The story of easter
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Lieldienas, "The Great Day", "Great Days" - these are designations used in the folk songs for the spring equinox. According to folk tradition Easter has arrived when the day has become longer than the night for the first time that year.
On Easter morning people arose before the rising of the sun, and to obtain health and beauty, they hurried to wash their faces in a spring or a stream running east. This was followed by one of the most important Easter activities - awaiting the sunrise exactly when it appears on the equinox morning. In Liv villages the morning began with the calling and awakening of birds so they might protect the people from evil and sickness.
Those who had risen first, awoke those who were still sleeping and switched them with steamed birch branches. In this way a special force that encouraged fertility and endowed people with health and success was transferred from the branches. This ritual is connected with archaic concepts about the staff of life and its fertility enhancing power.
The spring equinox (March 21) is the time when farmers are hurried by endless labors and must keep up with the rapid awakening of nature and the rhythm of work. But the Latvian preserves a certain independence from this haste: for instance, one of the most important Easter rituals is hanging of the swing and swinging. But when swinging at Easter, one must not stop the swing; it must stop on its own. Only when the swinging is gentle, will the flax field finish its blooming without being beaten down by rain or wind. According to archaic beliefs, swinging is connected with fertility, and it must be done, so the livestock will do well, as well as the flax, and one will be spared bites from mosquitoes and gadflies. The first to be swung were usually the master and mistress, after that the rest took their turns. In return for swinging them, the girls paid the boys eggs, pies, or even handmade mittens and socks.
In the past, eggs for different peoples were a symbol of life, and also in Latvian spring equinox traditions they were given a special place. Awaiting Easter, eggs were colored with onion skins, rye shoots, chamomile, or hay cuttings. This is not such an old custom, but in our day very popular. Eggs are given for swinging, and eggs are knocked together to see which one survives cracking, as according to belief, the one whose egg shell was strongest, will live longer. During Easter, eggs are rolled and eaten in great quantities, because in addition to round flatbreads and sprouted grains, they are the primary Easter foods.
http://www.li.lv/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=41&Itemid=483
Although the text is written in the past tense, much of that is still happening today.
I celebrate this time of the year as the regenerative time in nature, the celebration of light and life over darkness and death.
On the last day before the Wolf month starts the celebration and meditation on death and night, and food is left for those who were before us. All is in balance.
On Easter morning people arose before the rising of the sun, and to obtain health and beauty, they hurried to wash their faces in a spring or a stream running east. This was followed by one of the most important Easter activities - awaiting the sunrise exactly when it appears on the equinox morning. In Liv villages the morning began with the calling and awakening of birds so they might protect the people from evil and sickness.
Those who had risen first, awoke those who were still sleeping and switched them with steamed birch branches. In this way a special force that encouraged fertility and endowed people with health and success was transferred from the branches. This ritual is connected with archaic concepts about the staff of life and its fertility enhancing power.
The spring equinox (March 21) is the time when farmers are hurried by endless labors and must keep up with the rapid awakening of nature and the rhythm of work. But the Latvian preserves a certain independence from this haste: for instance, one of the most important Easter rituals is hanging of the swing and swinging. But when swinging at Easter, one must not stop the swing; it must stop on its own. Only when the swinging is gentle, will the flax field finish its blooming without being beaten down by rain or wind. According to archaic beliefs, swinging is connected with fertility, and it must be done, so the livestock will do well, as well as the flax, and one will be spared bites from mosquitoes and gadflies. The first to be swung were usually the master and mistress, after that the rest took their turns. In return for swinging them, the girls paid the boys eggs, pies, or even handmade mittens and socks.
In the past, eggs for different peoples were a symbol of life, and also in Latvian spring equinox traditions they were given a special place. Awaiting Easter, eggs were colored with onion skins, rye shoots, chamomile, or hay cuttings. This is not such an old custom, but in our day very popular. Eggs are given for swinging, and eggs are knocked together to see which one survives cracking, as according to belief, the one whose egg shell was strongest, will live longer. During Easter, eggs are rolled and eaten in great quantities, because in addition to round flatbreads and sprouted grains, they are the primary Easter foods.
http://www.li.lv/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=41&Itemid=483
Although the text is written in the past tense, much of that is still happening today.
I celebrate this time of the year as the regenerative time in nature, the celebration of light and life over darkness and death.
On the last day before the Wolf month starts the celebration and meditation on death and night, and food is left for those who were before us. All is in balance.
I usually associate Vernal Equinox with the goddess of fertility, Eostre.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eostre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eostre
Fraggle Rocker
Staff member
Ya beat me to it! That's exactly what I was going to say. My wife is a chocolatiere so Easter is my favoirite holiday.
'Easter' is the modern English language version of the name of several pagan goddesses, ranging back to 'Astarte' in the pre-Israelite Semite pantheon. She (in most all her forms) was the goddess of fertility. Eggs and bunnies are the fairly innocent (these days) reminders of fertility.
Sometime between the writing of the New Testament and the recognition of Christianity as the official church of the Roman Empire, the pagan celebrations of life and springtime and the return of growing things began to be associated and celebrated with the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus. I'm sure some of the pagan celebrants were offended as were some of the more conservative Christians about their particular observances being 'co-opted' or 'diluted' by some other religion. In reality, there are still some conservative Christians who get all worked up over the name 'Easter' and instead use the phrase 'Resurrection Sunday'.
Being a life long Christian and having celebrated Easter as the time of the Resurrection all my life, I don't get too excited about it. The only thing about the bunnies that concerned me was the effect of the sugar on the kid's teeth. We never bothered teaching them about Astarte and they're all pretty solid Christians.
Nor, for that matter, do any of our Easter celebrations involve firearms or bombs. At least, not any more than any other Sunday.
Sometime between the writing of the New Testament and the recognition of Christianity as the official church of the Roman Empire, the pagan celebrations of life and springtime and the return of growing things began to be associated and celebrated with the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus. I'm sure some of the pagan celebrants were offended as were some of the more conservative Christians about their particular observances being 'co-opted' or 'diluted' by some other religion. In reality, there are still some conservative Christians who get all worked up over the name 'Easter' and instead use the phrase 'Resurrection Sunday'.
Being a life long Christian and having celebrated Easter as the time of the Resurrection all my life, I don't get too excited about it. The only thing about the bunnies that concerned me was the effect of the sugar on the kid's teeth. We never bothered teaching them about Astarte and they're all pretty solid Christians.
Nor, for that matter, do any of our Easter celebrations involve firearms or bombs. At least, not any more than any other Sunday.
I enjoy the bunnies allot, especially the ones at the Playboy clubs! :xctd::yay: