Sabbath, Holy Days, and Pagan Holidays in the News

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	27-Mar-08
	The origin of the Easter Bunny & colored Easter eggs ...The original Easter bunny was probably associated with the Pagan equinox festival that predated Easter. The Saxons devoted the month of April to celebrating their goddess of spring and fertility, who was, not coincidentally, named Eastre. Eastre's sacred animal was the hare - not surprising since the rabbit is one of the most common symbols of fertility and rebirth. The colored eggs carried by today's Easter bunnies have another, even more ancient origin. Eggs have long been associated with fertility and springtime festivals - for so long, in fact, that the precise roots of the association are unknown. Ancient Romans and Greeks utilized eggs in festivals celebrating resurrected gods... From "The Daily Dispatch"
	24-Mar-08
	The Eostre bunny ...Eostre - the Germanic goddess of dawn and fertility, whose name gives us the word Easter - must be pleased. Two millennia of Christianity, and she has yet to be displaced from our annual celebration of fecundity. Easter egg hunts nod to both pagan and Christian traditions. Eggs, naturally, represent birth and they remain a central part of Christian Easter celebrations in most European countries. But where does the bunny come into it? Well they breed, you see, like rabbits. They're also rather cute: they're symbols of birth and renewal with commercial appeal. The Easter bunny is a relatively recent American import which, like Halloween and Santa Claus, was exported from Europe and then repackaged and sold back to us. It was the Germans who came up with the odd idea of an egg-laying hare or rabbit that left gifts for children who had gone to the trouble of leaving their caps or bonnets out for rabbits to nest in. This quaint custom arrived in America along with German migrants. Since then, the Easter bunny has gone forth and multiplied and is now running amok on supermarket shelves and infiltrating children's parties... From "The Guardian (UK)"
	He's pagan, he's lusty, but everyone loves The Bunny ...There is a Christian group called the United Church of God that is opposed to Easter in its entirety. On its website, gnmagazine.org, the Ohio-based denomination argues that since Jesus never specifically endorsed Easter as a holiday, it remains a pagan rite and all the symbols associated with it, including the Easter bunny and Easter eggs, are irreverent. But beyond people like these -- and perhaps Elmer Fudd -- it's hard to find someone who speaks poorly of the Easter Bunny... From "Star Tribune"
	20-Mar-08
	Easter traditions long, varied I never did really believe in the Easter bunny. Even in my wildest imagination I could not fathom a rabbit sitting there, swishing paint on a chicken egg. But, as I had learned from my Christmas experience, it was better to believe and get something for my belief than to not believe and get nothing. Hence, I force fed myself the Peter Cottontail verbiage and chose to think positively about this furry rodent that hopped down the trail once a year about this time... From "Pine and Lakes"
	17-Mar-08
	'Resurrection Sunday' [sic] takes hold among some Centuries of Christian tradition hinge upon Easter, including the penitential 40 days of Lent and the Good Friday focus on Jesus' crucifixion. Yet Beamon is among some clergy and Christians who are convinced the very word "Easter" has lost its power to evoke the holy. They blame American consumerism and the market square, where Easter is merchandised as an excuse for indulging the self with chocolate bunnies or shopping sprees. It's a mind set Beaman, 56, said he shared as a younger man. "Easter, it was more of a materialistic thing: You got a new suit and shoes, those type of things," he said. Now, Beamon pointedly avoids speaking of Easter. Instead, he cites "Resurrection Sunday" as the term that best conveys the miracle Christians believe in... From "The Virginia Pilot"
	'Deception': Christians war over worship day Two thousand years after Jesus walked the Earth, Christians are at war with each other concerning – as strange as it may sound – a day of the week mentioned in the Ten Commandments. The issue boils down to: "When is God's Sabbath?" In other words, what is His holy day of rest? Most Christians today think it's Sunday, when the majority of churches hold services. But others confidently say it's Saturday, calling Sunday worship "the most flagrant error of mainstream Christianity," believing Sunday-keepers are victims of clever deception... From "WorldNetDaily"
	Refresh your [pagan] beliefs by attending special Easter program ...Easter was originally a pagan festival, which occurred at the same time of year as the Christian observance of the Resurrection of Christ. The ancient Saxons celebrated the return of spring with an uproarious festival commemorating their goddess of offspring and of springtime, Eastre. The early name, Eastre, was eventually changed to its modern spelling, Easter. Easter was celebrated at different times before A.D. 325. Then the Council of Nicaea issued the Easter Rule, stating that Easter shall be celebrated on the first Sunday that occurs after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox. It works out that Easter is always between the dates of March 22 and April 25. The Easter bunny has a place in this celebration. The symbol originated with the pagan festival of Eastre, who was worshipped by the Anglo-Saxons through her earthly symbol, the rabbit. The Easter egg predates the Christian holiday of Easter. The exchange of eggs in springtime is a custom that was centuries old when Easter was first celebrated by Christians. From the earliest of times, the egg was a symbol of rebirth in most cultures... From "Midland Reporter-Telegram"
	Easter questions answered The history of Easter reflects a combination of early beliefs and celebrations. The name came from Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring to whom the month of April was dedicated. It was believed that every year, Eostre returned to Earth after winter and brought the light and warmth of Spring with her. Ancient Greeks held the pagan festival of Eostre at the vernal equinox, when the day and night gets an equal share of the day. The early English Christians used Easter as a celebration of the resurrection of Christ... From "McPherson Sentinel"
	Local pagans celebrate a season of change with 'eclectic' Ostara Fest ..Ostara Fest has been planned around Ostara, a pagan festival that, over time, created many of the symbols we associate with the traditional Easter celebration, such as pastel colors, rabbits and eggs... From "Killeen Daily Herald"
	11-Mar-08
	But why eggs and bunnies? ...Ostara, the first day of spring, on March 20 this year, is a pagan sabbat celebrating the spring equinox, a day of equal light and dark that heralds the return of growth and fertility. The goddess represented by the newly green earth and budding plants has returned from a cold winter retreat. Also returning is the warmth of the sun, the god who fertilizes and provides the energy for everything to grow. This representation of renewed life is commonly represented by the egg, a popular symbol associated with spring throughout the world. Eggs have long been associated with the goddess Eostre, whose name itself means "moving around the waxing sun," and for whom the "Christian" holiday of Easter is named... From "Las Cruces Sun"
	21-Feb-08
	Basketball champs refuse to play on Sabbath League winners skip tournament, say 'Experiencing Christ' better than to 'Take state' From "WorldNetDaily"
	11-Feb-08
	Valentine's Day by any other name Ah ... St. Valentine! Patron saint of lovers. Some would add, "What rubbish." If it weren't for Geoffrey Chaucer, birds (sans bees) and the dismal coincidence of no fewer than two St. Valentines having their heads removed from their bodies on that date, well, who knows what we'd be celebrating? ... From "The Courier News"