Easter observances started in pagan traditions

This weekend, churches in the area are gearing up to host their annual Easter Sunday or Resurrection Sunday services.

Held each year on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox, Easter holds a special place in the Christian calendar, according to C3 Maryville youth pastor Atlas Oliver.

“Easter represents the day when Jesus Christ rose from the dead,” Oliver said. “It’s an important holiday in the Christian tradition because of what it represents.

“In the Bible, there are several instances of people being raised from the dead by Jesus and Paul, but this one was Jesus raising Himself from the dead. It represents how He conquered death, and helps us to realize that in Him, we can conquer death as well.”

Easter wasn’t always a Christian holiday, however. Oliver said that, like Christmas, Easter was “redeemed” by the church.

“Easter was the pagan holiday celebrating the springtime and the new life of nature,” Oliver explained. “It’s based on the lunar calendar, after the fourth full moon in the new year, they celebrated Easter, the god of fertility.

“The holiday was represented by a bunny, which was an apt sign of fertility. When the church placed Resurrection Sunday on the calendar, we followed the same pattern, choosing to redeem the holiday and celebrate the resurrection of Christ instead.”

That explains why some churches refer to Easter Sunday as “Resurrection Sunday,” as well as the presence of an egg-laying rabbit. As for the services and traditions of the week, Oliver said they have a strong basis in the Bible.

“The week starts with Palm Sunday, celebrating Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem,” Oliver said. “When you think about it, this is a pretty intense action.

“Jesus is entering Jerusalem to chants of ‘Hosanna,’ knowing that a week later, those same people would be screaming for his death. He knew what was coming, and he still went.”

From there, some traditions celebrate Maundy Thursday (or Holy Thursday), a remembrance of the night Jesus was handed over to Roman guards in the Garden of Gethsemane and taken through the trials which ultimately led to his crucifixion. That’s where the rest of the traditions sync back up.

“We celebrate Good Friday as a representation of when Jesus was crucified,” Oliver said. “It can be a somber service, even though we know how the story ends.

“It can be healthy to have a somber mood, because it’s sobering to remember that someone died for us. But we do know how the story ends, and it’s a pretty happy ending.”

Saturday is usually a non-eventful day, but as the sun rises on Sunday morning, Oliver said the celebration begins.

“Some churches start out with a sunrise service to signify the excitement of Christ’s resurrection and to begin the momentum of the day,” Oliver said. “After that, churches usually observe their normal service times, but with a special theme or doing special songs they normally wouldn’t.”

For C3 Maryville, located just north of 16th St. on Icon Road, the service times include a 7 p.m. Good Friday service in the Family Center and a 10 a.m. Easter Sunday service in the sanctuary.

Sunday’s service will be preceded by an 8 a.m. breakfast and a 9 a.m. Easter egg hunt.