I was always confused as to why my parents- who wouldn’t let me read Harry Potter because of the magic- would hide brightly colored eggs around our yard every Easter. As a child in a conservative Christian household I would ask “what does Jesus had to do with rabbits?” Their response was always the same: “It’s just tradition.” My parents never told me the Easter Bunny was real, and I never believed he was. But why was he there, year after year?

Turns out, all ancient civilizations based their calendars around celestial events. The spring equinox was especially important as the agricultural ‘new year,’ bringing people food and the promise of ‘new life’ after the ‘death’ and cold of winter.

In Persian tradition, the 3,000-3,500 year old ‘new year’ holiday of Nowruz was the first festival held at the spring equinox to incorporate decorated eggs (which humans have been creating for over 60,000 years), and celebrates the end of winter, representing fertility and new life.

In Jewish tradition, the character Esther was forced to marry the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) but was then in position to ultimately thwart a plot that would have exterminated the Jewish race. Her holiday, Purim, is held at the Jewish ‘new year’ (held just before the spring equinox). Another Jewish holiday, Passover, is celebrated the first full moon after the spring equinox; boiled eggs are eaten as part of the meal, and celebrates God bringing escape from death, both holidays representing sacrifice and new life.

In Christian tradition, Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus ministered and died, providing humanity with a demonstration of how to live a radically sacrificial life of love. Easter can be seen as a ‘new year’ holiday, traditionally being celebrated the first Sunday after the new moon of the spring equinox. Easter celebrates the power of Jesus over death as well as Him giving us power and freedom to follow His example for how we should live, representing sacrifice and new life. Over the centuries, these Persian, Jewish, and Christian holidays traveled and evolved, eventually making their way to pre-Christian Europe.

In Germanic tradition, Eostre was a pagan goddess whose account dates back before the 8th century; her symbol was the rabbit, and while the details of her celebration remain unknown, the tradition of decorating egg-trees has been practiced in Germany for centuries. Her holiday was held at the spring equinox, and celebrated the end of winter, representing fertility and new life.

So why is Easter celebrated with eggs and rabbits today? Because many Americans are of European descent; when their ancestors came to this country, they simply brought their traditions with them. Just as the tradition of Santa Claus has morphed and combined ideas from multiple Scandinavian traditions, so European countries adopted their Easter traditions into Christianity; the result being that many people who carry on these traditions don’t really know what they mean.

What does this mean for how we celebrate Easter? For all the Christians out there (myself being one), I’m not trying to ruin the fun of the holiday. When people convert to a new religion (like Christianity), taking some of their old beliefs with them makes the transition easier. Historically, many Christians have seen the incorporation of pagan traditions not as heresy, but as a bridge to Christian beliefs (like Christmas trees being adopted from the Germanic holiday of Yuletide, or the Irish gods being re-visioned as Catholic Saints); the Catholic Church has even named the adoption practice Interpretatio Christiana, or ‘Christian Interpretation.’

I know talk of paganism can be taboo among Christians, but there is value in understanding where traditions come from, and the similarities in the symbolism between Nowruz, Easter, Esther, and Eostre are impossible to ignore. They all celebrate a triumph over life-consuming things, like death and cold; they all promise new life. No matter what culture they come from, people simply want to celebrate in spring-time, and want to take an opportunity to remember and celebrate what’s important to them!

Are you a pagan if you celebrate Easter with eggs and bunny rabbits? Unless you practice paganism as your religion, then no. The spring equinox is a perfect time to reflect on your ‘new year,’ and ask yourself some thoughtful, reflective questions, like “am I living as the best person I can be? And if not, how can I become better?” Happy Easter!