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Ask any Christian what holiday or holidays are most signicant for them. The answer will surely be Christmas and Easter. Easter is a day revered by mostly all Christians and is used to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For many, the fact that Easter has very strong ties with pagan worship is virtually unknown.
The name Easter comes from the term "Ishtar", which was a day celebrating the resurrection of a pagan god, "Tammuz", who was believed to be the son of the moon-goddess and the sun-god. It is said that Tammuz was very fond of rabbits. Therefore, rabbits became sacred to the ancient religion.
Ishtar was the queen and mother of Tammuz. After Tammuz was killed by a wild pig, Queen Ishtar declared a forty day period of sorrow each year to mark the anniversary of the death of her son, Tammuz. During this time, no meat was to be eaten. There was one particular Sunday during this period of sorrow called "Ishtar's Sunday". A huge celebration would take place with rabbits and eggs and since Tammuz had been killed by a wild pig, a pig would be eaten during the celebration.
Now, there are several different views as to how the Christian celebration of the resurrection of Christ and Easter became synonymous with one another all of which make excellent conversation pieces for those inquiring minds that want to know. However, as a Christian believer and follower of Christ, the most important aspect is the celebration itself. Christians believe Jesus Christ was born into this world (Christmas) to give us hope and to show us how to love, forgive and live accordingly. His death, burial and resurrection give Christians the gift of eternal life.
What's more important to you: how it happened, why it happened, when it happened? Simply knowing it happened is enough for most.
Happy Easter Everyone!
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