European Union rename Easter - what next!!

[Jeffrey Shaw]

Christians nicked all their holidays from the old pagan festivals anyway. They just re-purposed them to suit their own ends.

 

The church hijacked the festival, but couldn't wipe out the name.

Not wholly. Some elements are pagan [tree, mistletoe, holly, Father Xmas, yule log], I agree.

Others derive from the Jewish festival of Chanukah [25th of month, presents, lights].

[HeadingNorth]

Not wholly. Some elements are pagan [tree, mistletoe, holly, Father Xmas, yule log], I agree.

Others derive from the Jewish festival of Chanukah [25th of month, presents, lights].

 

Sorry, we're talking at cross purposes.

 

The Church successfully imposed their own name on Christmas, but most of the related activities are pagan. The festival to which I was referring when I said "couldn't wipe out the name" was Easter - named after a Saxon goddess Eostre, I believe, though the Roman goddess had a very similar name.

 

Many pagan elements of Easter also survive - bunnies and eggs, for instance.

[Jeffrey Shaw]

Not "eggs", no; that's an observance of Pesach [Passover], albeit without chocolate coating!

[Alien52]

Nope. That's Yule.

Yule never walk alone !

[Jeffrey Shaw]

Oh, and the Eater-associated 'Lent' also derives from the seven-week period following Pesach [Passover].

[Jeffrey Shaw]

Yule never walk alone !

Captain's Yule Log. Star date 261011. Boldly.

[gnvqsos]

Not wholly. Some elements are pagan [tree, mistletoe, holly, Father Xmas, yule log], I agree.

Others derive from the Jewish festival of Chanukah [25th of month, presents, lights].

 

The rest comes from Asda,the God of commerce ie pies,turkey,pudding and booze.

[sccsux]

An argument which was lost about a millennium and a half ago - but we did manage to hold on to the spring equinox festival's name of Easter. The church hijacked the festival, but couldn't wipe out the name.

 

Yeah, I know about the history. I still use the original term for the winter festival period.

 

Boldly.

 

Why not use the bbcode then?;)

[Plain Talker]

Oh, and the Eater-associated 'Lent' also derives from the seven-week period following Pesach [Passover].

 

no, Pentecost has it's roots in the Jewish festival Shavu'ot, which commemorates the giving of the Torah. it's also known as The "Feast Of Weeks". It's exactly fifty days after passover.

[Jeffrey Shaw]

no, Pentecost has it's roots in the Jewish festival Shavu'ot, which commemorates the giving of the Torah. it's also known as The "Feast Of Weeks". It's exactly fifty days after passover.

Yes- because, as you say, the period is a 'week of weeks'.

But the Hebrew name for it is the 'Omer', named after an offering of mealed wheat on the eve of Pesach/Passover.

And Lent is derived from the Omer which begins on the eve of Pesach/Passover. QED.