Easter History explores the origins of the spring holiday easter. Named for the West Germanic moon goddess Eostre, Easter's pagan roots celebrated the vernal equinox and the coming of spring. Eostre was acknowledged in the form of the hare, which is why today the Easter Bunny is a popular symbol for the holiday. Christianity took the holiday on as one of its own, changing the significance to represent the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. In the early fourth century A.D., Christianity also changed the date of Easter so it fell on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox.Religious Tolerance: Easter

Sun worship dates back thousands of years to some of the earliest known cultures. The earliest mention of worshiping the spring sun goddess dates back to ancient Babylon and Ishtar, the goddess of love and fertility. The sun god, Tammuz, was passionately in love with Ishtar. Tammuz also had a curious habit of dying each fall and being resurrected each spring. The sun became a symbol of new birth and life. Another familiar easter symbol, the bunny and it's eggs, also represent fertility and new life.Endtime Issues: Facing the Eastern Sun... (March 2004)