Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-04-26
The Origin OF the Easter r.a,v,I
Editors Kenae5ee Journal:

the Festival. which calls for some common,
lou say. that Easter was properly and
originally heather festival. which was an.
propriated by the Church. and applied 10 the
resurrection And again: 1T is impossible
to realise now-a-days hox close a resemblance
the rites adopted by the Church in honor of
Christs Resurrection have to those practiced
by the creeks and MANY other nation. in
honor OF Solar deity under the name Of
Atoms And still further: The >i.nifica-
tion OF the word Easter is rising and the
iatest authorities give il As derived from
Ostera, the goddess OF Spring whose
festival was held in the month of April. ~
All OF which. would give the impression that
the festival observance of the event of the
resurrection was graft from heathenism
Oar esteemed contemporary the Maine Far
mer. In it, last number. also finds the same
origin for the festival. remarking that while
the custom of observing Easter j. generally
spoken Of as religious festiv al it Is older than
Christianity itself and was observed long
before the birth OF our Lord in which
statement the word Easter is used
IN two different senses without ex-
pianatlon, which We submit is
too much for good sense. And the Farmer
goes on further to state, that 1.-THE word is a
survival of the old Teutonic mythology, Civ
ing 1t the same derivation as your own ac-
count, and from thence proceeding as from
text,t gracefully show that there is a mark ed
propriety in keeping the feast on all hands,
and on all accounts: for if one cannot keep il
as a Christian, he can at least keep i, AS A
heather, in honor of ''the resurrection of ma
ture"-all of which is very consolng, and
accommodating in the highest degree. Since
every one in this case can keep Easter with
equal propriety and consistency, an arrange
ment appropriately recommended bv the
Farmer which properly hold to neutrality in
politics and religion. The Farmer should
be heartily thanked for this suggestion. and
We have no doubt it will be.
Now. Mr.. Editor, we did not suppose that
there would so soon be occasion TO rise up
again in explanation of Easter ;bu, the winter
has been Il severe one, and the legislature has
lately been holding a protracted session
amongst us. and IA new President has been
inaugurated, and possibly for that and
other reasons, Your excellent paper to saw
nothing OF your esteemed contemporary.
could hardly be expecte to keep straight on
question so profoundly vexatious as this
Easter one. But really, Mr.. Editor, we
must protest against this hankering after
heathenism, even if it does seem to furnish a
u
institution, as suggested by the Farmer. We
are inclined to think. that in the discussion
of this subject. somebody has mistaken the
name now used to designate the anniversary
of the Resurrection, for the Institution itself
We beg leave To say then that the Insttu-
ton is older than the name. The original
name of Easter was Pascha, which included
the celebration both of the CruciixiOn and
the Resurrection. and this and Pascha shows
the origin of the festival, which had
as little to do with the celebration of any
heather god, goddess, nymph or mermaid, as
the Fourth of July, with the Olympic games.
Ii Easter had its origin in anything that went
back of it, it was in the Paschal feast of the
Jews. which was direct type of it of which
it was itself the fultlmcnt. the substance of
the shadow. We beg leave then again to
say that the Feast rests upon the act of the
Lord Himself in His rising from the dead,
in consonance not with the dreams of heathen-
ism, but with the foreshadowings of His own
ancient religion. The Feast came in the
spring time because the Passover came then,
and its festival character owes about as much
to the goddess of spring or Adonis or Dyonis-
Jus or any other Ike divinity, as the Lords
Day, for being called Sunday, does to the god
of the sun.
We beg leave also to state that the author
tiles later than the latest" give the signifi
cation of the word Easter, not from the
Saxon goddess but from the old reutonic
"iDsfaBd'' ITO rise, and ''inStdnd" the
Resurrection." But whatever the etymology
of the Anglo-SaXon may be it is clear that
it had nothing to do with molding the meth
cd of celebrating the feast, the feast haring
long nte-dated the present name. That East
err is an appropriate name for US English
speaking people, is true enough; but as Sun
day in a Christian sense, is a fitting name for
the dav fthe Lord, who is the Son otrighteous
ness But that in either case the day derives Its
festival significance and character. from the
name which it now bears is simply fine
specimen of reasoning backwards.
or in homler phrase, of putting the cart
before the horse.
1t NAV be worth while, also, to take into
account that when the Feast of the Resurrec-
ton began to be celebrated the heather world
was not in love with Christianity, nor the
Church in love with heathensm. each avoid
ing the others habits and customs as much as
ro,sible. The early Christians were the last
to ADOPT heather festivals and rites. and as
matter notoriOuslv plain in history, the
heather for this reason despised and perse-
cuted them That the Church celebrated its
festival with becoming accompanlments ana
SYMBOLS with flowers and salutations, tthe
former being used also on certain occasions
nv the heathen) is very true, but to say that
Easter was properly and originally heather
festival, which was appropriated by the
church. and applied to the Resurrection, Is
going back to ''the flesh pots OF Egypt. with
a vengeance. The Church of Christ has for
itself. its doctrines. usages and spirit, basis
of its own to stand on: and has originated IN
its theology. rites and nomenclature, tenfold
more than it ever adopted from the world, or
an,. mare heather source And as for
keepjng Easter "a ii resurrection gay
of nature" In lieu of the feast when
If properly celebrates. we are OF the
oninion that were she consulted the GODDESS
Of Spring" would hardly feel compiimented.
for Faster in this latitude is sometimes de
cidedlv wintery; and then too. to celebrate
Spring under the cover the Easter observance
might be rather compromising the dignity OF
that divinity. seeing it would have sort OF
flavor of :'acting under false pretences
WHICH would be discreditable to her, and
esnecially to our common-sense, matter-of-
fact people, who more than all things else
like to have everything ''above board.
PAsCHA.