Spring is in the air! And chocolate eggs and chocolate bunnies are filling shelves in the shops! But what is Easter really about? For Christians it is time to celebrate the anniversary of the resurrection of Jesus. The name "Easter" comes from the name of a Saxon goddess of spring, "Eostre". She either had a hare's head, or was always seen with a hare by her side. Hares or rabbits represented enviable fertility to the pagans.

And this is where the notion of the Easter Bunny comes from! Originally a spirit, it brought new life in eggs with it when it appeared in spring. Today someone dressed as Easter Bunny may be seen at a hunt for Easter eggs! Eggs were another symbol of new life and fertility, part of the pagan worship of the resurgence of life with the arrival of spring.

The Bible and other historical records tell us that Jesus was crucified just before "Passover", a Jewish festival held in the spring-time. The exact date of Passover moves around as the time of it is dictated by the old Jewish calendar which isn't the same as the Gregorian calendar the western world now runs by.

About 350 years after the crucifixion of Jesus, church leaders decided to tell people what day Easter should be observed, as people were choosing different days based on different reasoning. For instance, should Easter Day always be on a Sunday, as this was the original day of the resurrection, or could it be on a week day if the changing date of Passover dictated this? These church leaders decided that Easter Sunday will always be on the First Sunday after the full moon that directly follows the Spring Equinox!

Even though in this way Christian Easter became separated from Jewish Passover, the resurrection of Jesus in some meaningful ways mirrored the events of Passover, and really has nothing in common with the earlier pagan spring festivals, except that new life at spring-time is sometimes used as a picture of new life with Jesus. The Passover was established as a reminder to God's people of how he had rescued them from slavery in Egypt. Jesus rescues us from slavery to sin.

The Jewish families were saved that day by marking their homes with lamb's blood. The Bible says Jesus was the last sacrificial lamb, the last time blood would have to be spilt to pay for our sins. Christians believe that Jesus paid the price for our sins by his death on the cross, and showed he has conquered sin and death by his resurrection. That's what we celebrate on Easter Sunday!

Later, the church instructed people to observe other special days in the run up to Easter to remember different events in Jesus life, from Shrove Tuesday, through Lent, to Ascension Day and Pentecost.

Richmond Park Church, Read more about the life of Jesus and where Easter traditions came from