.  Not only is it a symbol of new life, but many use the egg to symbolize the stone tomb and the rising of Jesus on Easter morning.  Another tradition is the rolling of eggs, which symbolizes the rolling away of the stone from Jesus’ tomb.  Dolly Madison, the wife of Pres. James Madison, introduce the most famous Easter egg roll, which still takes place annually on the White House South lawn.

So enjoy your Easter eggs and your Easter baskets this year with a guilt-free heart as you celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and His victory over sin and death and His promise of eternal life.