WHY MOST CHRISTIANS CELEBRATE EASTER AND KEEP  DOING SO IN 100% GOOD CONSCIENCE:  Colossians 2:16 says "Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day."  So Paul clearly says each Christian has freedom to either celebrate or not celebrate various holy days as well as eat and drink without being judged about it as to if we are or are not really Christians for doing so.  Most Jehovah's Witnesses choose not to celebrate Easter at all, because the Watchtower Society heads over them say it is mixing of darkness with light, which is evil and against the Bible, but on the other hand they are permitted to attend the Memorial of the Last Supper while a few among them are allowed to also partake of the wine and bread emblems, the majority though actively discourage from doing so.  Most Messianic Jews (a Christian but strongly Jewish group) also choose not to participate in Easter, likewise saying it is pagan.  They do however observe the Jewish Passover which by its symbolism presaged the coming of Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah. Now let us look at the other view which is held by most groups.  To begin, most encyclopedias and dictionaries have said the name of Easter is from an ancient non-Christian pagan goddess named Eastre, this being what an ancient British scholar named Bede once guessed, and yet it has also been noted that the name Eastre may just as easily have come from the Old English or Anglo-Saxon word for East or Eastern.  In fact, as to the name “Easter,” Christianity came to Europe and later America from the direction of the East.  To be exact it came from the Middle East, and besides this, formerly many Christians believed Christ would return from the east to resurrect people, possibly thinking of Matthew 24:27 which says the resurrected Christ will return out of the east. Those opposed to celebrating Easter also claim the eggs and rabbits used during Easter season are the vestiges of ancient pagan fertility rites but in fact Christians have used eggs and rabbits to symbolize new life as in the resurrection of Christ which is what the holiday is about.  Furthermore, those who uphold participating in good conscience at Easter also note that all the days and months in the English language are named after pagan gods and goddesses and yet those wrongly attacking Easter as "pagan" commonly use those very same names.  Rings and money also came from pagans, but those attacking Easter also use rings and money.  Some Christians in the Bible even have and kept "pagan" names such as Apollo and Junius.  Jehovah's Witnesses and Messianic Jews do use names of days and months, wedding rings and money. The cross is prominent at Easter, and some opposers of Easter have said Christ didn't die on a cross but on an upright stake or pole and the cross is a horrible murder weapon.   Frankly, though, archaeology and forensics say it definitely was a cross, and Paul says to boast of the cross for Christ turned it into a symbol of the resurrection hope. (Ga 6:14, 1 Cor 1:17-18)   Yes, to be totally fair, there are sincere Christians who would feel stumbled and cannot because of conscience use bunny rabbits, Easter eggs or crosses.  For example they may feel that to do so is, all the same, at the least a distraction from remembering the ransom sacrifice of Christ which brings salvation for ALL, the main thing the day is supposed to be about. Regardless of how we may stand, we need above all to remember that for the vast majority who do celebrate Easter, this is to be a holiday for remembering and celebrating that Christ saved ALL the world of mankind.  Love and joy come are intended, the first two listed fruits of Holy Spirit. (Ga 5:22)  Therefore, we need to not be unduly judgmental about those who in good conscience hold fast to their Christian consciences with joy, some for example using bunny rabbits and Easter eggs, while still others do the opposite, although also in good conscience.

WHY MANY CHRISTIANS USE EASTER EGGS For most Christians the Easter rabbit, chicks etc are connected with “New Life,” the theme of the Easter holiday centered on Christ’s resurrection that brings the resurrection hope for humankind. (John 3:16)  It is also true that before Christ or even the Jewish Passover, pagans also used eggs. The Last Supper replaced the Jewish Passover for Christians which celebrated that the Israelites had been able to exodus from Egypt. Passover Seder or meal has included and still does include a hard-boiled egg dipped in salt water that represents the festival sacrifice offered at the Temple in Jerusalem. The Watchtower Society men over Jehovah’s Witnesses and some others stress  the “legend” that Easter rabbits began when the pagan goddess Eastre (also spelled Eostre etc) changed a bird into a rabbit that like the bird laid eggs in a basket.  However, a “legend” is something clearly fictitious.  The bird-to-rabbit legend has nothing to do with the reality for why the day is celebrated by most people.  A second claim is that Easter eggs began as ancient sex rites in northern Europe, or possibly came from China where eggs were dyed red to symbolize good luck.  However that definitely does not mean that Christians adopted the custom of dying eggs colorfully for sex rites or to bring good luck.  Instead Christians began to dye and use eggs at Easter time because they symbolize new life.  That’s logical isn’t it?  New life such as chicks and ducklings pop out of eggs.  Eggs, new bunny rabbits, baby chick and ducklings all are clearly symbolic of new life.  Besides which, as already said, Easter centers on Christ’s Resurrection which brought humankind the resurrection hope. (John 3:16) The Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches use Easter eggs dyed red to represent Christ’s blood, the hard egg shell to represent Christ’s sealed tomb, and the cracking of eggs to symbolize the resurrection.  Dyed Easter eggs have long been popular in the Ukraine, Russia, other Slavic nations and Romania.  When Ukrainians and others moved to the United States during the 1800s they brought along the custom of dying Easter eggs. Also of interest is to note why many Christians in the United States and other lands dye eggs pretty colors and later hide them for children to find as a game. Galatians 5:22 lists the fruits of Holy Spirit including love and "joy."  Having loving, fun activities is also a part of Holy Spirit.  Still, some may not wish to use Easter eggs, truly feeling stumbled, and as Paul has indicated, we do have Christian freedom for personal decisions of conscience and are to not be judging one another over such things.

CHRISTIAN ORIGINS OF PRETZELS As seen in many articles on the internet, most experts agree that pretzels have Christian backgrounds. Some say anywhere from 300 to 610 AD a monk in Italy, France or elsewhere may have made them as a reward for children who had learned their prayers.  A name is Italian was “pretiola”meaning "little rewards."  The loops on looped pretzels resemble arms folded in prayers, and bakers can easily hang them from hooks.  However looped pretzels may also be from Greek ring bread served for the Last Supper.  Besides being nice treats for children who learned prayers, pretzels were handy because during times Christians could not eat eggs, lard, or dairy products such as milk and butter during Lent.  Instead, though, they could eat pretzels because those are made of plain flour and water.   With time pretzels grew more and more popular.  They were not only associated with Lent but also with Easter.  In fact they were even hidden to be found later on Easter mornings just as Easter eggs are today. Still, whether one chooses to eat pretzels or not is left as a matter of Christian freedom of conscience.  Most would and do eat pretzels, but we must also remember to not be judging others who refuse to do so.  Colossians 2:16 says "Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day."  This is from the apostle or saint Paul, who is also known as Saul of Tarsus and wrote many of the books of the New Testament.