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webbphillips t1_iz77z29 wrote

Reply to comment by CK2Noob in How did new emerging religions succeed despite established pre-existing religions during ancient and/or pre-historic times? by matthewlee0165

Remind me again where's the part of the bible with the pagan spring festival fertility symbols of bunnies and eggs?

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AliMcGraw t1_iz7rndp wrote

So, just FYI, that's a very anglo-saxon thing, and other Christian countries/traditions don't mark Easter with eggs and bunnies. (Or they didn't, until international advertising became a thing and English-language holiday traditions kind of conquered some of those holidays completely.)

(Although the Bible does totally use eggs as a symbol of fertility, and even refers to God as a hen brooding over her eggs.) (I cannot remember any rabbit references off the top of my head, but I bet they're there in the Levitical rules about what you're allowed to eat.)

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Due_Signature_5497 t1_iz8pz5e wrote

But a man eating rabbit guards the final resting place of Joseph of aramathea and the final clue to the location of the Holy Grail in the Castle of Arrrrggghhh.

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CK2Noob t1_iz7w7rr wrote

The concept of eggs do fertility is probably something a lot of unrelated cultures realized too, it’s the same with spring festivals. They’re common in tons of cultures. Easter being celebrated around spring also has Christian theological meaning (with the whole resurrection thing). So Yeah.. I don’t understand why the Myth gets repeated.

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CK2Noob t1_iz7vxwu wrote

As pointed out the whole easter bunny thing is a very anglo-saxon thing. The egg is more universal though, but so what? Eggs are a really tiny part of traditional (Especially early) easter celebrations. At best you can say it is evidence for pagan influence on easter, it is not evidence for easter being a pagan holiday.

Again, traditionally easter has consisted of going to Church and celebrating there. Things such a the easter bunny and egg hunts are innovations that came long after paganism had become nonexistant in what was the roman empire. You also have to remember how massive easter was in the past. In western christianity christmas became the ”main” holiday. But traditionally easter has always been the big one with many special celebrations, unique hymns, Church celebrations etc. Especially after the religion was legalized.

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