Is Easter Pagan? The Truth About Ishtar, Ostara, Eggs, and the Easter Bunny

Easter is all about the resurrection of Jesus. Over time, however, various traditions have been added, leading many to claim that modern Easter has pagan origins. Undoubtedly, bunnies and eggs have nothing to do with Jesus rising from the dead.

Does this mean that bunnies and eggs are simply rooted in pagan beliefs? As will be demonstrated, these claims lack historical support. The supposed pagan connections are merely myths and far-fetched speculations. This article references an excellent infographic by biblical scholar and historian Wes Huff (provided at the end of the article). Let’s dive into the facts!

Easter = Ishtar/Ostara?

The accusation here is that the name “Easter” originated from the celebration of pagan gods such as Ishtar and/or Ostara. The name Easter, then, as argued, derives from pagan deities and is therefore influenced by pagan roots. Is this actually the case in the historical record? No.

The name “Easter,” as it relates to the resurrection of Jesus, is used only in Germanic languages such as English. In virtually every other language (especially those of Latin or Greek origin), the word associated with the holiday is Pascha. This word derives from Passover, the Jewish celebration which occurs at the same time. By the way, there are clear biblical connections between the Exodus Passover and the resurrection of Jesus.

Just as the Israelites were to place the blood of the sacrificial lamb on their doorposts so the angel of death would pass-over them during God’s judgement on the Egyptians, Jesus is the ultimate Sacrificial Lamb whose blood delivers us from the powers and bondage of sin in which when we trust in Him (akin to placing His blood on the doorposts of our heart), we too escape God’s judgement of sin.

What about the seemingly evident correlation between the name “Easter” and the pagan goddess “Ishtar”? Biblical scholar and historian Wes Huff said it best when he said, “There is absolutely no historical, linguistic, or cultural connection between the Christian celebration of Easter and the Ancient Near Eastern goddess Ishtar. Apart from the similarity of words, which is all one can point to, there is neither correlation nor causation.”[1] In short, correlation does not equal causation.

What about the connection between “Easter” and the pagan goddess “Ostara”? According to Huff, “there is only one source for anything on Ostara, and that’s a writing from the seventh century by the English monk St. Bede.” He goes on to clarify that there are no other mentions of Ostara in any known sources, including both Christian and pagan ones. Thus, again, correlation does not equal causation. Also, the historical backing of Ostara in general is nonexistent.

So where did the name “Easter” come from? Well, on the old English calendar, resurrection Sunday almost always fell within the fourth month called Eosturmonath. Over time, just the beginning of the name was used for the celebration. Thus, in Western Germanic countries, the name that stuck was Eostur, which is then translated to “Easter.”

Surely this is much simpler than the complex and far-fetched correlations above. Sometimes, as the good old saying goes, "the simpler the better."

What's Up With All The Bunnies?

I sympathize with those who say, "What in the world do bunnies have to do with the resurrection of Jesus? Surely, it must be pagan-related.” While I understand the curiosity over the bunnies, the conclusion that it must be related to pagan influence is problematic, especially when examining the historical record.

The “Easter Bunny” didn’t make his (or her?) big debut until 1572, which was 500 years after paganism had a stronghold on Europe. The real question is this: Is the Easter bunny a pagan symbol?

Huff answers this question directly, “The idea of an Easter bunny being a pagan symbol comes from a passing comment in the writing of a 19th-century folklorist named Jacob Ludwig Karl Grimm. Grimm had no real evidence to make the claim, but suggested that there might be a connection to the fertility of bunnies and the common theme in ancient paganism to fertility cults.” However, as Huff notes, there is virtually no evidence of bunnies being used as symbols for fertility by any pagan individual or group.

Rather, the historical record indicates that bunnies came onto the scene because Easter was celebrated during a particular season. Namely, Easter happens to take place in the springtime in the West, which is the exact same time bunnies have their birthing season, leading to the abundance of…you guessed it…more bunnies!

Thus, the one slight correlation between Easter and bunnies is that the holiday falls in Spring, when bunnies reproduce. Historically, as Huff notes, “The association between bunnies with the religious festival can only be tangibly tied to the 16th-century Germans connecting these animals with Easter, as it was both the time when the event happened and the time when the animals were seen more prevalently.”

In short, speculation does not equal evidence. Is it strange that bunnies are associated with a celebration of the risen Lord Jesus? You bet! Does it being strange give us adequate grounds for speculating that it must be paga, absolutely not. Now that we have addressed the holiday’s name and the bunnies, let’s tackle the eggs.

Pagan-Inspired Colored Hard-Boiled Eggs?

The claim here is that eggs, especially painted eggs, were historically a common pagan practice used to decorate for celebrations of their deities. Then, at some later time, Christians took it over and “Christianized” it. Is there any actual historical merit to this accusation? Well, if you’re picking up the trend from what was already discussed, then you’d be wise to guess, no!

Eggs were certainly tied to pagan rituals. So, case closed? Is Easter, therefore, pagan? Not quite. You can find eggs tied to pagan rituals just as much as you can find many other foods with pagan ties. Eggs have been a common food across various cultures and religions, no more than meat or fruit. Surely, we are not prepared to hang up the steaks because pagans ate them during their festivals…right (vegetarians, please sit this one out).

As Wes Huff notes, “Our earliest reference to Easter eggs comes from the end of the 13th century, when Edward Longshanks, or King Edward the First, decorated hundreds of hard-boiled eggs with golden leaves to be handed out to family and friends during the Easter season.”

In this case, association does not equal origin. Just because certain foods were associated with pagan rituals (fruit, meat, eggs, etc.) does not necessarily mean these foods are pagan in and of themselves. This is true just as Nazi soldiers eating bread does not mean that bread today has Nazi roots, and when eating bread, one then associates oneself with being a Nazi.

Conclusion

Therefore, Easter is not pagan. Yes, the traditions are quite separate from the resurrection of Jesus. However, sticking to our theme, non-Christian does not equal pagan in origin or meaning.

We can conclude, based on what was said above, that Easter is not pagan for the reasons summarized below:

1. Correlation does not equal causation (Easter is not Ishtar)

2. Speculation does not equal evidence (Easter Bunny)

3. Association does not equal origin (Easter Eggs)

4. Non-Christian does not equal pagan in origin or meaning (Easter)

To be clear, I am not saying that one must celebrate Easter by recognizing all the modern-day traditions. If you feel convicted about these things and choose not to celebrate Easter in this way, you should act in accordance with that conviction! However, there is a difference between choosing not to celebrate by involving traditions and calling them pagan, implying that those who do recognize them are practicing some form of paganism. That's a lofty claim that must be backed up by evidence. Hopefully, the evidence above shows that it is lacking.

With this being said, what a shame it would be to spend this holiday (holy-day) arguing with one another about whether we can paint hard-boiled eggs or have an Easter Bunny decoration placed in our yard. Even if you’re anti-modern-day-Easter-traditions, arguing with fellow believers over this takes away from the holiday's true meaning. Let us remember and prioritize the resurrection and emphasize unity among believers. As the Apostle Paul said,

“One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God" (Romans‬ ‭14‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬).

While we should celebrate and praise the Lord every day, let this day be filled with our remembrance of the most glorious miracle, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. As the Scriptures say,

“But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee” (Luke 24:1-6 ESV)

Did He really rise from the dead? Great question! Check out this talk I gave on the profound evidence for the resurrection of Jesus HERE. May God bless you!

Wes Huff Infographic can be found HERE.

[1] All quotes from Wes Huff throughout this article are from the infographic, which is linked to at the bottom of the article.