The Mystery Of Spring

Easter

It's a beautiful day before Easter here at the Treehouse.

How Did We Get Easter?

The Venerable Bede, (672-735 CE.) a Christian scholar, first asserted in his book De Ratione Temporum that Easter was named after Eostre (a.k.a. Eastre). She was the Great Mother Goddess of the Saxon people in Northern Europe. Similarly, the "Teutonic dawn goddess of fertility [was] known variously as Ostare, Ostara, Ostern, Eostra, Eostre, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron and Ausos." Her name was derived from the ancient word for spring: "eastre."

In The Building "A" Lobby

I love this place where I live. It's Easter-ween, 2009.

Confused?

Actually, many people get confused about which customs accompany holidays, and why.
What do Bunnies, Eggs, and Bouquet's have to do with Jesus?
I will be happy to help clear that up for you;

Sleeping Beauty eggshell carving.

Spring is a time of re-birth. The life within the dormant plants springs forth in beautiful displays of color and shapes to attract pollinators. It's time for lifeforms to make more of themselves, the rites of spring are upon us. Everything is making babies like, well,... Rabbits.

But how does this fit with the Jesus story?

Spring is in the air.

This from Wikipedia;

Pope Gregory the Great ordered his missionaries to use old religious sites and festivals, and absorb them into Christian rituals where possible. The Christian celebration of the Resurrection of Christ was ideally suited to be merged with the Pagan feast of Eostre, and many of the traditions were adopted into the Christian festivities.^[5] There are also good grounds for the association between hares (later termed Easter bunnies) and eggs, through folklore confusion between hares' forms (where they raise their young) and plovers' nests.^[6]

Or;

The ancient Persians painted eggs for Nowrooz, their New Year celebration, which falls on the Spring equinox. The Nawrooz tradition has existed for at least 2,500 years. The decorated eggs are one of the core items to be placed on the Haft Seen, the Persian New Year display. The sculptures on the walls of Persepolis show people carrying eggs for Nowrooz to the king.

What About The Ham?

Coming to an Easter dinner near you.

About.com has this;
In the United States, ham is a traditional Easter food. In the early days, meat was slaughtered in the fall. There was no refrigeration, and the fresh pork that wasn't consumed during the winter months before Lent was cured for spring. The curing process took a long time, and the first hams were ready around the time Easter rolled around. Thus, ham was a natural choice for the celebratory Easter dinner.

Taking A Gander

Also popular to eat during the Christmas season.

I haven't found a long standing Easter goose tradition, except for the giving of goose eggs. I did find a recipe that an Australian used for Easter dinner, but it was a first time event. I will ask Lon, tomorrow when I stop by for Easter goose dinner.

About The Flowers

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Flowers are abundant here at the Treehouse.

See the bee?

Beautiful flowers everywhere I turned. 4/11/09

There were so many photogenic blooms,
I made a slide show video.

Todays Relatively Appropriate Song;
Life Is What You Make It -Happy Phil

Be Thankful-Blame No One