In contrast to the general public, which considers Christmas the most
important Christian holiday, many theologians regard Easter as the preeminent
celebration because it commemorates Jesus' resurrection. As with Christmas,
we find that the popular customs associated with the Easter celebration-rabbits, Easter-egg hunts and sunrise
services-have nothing to do with the biblical record of Christ's
life, in this case His rising from the dead.
Where, then, did these practices originate?
The Encyclopaedia Britannica tells us, "As at Christmas, so also at Easter, popular customs reflect many ancient pagan survivals-in this instance, connected with spring fertility rites, such as the symbols of the Easter egg and the Easter hare or rabbit" (15th edition, Macropaedia, Vol. 4, p. 605, "Church Year").
The word Easter appears once in the King James Version of the Bible, in Acts 12:4, where it is a mistranslation. Reputable scholars and reference works point out that the word Easter in this verse comes from the Greek word pascha, meaning Passover. Modern translations correctly translate this word this word "Passover"-as even the King James Version does in other verses (see Matthew 26:2,17-19; Mark 14:12; 1 Corinthians 5:7).
The Encyclopaedia Britannica tells us, "As at Christmas, so also at Easter, popular customs reflect many ancient pagan survivals-in this instance, connected with spring fertility rites, such as the symbols of the Easter egg and the Easter hare or rabbit" (15th edition, Macropaedia, Vol. 4, p. 605, "Church Year").