What is Easter, and why do many celebrate it?
The word Easter itself apparently comes from the name of a month during our April which was named after an Anglo-Saxon goddess. However, pagan practices were replaced by the time of the 8th century with Christian beliefs linked to the resurrection of Christ, which occurred on the first day of the week following the Passover. The word Easter does occur once in the King James version of the Bible, but it should have been translated Passover there instead.
So is it wrong for Christians to call it Easter?
I don’t think so. The word is no longer associated with a goddess, and people don’t think you are praising Ēostre or Austrō if you have an Easter egg hunt, though eggs and bunnies may have been associated with Germanic Austrō customs. Paul takes up this question in 1 Corinthians chapters 8 and 10, in relation to eating food that was offered to idols. Many Christians understood that idols were not gods, and could eat food that had been offered to idols in good conscience. But if in doing so they might stumble another Christian or non-Christian, causing them to think they were honoring a heathen god, then it would be wrong to eat the food. This is the way I understand questions of practices such as coloring Easter eggs or decorating a Christmas tree. They have nothing to do with Christianity (unless you really stretch it), but they are not viewed as pagan practices by most people today in the United States. However, I do appreciate those who choose not to follow practices that could detract from the true significance of the day being remembered. It is good to ask myself, “Why am I doing this?” because all that we do should be to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31).
So what is the true significance of the first day of the week following the Passover?
Even though the actual term Easter is not a biblical term, the day remembered as Easter is certainly a very important day in the Bible. It is the day of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb…. And he [an angel] said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.” (Mark 16:2, 6 ESV)
Death could not detain the body of the Author of Life (Acts 3:15). By His own power He rose out from the tomb, and appeared, alive, to over five hundred people at one time (1 Cor. 15:6). His disciples didn’t believe it until they actually saw Him. But the truth of the resurrection changed fearful, feeble followers into fearless, powerful witnesses and martyrs for Christ.
He is risen!
Why would this be so important to believers in Christ?
Paul tells us about the significance of the Resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15. If Christ had not been raised, we would yet be lost in our sins. There would be no salvation to proclaim, no victory over death. Christ’s resurrection proves that He is conqueror over the power of death, and therefore He is able to save us out of death as well.
Again, His resurrection proves that God the Father is satisfied with the price His Son paid for our redemption, because the Father has placed Him at His right hand in glory, the place of greatest honor (Rom. 8:34). What the Father gave Him to do, He finished to perfection. We have a perfect Savior who accomplished a perfect work to God’s complete satisfaction, and all who place their faith in Him find peace with God.
Some information from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter, retrieved March 31, 2012