Pagan Tradition

St. Valentine’s Day is never ” Not once ” mentioned in the Bible [ The Old or
New Testament ] . Centuries before Christianity began , Pagan Romans celebrated February 15 and the evening of February 14 in honor of, Lupercus

Lupercus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In Roman mythology, Lupercus is a god sometimes identified with the Roman god Faunus, who is the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Pan. Lupercus is the god of shepherds. His festival, celebrated on the anniversary of the founding of his temple in February 15, was called the Lupercalia . His priests wore goatskins. Lupercus was associated with the Lupercal, the cave where ” Romulus and Remus ” [ the traditional founders of Rome ] were suckled by a she-wolf

The religious ceremonies of Lupercalia began with the sacrifice of two male
goats and a dog by ” The Flamen Dialis ” . The Flamen Dialis wore the
albogalerus (Apex) and was the high priest . They put the pagan sacrificial
blood on their foreheads . Smearing of blood on forehead refers to the human sacrifice ” originally practiced ” at this pagan festival.

The Flamen Dialis would cut the skins off of their sacrifice , this was called “
Februa ” , and would dressed themselves in the skins of the sacrificed goats
,[and imitation of Lupercus ] and run round the walls within the city, with the
thongs in their hands , striking the people who was near them [ for purification] . Teenage girls and young women would line up to receive lashes from these thongs whips. To ensure fertility, and prevent sterility and to ease the process of the childbirth pains .

“Lupercalia ” custom of exchanging valentines gifts, was for good health and
fertility was in honor of Lupercus . This Pagan celebrations also included , the
worship of the pagan goddess of fertility named ” Venus ” . Venus in Roman
mythology was the goddess of fertility and sexual immortality she had a son
called , cupido ” Cupid ” .

Cupid was given power , by the Pagan gods , to cause , Love , to begin. { De
amore } Cupid is the god of erotic love and sex and is equated with the Greek
pagan god Eros . The ancient Greeks believed Eros to have been responsible for impregnating goddesses and mortals.

The pagan image used today, of that little fat cherub bastard ,with a bow and
arrow , mostly associated with Valentine’s Day, is that , very same ,pagan
image, of Cupido / Eros . This Pagan Festival was alway’s linked to ” The Pagan
Practice of Fornication ” .

The Pagan Custom of St. Valentine’s Day [ the buying gifts ,giving cards and
chocolate candy ] is no big deal , and thought as “Harmless” to people of all
Faith .

But , Here what The Most High Father YHVH said about Following ” The Pagan
Nations Customs ” .

Deuteronomy 12:30
30 : Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that
they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.

Changing the name of a Pagan Ritual [ does not ] change the fact that it’s still
a Pagan Ritual.When you Search the Biblical scriptures diligently, from Old
Testament to New, and you will find no mention of observing an annual period of 40 days of fasting and abstinence preceding the festival of the Passover, so it was not recognized by Yahshua, the apostles, or the early Christian Church ,”lent” is simply just the “weeping for Tammuz”.

Ezekiel 8 (King James Version)
Ezekiel 8:13-16 says “He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do. Then he brought me to the door of  The Most High house which was toward the north; and behold there sat women weeping for Tammuz. Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these. And he brought me into the inner court of  The Most High house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of  The Most High, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of  The Most High, and their faces toward the east; and they worshiped the sun toward the east.

According to Encyclopedia Britannica:
“Tammuz – A god of ancient Babylonia.”
Alexander Hislop (Born at Duns, Berwickshire, 1807; died Arbroath, 13 March 1865) was a Free Church of Scotland minister States “The forty days’ abstinence of Lent was directly borrowed from the worshippers of the Babylonian goddess. Such a Lent of forty days, “in the spring of the year,” is still observed by the Yezidis or Pagan Devil-worshippers of Koordistan, who have inherited it from their early masters, the Babylonians”.
Cassianus, the monk of Marseilles or John Cassian (ca. 360 – 435) (Latin:
Jo(h)annes Eremita Cassianus, Joannus Cassianus, or Joannes Massiliensis), John the Ascetic, or John Cassian the Roman, is a Christian theologian celebrated in both the Western and Eastern Churches for his mystical writings States “”that the observance of forty days had no existence, so long as the perfection of that primitive Church remained inviolate”.

Lent has always been a movable observance holiday , connected to and preceding the festival of Easter. Easter is celebrated on a day specified only by the Roman Catholic Church, and not the Bible, and is fixed based on the sun and the Spring or Vernal equinox.

From
Review & Herald, April 8, 1909
“Preceding the Tammuz festival, the pagans celebrated a fast of forty days. This was a time of lamenting and weeping. Surrounded by these conditions, and receiving into its communion half-pagan converts, the church of the third and fourth centuries became leavened with heathen superstitions. There was developed a marked spirit to cater to the prejudices and customs of their heathen associates, hoping thereby to win the favour of the unconverted, and bring them within the fold of the church.”

From
The Catholic Encyclopedia, revised and updated, edited by Robert Broderick,
copyright 1987, published by Thomas Nelson Publishers
The reasons for celebrating our major feasts when we do are many and varied. In general, however, it is true that many of them have at least an indirect connection with the pre-Christian [pagan] feasts celebrated about the same time of year — feasts centering around the harvest, the rebirth of the sun at the winter solstice (now Dec. 21, but Dec. 25 in the old Julian calendar), the renewal of nature in spring, and so on.

From
The pre-Christian Norse religion
“the laying of ashes was meant to grant the Norse God Odin’s protection using
ashes meant to represent Sigurd–the ashes of Sigurd contained the blood of
Fafnir and would protect a Viking warrior in battle. When the Vikings raided
coastal towns in western and Mediterranean Europe they brought their beliefs and practices with them, included the laying of ashes on a Wednesday–Odin’s Day–which the Christian Church appropriated.”
The Tuesday Pagan tradition Catholics follow before Ash Wednesday, is called Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday. Carnival ,comes from the Latin carne meaning meat, thus translated it means shedding the flesh or “farewell to the flesh.” If These Holidays are not once mention in the bible to follow, why Christians and Catholic choose to honor them.

If you look up the word “Easter” in Webster’s dictionary. You will find:
“AS. (Anglo-Saxon), from name of an old Teuton goddess of spring”.

The word ” Easter ” does not mean , “resurrection of Christ”. This name ” Easter “was never used in the original Scriptures, nor is it ever associated biblically with the death and resurrection of The Hebrev Messiah .The name “Easter” is merely the slightly changed English spelling of the name of an ancient pagan Assyrian goddess named Ishtar, which was pronounced by the Assyrians ,exactly, as we pronounce “Easter “. The Babylonian name of this Pagan goddess was Astarte, the consort of Baal, the Sun god, whose worship is denounced by The Almighty YHVH , in the Bible as one of the most abominable of all pagan idolatry.
For more than 1700 years the western world has been taught that Christ rose from the dead on Sun-day morning. But that’s a Lie , the resurrection did not occur on Sun-day!
The Messiah was crucified on a Wednesday, just before the first day of
unleavened bread. That Sabbath was a high day (John 19:31), the day before the high days was considered to be a preparation day, it was that day, not Friday, that The Messiah was crucified on. If Christians and Catholic would keep Passover the Holy Days, They would realize that.

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so
will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”
(Matt. 12:39-40).

“three days and three nights” (72 hours) The Church teaches, the Messiah before sunset on “Good Friday” afternoon, Died, and resurrected early Sunday morning. That’s only two nights and one day (36 hours) That A Lie According To The Messiah Words. The Messiah said, He would rise “AFTER three days” (Mark 8:31)

Hot cross bun
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
“In many historically Christian countries, buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday, with the cross standing as a symbol of the crucifixion. They are
believed by some to pre-date Christianity, although the first recorded use of
the term “hot cross bun” is not until 1733;[1] it is believed that buns marked
with a cross were eaten by Saxons in honour of the goddess Eostre (the cross is thought to have symbolised the four quarters of the moon);[2] ‘Eostre’ is
probably the origin of the name ‘Easter’.[1] Others claim that the Greeks marked cakes with a cross, much earlier.[3] Cakes were certainly baked in honor of deities since very ancient times,”

The Hebrev word for “cakes” as Jeremiah originally wrote it is “kavvan,” and
really means “BUNS.” It is used nowhere else in the Bible, except Jeremiah
44:19, where again, the same idolatrous worship to the pagan queen of the heaven is mentioned. Every other place in the Bible where the English word “cakes’ is used, a different Hebrev word was used in the original.

Jeremiah 44 :19
King James Bible
And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink
offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink
offerings unto her, without our men?

Why would anyone, who believe themselves to be a Christians, dye eggs at Easter?
Do Bunnies lay color eggs ? On the day commemorating Christ’s resurrection,
Christians and Catholic roll decorated eggs and hide it ,on the lawn ,and pretend the Easter rabbit hid them???. This pagan ritual is even practiced at some churches.The BIBLE does not ordained, or commands, to follow heathen custom . Then WHY SHOULD YOU DO IT ? Why follow heathenism and try to conceive yourself you are a Christian ? YHVH calls such things ABOMINATION!

Painted pagan eggs, Easter baskets, yellow marshmallow chickens ,new clothes , is this what The Messiah Death ,means to you .

Only The Most High Father YHVH , knows when your good or bad,to tell yours and other kids ,Santa Claus knows their actions,so they better be good,or they’re not getting any gifts under a tree , is pure madness.

To say that The Messiah was born on December 25th is a lie . To “Christianize”
December 25th as the birthday of The Messiah is utter nonsense.

Where in the bible does it showed ,  The Messiah celebrated his birthday in December, at anytime .
The bible records the shepherds tending their sheep in the fields on that night
. That is very unlikely to have happened during a cold Judean winter on December the 25th.

Does the bible ever once mentions a day to honor the Messiah Birthday .
Did The Messiah followers in the new testament ever once celebrated his birthday ? Did they
Christ mas is pure and simple a ” Pagan custom Holiday ” observed by Pagan,
heathens. Egyptian worship Osiris,The Greek it was Apollo and Bacchus, Chaldean was Adonis, Persian it was Mithra, all celebrated during the same date 25 of December .

In ancient Babylon, the 25th of December was known as the day of the birth of the incarnate sun . The Romans called their winter holiday Saturnalia, honoring Saturn. The Winter Solstice was celebrated before The Hebrev Messiah walked the earth.

How can anybody thinks by taking a set date to honor a Pagan deity and
“Christianize” that same date it makes it alright in Father YHVH or The Messiah Eyes . That one of the most blaspheme thing to do according to the bible .

Deut 12:30
“take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are
destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, `How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’

Deut 12 : 31
“You shall not worship YHVH your Father in that way; for every abomination to YHVH which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. 32 “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.

Pagan Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday comes from of pagan origin and was admitted  into the church beliefs system of the Catholic Church a few hundred years after The Hebrev Messiah walked the earth .


Where Does the Catholic Ash Wednesday Originate from?
by Wes Penre,
“It [Ash Wednesday] was taken from Roman paganism, which took it from Vedic India. Ashes were called the seed of the fire god Agni, with power to forgive sins. Ashes were said to were a symbol for the purifying blood of Shiva, in which, one could bathe away sins. During Rome’s New Year Feast of Atonement in March, people wore sackcloth and bathed in ashes to atone for their sins. As the dying god of March, Mars took his worshippers sins with him into death. The carnival fell on dies martis, the Day of Mars. In English, this was Tuesday, because Mars was identified with the Saxon god Tiw. In French the carnival day was Mardi Gras, “Fat Tuesday,” the day of merrymaking before Ash Wednesday.
Ashes are the residue of fire, and just as fire is regarded in mythology and folklore as something which purifies and also regenerates, or brings new life, so the same properties are associated within ashes.

Artifacts from King Herod’s palace go on display in Israel

Matthew Chapter 2

¹ Now when Yahushua was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
² Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
³ When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
⁴ And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
⁵ And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
⁶ And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
⁷ Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
⁹ When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
¹¹ And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
¹² And being warned of YHVH in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
¹³ And when they were departed, behold, the angel of YHVH appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
¹⁴ When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
¹⁵ And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of YHVH by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
¹⁶ Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
¹⁷ Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
¹⁸ In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

Massacre of the Innocents

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Massacre of the Innocents is the biblical narrative of infanticide and gendercide by Herod the Great, the Roman appointed King of the Jews. The historicity of the incident is “an open question that probably can never be definitively decided”,^[1] but according to the Gospel of Matthew^[2] Herod ordered the execution of all young male children in the “Vicinity of Bethlehem, so as to avoid the loss of his throne to a newborn King of the Jews whose birth had been announced to him by the Magi. In typical Matthean style it is understood as the fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy:^[3] “Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more.”^[4]
The number of infants killed is not stated, however the Holy Innocents have been claimed as the first Christian martyrs.

HEROD I. (surnamed the Great):

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/7598-herod-i
King of Judea 40-4 B.C.; founder of the Herodian dynasty; born about 73 B.C.; son of Antipater, and, consequently, of Idumean origin

King Herod the Great

article by Jona Lendering ©
Herod was born 73 BCE as the son of a man from Idumea named Antipater and a woman named Cyprus, the daughter of an Arabian sheik. Antipater was an adherent of Hyrcanus, one of two princes who struggling to become king of Judaea.

Herod the Great

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Herod (Hebrew: הוֹרְדוֹס‎, Hordos, Greek: Ἡρῴδης, Hērōdēs), also known as Herod the Great (born 73 or 74 BCE, died 4 BCE in Jericho^[1]), was a Roman client king of Judea.^[2][3][4] His epithet of “the Great” is widely disputed as he is described as “a madman who murdered his own family and a great many rabbis.”^[5][6][7] He is also known for his colossal building projects in Jerusalem and elsewhere, including his expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem (sometimes referred to as Herod’s Temple) and the construction of the port at Caesarea Maritima. Important details of his biography are gleaned from the works of the 1st century CE Roman-Jewish historian Josephus Flavius.
The Romans made Herod’s son Herod Archelaus ethnarch of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea (biblical Edom) from 4 BCE to 6 CE, referred to as the tetrarchy of Judea. Archelaus was judged incompetent by the Roman emperor Augustus who then combined Samaria, Judea proper and Idumea into Iudaea province^[8] under rule of a prefect until 41. Herod’s other son Herod Antipas was tetrarch of Galilee from 4 BCE – 39 CE.
Herod was born around 74 BCE in the south (Idumea was the most southern region).^[9][10] He was the second son of Antipater the Idumaean, a high-ranked official under Ethnarch Hyrcanus II, and Cypros, a Nabatean. Herod was practicing Judaism, as many Edomites and Nabateans had been commingled with the Jews and adopted their customs.^[11] These “Judanized” Edomites were not considered Jewish by the dominant Pharisaic tradition, so even though Herod may have considered himself of the Jewish faith, he was not considered Jewish by the observant and nationalist Jews of Judea

Edom

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Edom (pron.: /ˈiː.dʌm/;^[1] Hebrew: אֱדוֹם, Modern Edom Tiberian ʼĔḏôm ; “red“; Assyrian: Udumi; Syriac: ܐܕܘܡ) or Idumea (Greek: Ἰδουμαία, Idoumaía; Latin: Idūmaea) was a Semitic inhabited historical region of the Southern Levant located south of Judea and the Dead Sea. It is mentioned in biblical records as a 1st millennium BC Iron Age kingdom of Edom,^[2] and in classical antiquity the cognate name Idumea was used to refer to a smaller area in the same region. The name Edom means “red” in Hebrew, and was given to Esau, the eldest son of the Hebrew patriarch Isaac, once he ate the “red pottage”, which the Bible used in irony at the fact he was born “red all over”.^[3] The Torah, Tanakh and New Testament thus describe the Edomites as descendants of Esau.

Inside Herod’s house: Fascinating exhibition of 2,000-year-old treasures belonging Biblical king who tried to kill baby Jesus… including his bathtub

• Artifacts from King Herod’s palace go on display in Israel
• Herod is remembered in Israel for temple but has sinister legacy in The Bible
• Exhibit has sparked row between Israel and Palestine over excavation site

By Sam Webb

The private household of King Herod has been laid bare in a new exhibition being held at a museum in Israel.
Herod the Great: The King’s Final Journey at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem features exhibits that offer an intriguing glimpse into the home life of the divisive figure, including his bath and the decorations that adorned his palace.
The 250 artifacts were excavated over a period of 40 years at Herodium, the builder-king’s excavated palace on an arid hilltop a short drive from Jerusalem.

Washing away his sins?: A worker preparing the mosaic floor near a one-piece stone bath excavated from the hot bath house of King Herod. it is part of the exhibition in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem

Visitors look at a large marble and plaster basin excavated from Herodium, King Herod’s palace

Museum staff have recreated sections of the palace to house the exhibits, including a mock-up of the tomb where King Herod was laid to rest and contains what experts believe is his excavated sarcophagus.
There are also numerous busts and statues, as well as a one-piece stone bath excavated from the hot bath house at the site.
They come from the period when the Romans occupied the Holy Land and appointed Herod the monarch of Judea.

Final resting place: This sarcophagus is believed to have held Herod’s body

The sarcophagus is housed in a reconstruction of the tomb of King Herod. He ruled in what is now Israel and the West Bank for over 30 years and died in the year 4 BCE

Herod, who ruled in what is now Israel and the West Bank for over 30 years and died in the year 4 BCE, was known for elaborate palaces and fortresses.
He is branded a baby-killer in the Christian tradition but remembered by many in Israel for rebuilding the Jewish Temple two millennia ago.
However, the opening of the exhibit has provoked a modern-day row between Israel and the Palestinians over who has the right to dig up his artifacts.
Palestinians have complained many of the exhibits were taken from the occupied West Bank, land Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and which Palestinians seek as part of a future state.
Palestinians said the artefacts were removed without their consent.
The Palestinian minister of tourism and antiquities, Rula Ma’ayah, said all Israeli archaeological activities in the West Bank were illegal.

Ruler: Romans occupied the Holy Land and appointed Herod the monarch of Judea

Elaborate: This picture shows a column capital and a huge stone that was part of the original Temple in Jerusalem. The walls show how the site would have looked at the time

Stone columns in a reproduction of Herod’s palace in Jericho, in today’s West Bank. Herod was known for building elaborate palaces and fortresses

‘Many dig locations (in the Palestinian territories) fall under Israeli control … and we are unable to reach them. All the work at digs in the occupied territories are against the law, but Israel carries them out and even if they don’t dig themselves they don’t allow us to do so,’ he said.
Israel Museum director James Snyder said archaeological digs on West Bank land were carried out according to international conventions and protocols laid down in interim Israeli-Palestinian peace accords.
Snyder said he was unaware of any discussions with Palestinian archaeological officials over the exhibit and there had been no way to study the artefacts properly on site at Herodium.
The relics, he said, would eventually be returned to Herodium once proper facilities to house them were in place.

Monarch: A stone sculpture of Cleopatra, one of 250 finds being exhibited

Echoes of history: A reconstructed model of Herodium (left), located south of Jerusalem. A stone sculpture of Roman Emperor Augustus (right). Herod was appointed as monarch of Judea by the Romans

REVILED AND REVERED: THE DIVISIVE FIGURE OF KING HEROD OF JUDEA

In the Christian story, Herod ordered his men to kill all baby boys in and around Jesus’ birthplace Bethlehem, fearing one would grow up to become ‘King of the Jews’ and challenge his rule.
According The Gospel of Matthew, Jesus and his family escaped the slaughter by fleeing to Egypt.
Historians said Herod ruled Judea from about 37 BC until his death in 4 BC – four years before Jesus’ official birth day, though that date is also contested.
King Herod has been called as ‘the greatest builder of human history,’ but was also responsible for killing his wife and three of his children over alleged treasons.
He rebuilt the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and was also renowned for other grandiose construction projects, such as the fortress at Masada.

The Wedding Ring

Engagement ring

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

History

Engagement bands began in Ancient Egypt as the circle was used to symbolize a never ending cycle and the space in it as a gateway. Betrothal rings were used during Roman times, but were not generally revived in the Western world until the 13th century.^[1] Roman men gave engagement rings that included a small key. Romantics believe that the carved key was a symbolic key to protect and cherish the husband’s heart. However, the key most likely stood for the unlocking of wealth.^{[citation needed]}
Rings are placed on the fourth finger on the left hand, because Ancient Greeks believed that it contained a vein that led to the heart (vena amoris). Romans believed the ring to be a symbol for ownership rather than love. It meant that the husband would claim his wife. In second century B.C.E., the Roman bride was given two rings, a gold one which she wore in public, and one made of iron, which she could wear at home while doing house chores.^[2]
Greeks may have been the first to create engagement rings, but to them they were known as betrothal rings. The rings however were not required to be given before marriage, unlike traditional engagement rings of today.^{[citation needed]}
In Europe, engagement rings were once known as a posie ring. It was given as a form of promise of fidelity and love.^{[citation needed]}
During the age of Colonialism in America, a thimble was given as a sign of eternal companionship. Women would remove the tops of the thimble in order to create a ring.^[3] The first well-documented use of a diamond ring to signify engagement was by the Archduke Maximilian of Austria in imperial court of Vienna in 1477, upon his betrothal to Mary of Burgundy.^[1] This then influenced those of higher social class and of significant wealth to give diamond rings to their loved ones. Diamond mines in Africa were discovered in 1870, which then increased supply. As production increased, those of lesser means were able to join in on this movement. However, diamond engagement rings were for a long time seen as the domain of the nobility and aristocracy, and tradition often favoured simpler engagement bands. The idea of a diamond engagement ring being a fitting choice for everybody was created in the United States as recently as in the 1930s, and has been aggressively promoted since through the entertainment industry.^[4]
Historically, the uses of rings were for “betrothal” reasons such as for the Romans, as it didn’t always signify marriage. In fact, rings were a sign of affection or friendship. The history of engagement rings first originated in 1215, when Pope Innocent III established a waiting period between the promise of marriage, and the actual marriage ceremony. The rings were then signified the couple’s devotion to one another, in that period of time. During that period of time engagement rings often represented one’s social rank as only the rich were allowed to own or wear rings with jewels.
Before the 20th century, other types of betrothal gifts were common. Near the end of the 19th century, it was typical for the bride-to-be to receive a sewing thimble rather than an engagement ring.^[1] This practice was particularly common among religious groups that shunned jewelry (plain people). Engagement rings did not become standard in the West until the end of the 19th century, and diamond rings did not become common until in the 1930s in the United States, as a result of an extensive nationwide marketing campaign by the diamond industry. The phenomenon arose even later in other countries.^[1] Now, 80% of American women are offered a diamond ring to signify engagement.^[1]
Wedding rings amongst men were more common during World War II, as the men overseas wore their rings in reminder of their wives and families back home.^[5]
In the 21st century, especially within Western civilization, it has become a common expectation for the bride-to-be to permanently wear her ring as a means to maintain their commitment.^[6]

Wedding ring
http://www.wikisummarizer.com/Pages/Default.aspx?Keyword=wedding%20ring

 Wedding ring

Short Summary

A wedding ring or wedding band is a metal ring indicating the wearer is married.

Amen.”—from the Eastern Orthodox Service of Betrothal, part of the Mysterion of Holy Matrimony (“crowning”), said three times while the Priest makes the Sign of the Cross with the bride‘s ring over the bridegroom’s head, he then places the bride‘s ring on the groom‘s hand.

Jewish: “You are consecrated to me with this ring according to the law of Moses and Israel.”—said in Hebrew by the groom at an Orthodox Jewish wedding and by both the bride and groom at a Reform Jewish wedding.

According to some customs, the ring forms the last in a series of gifts, which also may include the engagement ring, traditionally given as a betrothal present.

Full Summary

A wedding ring or wedding band is a metal ring indicating the wearer is married.

The custom of wearing such a ring has spread widely beyond its origin in Europe.

Originally worn by wives only, wedding rings became customary for both husbands and wives during the 20th century.

According to some customs, the ring forms the last in a series of gifts, which also may include the engagement ring, traditionally given as a betrothal present.

Among Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians, the exchange of rings is not technically part of the wedding service, but rather are exchanged at the betrothal.

The orthodox Christian Church of Greece has recently stopped performing betrothal blessings separately, as these were often non-committing, and now a betrothal ceremony is the initial part of the wedding service.

The ceremony of betrothal is now possibly performed immediately before the wedding (or “crowning” as it is more properly called), and the actual symbolic act of marriage is not the exchange of rings, but the public exchange of wedding vows.

In more elaborate weddings, a ring bearer (who is often part of the family of the bride or groom) may assist in the ceremonial parading of the rings into the ceremony, often on a special cushion.

According to the prayer book of Edward VI: after the words ‘with this ring I thee wed’ follow the words ‘This gold and silver I give thee’, at which point the groom was supposed to hand a leather purse filled with gold and silver coins to the bride.

Sometimes it went as far as being a conditional exchange as this old (and today outdated) German formula shows: ‘I give you this ring as a sign of the marriage which has been promised between us, provided your father gives with you a marriage portion of 1000 Reichsthalers’.

Marketing lessons of the 1920s, changing economic times, and the impact of World War II led to a more successful marketing campaign for male and female wedding bands, and by the late 1940s, double-ring ceremonies made up for 80% of all weddings, as opposed to 15% before the Great Depression.

Jewish: “You are consecrated to me with this ring according to the law of Moses and Israel.”—said in Hebrew by the groom at an Orthodox Jewish wedding and by both the bride and groom at a Reform Jewish wedding.

Amen.”—from the Eastern Orthodox Service of Betrothal, part of the Mysterion of Holy Matrimony (“crowning”), said three times while the Priest makes the Sign of the Cross with the bride‘s ring over the bridegroom’s head, he then places the bride‘s ring on the groom‘s hand.

Wedding ring (100) 

A wedding ring or wedding band is a metal ring indicating the wearer is married.

ring (100) 

A wedding ring or wedding band is a metal ring indicating the wearer is married.

The custom of wearing such a ring has spread widely beyond its origin in Europe.

According to some customs, the ring forms the last in a series of gifts, which also may include the engagement ring, traditionally given as a betrothal present.

In more elaborate weddings, a ring bearer (who is often part of the family of the bride or groom) may assist in the ceremonial parading of the rings into the ceremony, often on a special cushion.

According to the prayer book of Edward VI: after the words ‘with this ring I thee wed’ follow the words ‘This gold and silver I give thee’, at which point the groom was supposed to hand a leather purse filled with gold and silver coins to the bride.

Sometimes it went as far as being a conditional exchange as this old (and today outdated) German formula shows: ‘I give you this ring as a sign of the marriage which has been promised between us, provided your father gives with you a marriage portion of 1000 Reichsthalers’.

Marketing lessons of the 1920s, changing economic times, and the impact of World War II led to a more successful marketing campaign for male and female wedding bands, and by the late 1940s, double-ring ceremonies made up for 80% of all weddings, as opposed to 15% before the Great Depression.

Jewish: “You are consecrated to me with this ring according to the law of Moses and Israel.”—said in Hebrew by the groom at an Orthodox Jewish wedding and by both the bride and groom at a Reform Jewish wedding.

Amen.”—from the Eastern Orthodox Service of Betrothal, part of the Mysterion of Holy Matrimony (“crowning”), said three times while the Priest makes the Sign of the Cross with the bride’s ring over the bridegroom’s head, he then places the bride’s ring on the groom’s hand.

wedding (55) 

exchange (20) 

Among Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians, the exchange of rings is not technically part of the wedding service, but rather are exchanged at the betrothal.

The ceremony of betrothal is now possibly performed immediately before the wedding (or “crowning” as it is more properly called), and the actual symbolic act of marriage is not the exchange of rings, but the public exchange of wedding vows.

Sometimes it went as far as being a conditional exchange as this old (and today outdated) German formula shows: ‘I give you this ring as a sign of the marriage which has been promised between us, provided your father gives with you a marriage portion of 1000 Reichsthalers’.

marriage (18) 

The ceremony of betrothal is now possibly performed immediately before the wedding (or “crowning” as it is more properly called), and the actual symbolic act of marriage is not the exchange of rings, but the public exchange of wedding vows.

Sometimes it went as far as being a conditional exchange as this old (and today outdated) German formula shows: ‘I give you this ring as a sign of the marriage which has been promised between us, provided your father gives with you a marriage portion of 1000 Reichsthalers’.

ceremony (18) 

worn (18) 

Originally worn by wives only, wedding rings became customary for both husbands and wives during the 20th century.

eastern orthodox (16) 

groom (13) 

In more elaborate weddings, a ring bearer (who is often part of the family of the bride or groom) may assist in the ceremonial parading of the rings into the ceremony, often on a special cushion.

According to the prayer book of Edward VI: after the words ‘with this ring I thee wed’ follow the words ‘This gold and silver I give thee’, at which point the groom was supposed to hand a leather purse filled with gold and silver coins to the bride.

Jewish: “You are consecrated to me with this ring according to the law of Moses and Israel.”—said in Hebrew by the groom at an Orthodox Jewish wedding and by both the bride and groom at a Reform Jewish wedding.

Amen.”—from the Eastern Orthodox Service of Betrothal, part of the Mysterion of Holy Matrimony (“crowning”), said three times while the Priest makes the Sign of the Cross with the bride’s ring over the bridegroom’s head, he then places the bride’s ring on the groom‘s hand.

bride (13) 

In more elaborate weddings, a ring bearer (who is often part of the family of the bride or groom) may assist in the ceremonial parading of the rings into the ceremony, often on a special cushion.

According to the prayer book of Edward VI: after the words ‘with this ring I thee wed’ follow the words ‘This gold and silver I give thee’, at which point the groom was supposed to hand a leather purse filled with gold and silver coins to the bride.

Jewish: “You are consecrated to me with this ring according to the law of Moses and Israel.”—said in Hebrew by the groom at an Orthodox Jewish wedding and by both the bride and groom at a Reform Jewish wedding.

Amen.”—from the Eastern Orthodox Service of Betrothal, part of the Mysterion of Holy Matrimony (“crowning”), said three times while the Priest makes the Sign of the Cross with the bride‘s ring over the bridegroom’s head, he then places the bride‘s ring on the groom’s hand.

History of the Wedding Ring

Published: Nov 2010
by Carrie Fox, In the Loupe Editor
from In the Loupe Volume VII

Origins of the Wedding Ring

Ancient Egyptians
Though the exact origin is unknown, historians primarily believe ancient Egypt started the tradition most like our modern wearing of a wedding band. Archeological discoveries, some dating back more than 3,000 years ago, led them to this conclusion. Imagery on artifacts, such as papyrus scrolls, reveal an ancient culture that exchanged rings braided from reeds and hemp. Through translated hieroglyphics, experts learned how this society viewed the circle as a symbol of endless love between a man and woman. Additionally, Egyptians wore wedding bands on the ring finger of their left hands. They believed this finger held a special vein directly connected to the heart. The concept was passed down to other cultures, and centuries later, it was coined by the Latin term vena amoris or vein of love.
Ancient Romans
In ancient Rome, there were several types of recognized marriages, categorized by social class. They included Usus, Coemptio, and Confarreatio. Usus was an informal union reserved for the lowest class. It is often compared to today’s common law marriage. Coemptio was a marriage that involved purchasing one’s bride. While historians believe this was symbolic and not a true sale, fathers were paid for the hands of their daughters. Confarreatio was reserved for the elite class and was the only legal form of marriage at the time. This union was officiated with the groom presenting a ring to his bride. Most rings were made of iron, which led to the tradition of metal wedding rings. Unlike the Egyptians’ symbols of love, however, historians believe the Romans viewed these bands as symbols of possession. The wife now belonged to the husband.

History of the Wedding Ring

By Misty Karam

In ancient times, the Egyptians and the Romans shared the belief that a vein from the fourth finger lead directly to the heart. As such, it seemed a logical place for the placement of the wedding band. The practice was passed down and the fourth finger is now universally known as the ring finger. Science has since disproved that theory, but it is still romantic to think that our wedding rings are on a direct path to our hearts.

To Love and to Honor

Archaeologists have found references to wedding rings among the Ancient Egyptians’ hieroglyphics. The Egyptians shaped twigs, hemp, or plant stems into circles and placed them on their brides’ ring fingers. The plant rings quickly decayed or were broken and had to be frequenlty replaced. The circles represented undying love, much as they do today. Apparently they did not represent fidelity, though, as many of the Ancient Egyptians were polygamous.

To Obey

Although the Ancient Romans placed a ring on the fourth finger of their wives hands, the practice had little to do with love and devotion. Rather, wives were a possession to the Romans and the ring was a sign of ownership. Ancient Roman women had no voice in this decision; there was no proposal. Once the women were captured and “ringed,” they were married

History Of The Wedding Ring
by Matt Jacks, Freelance Writer
A recognizable symbol of love…
The wedding ring, that most famous and instantly recognizable symbol of the (hopefully perpetual) joining of a man and a woman as husband and wife in the institution of marriage, has a long, wide spread and mysterious history. Its beginnings lie in the deserts of North Africa, where the ancient Egyptian civilization sprang up along the fertile flood plains of the river Nile. This river was bringer of all fortune and life to the Pharaoh’s people and from plants growing on its’ banks were the first wedding rings fashioned. Sedges, rushes and reeds, growing alongside the well-known papyrus were twisted and braided into rings for fingers and larger bracelets for wrists.
The ring is of course a circle and this was the symbol of eternity for the Egyptians as well as many other ancient cultures. It had no beginning and no end, like time. It returned to itself, like life; and the shape was worshipped in the form of the Sun and the Moon. The hole in the center of the ring is not just space either; it is important in its own right as the symbol of the gateway, or door; leading to things and events both known and unknown.
It is not difficult therefore, to see how the ring and the gift of a ring began to be associated with love, in the hope that this most worthy of emotions could take on the characteristics of the circle and capture eternity.
They wore it like we do today, on the third finger of the left hand, because of a belief that the vein of that finger directly traveled from the heart. This legend was later taken up by the Greeks, when they conquered Egypt under the generalship of Alexander the Great in 332 B.C. and from them passed onto the Romans, who called this the ‘vena amoris’, which is Latin for ‘the vein of love’.
These early rings usually lasted about a single year before wear and tear took their inevitable toll. Hemp was probably the first choice, but some decided that they wanted a longer lasting material, and opted for leather, bone or ivory to craft their token of love.
THE ART OF METALLURGY TAKES OVER
When in later years, the arts of metallurgy became known this naturally took over, but surprisingly only very gradually. These early metal rings were often quite clumsily made and uneven in the extreme, so for wedding gifts they had precious and semi-precious stones set into them and these can be seen represented by hieroglyphs in Egyptian tombs. At this time Jewelry was usually more for show than sentiment and used to express wealth. Before coinage gold rings were used for currency and often hidden away until the owners were actively trading.
In early Rome it was iron that was adopted as the metal of choice rather than copper or brass as mostly elsewhere. This symbolized the strength of love a man felt for his chosen woman, though rust was a problem.
The act of giving and acceptance of the ring was now also considered to be legally binding and therefore enforceable. This tied the woman as the property of the man to some views but in truth also protected her rights as bride-to-be, and was summoned upon to prevent her from having her primary position usurped by rivals.
Gold or silver rings were given on occasions, to show all the bridegroom trusted his betrothed with his valuable property, and to symbolize this further, the ring was sometimes shaped as a key rather than a normal circular band. This was not presented at the wedding ceremony as the custom nowadays, but when he carried her in his arms across the threshold of her new home.
After coinage gold was rapidly promoted to first choice and later in medieval Europe gemstones were again a common addition. With rubies chosen for their color of red like a heart, sapphires, blue like the sky above, or most valued and sought after of all; the indestructible diamond.
In renaissance Italy silver made a comeback, and was now selected for the new idea of the engagement, or betrothal ring. These were often highly ornate and usually inlaid with niello, (which is a very decorative form of enamel engraving, colored in black to stand in contrast to the bright metal) on a round or oval bezel. And rather than traditional simple bands, they had clasping hands emerging from the hoop at the front.
Silver became more pre-eminent briefly in the seventeenth century in England and France when they were widely used for wedding rings at the height of the fashion for poesy, or posy rings; this comes from the word ‘poesy’ meaning a ‘love poem’. They were sentimentally inscribed with such, around the wedding band, either within or without, and often faith and hope were included in the verse as well. These were highly popular indeed, as frequent referrals to them in the works of Shakespeare prove. Gold however, began to take over again later, and pushed back silver to the Italian idea of engagement again, with a golden duplicate of the original replacing it on the wedding day.
BAD LUCK IF IT’S NOT MADE OF GOLD
Indeed, it was thought in Irish folklore to be bad luck or even illegal to be married with a ring made of anything but gold. But this was never so in actuality and, like elsewhere many different metals were used. A gold ring though, was often provided for weddings throughout Europe for those who could not afford one, (and immediately reclaimed afterwards).
Other world superstitions include the absolutely essential point of making sure the ring is a perfect fit, for woe betides the future of the marriage if it isn’t. A too-tight ring might point to painful jealousy or the stifling of one party by the other. Too loose, and a parting of the ways through careless acts or forgetfulness is indicated as a future danger to watch for.
The Church of England holds no brook with this however, and does not concern itself with the size or material of the ring so long as it is there. An irony, and a change of heart for sure, as the early Protestant puritans claimed that wedding rings were pagan and not to be used by the Godly. They were further enraged on the subject by a Catholic legend that Joseph and Mary had used one constructed either of onyx or amethyst; and that various churches in Europe had throughout history claimed to hold the ring (which was capable of performing miracles) to attract pilgrims to their vicinity to spend money and hence increase the wealth of the competing abbeys.
Today, almost all Christians accept the wedding ring, (a notable exception to this being the Quakers), doubtlessly helped by the christianization of the old vena amoris tale. Whereby in middle ages England, the bridegroom would slip the ring part way up and then down his bride’s thumb, then first and middle finger, reciting: ‘In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost’ as he touched each one before fixing it in place on the next finger in line; the third finger of the left hand.
WHY THE LEFT HAND?
Well, in some parts of continental Europe it is and always has been the right. There doesn’t seem to be any particular reason that the Christians should have mostly kept this the same as the original. But one thought is; as the man, facing his bride, reaches straight out with his right hand (most people are right handed) he naturally touches her left. As she does his, as now, with more and more men wearing one also, when the rings are exchanged.
This is a modern practice begun mostly during the second world war, a consequence of increased numbers of men being separated from their loved ones and seeking a cheering reminder. This almost happened earlier in history, with the advent of the gemmal ring, alternatively spelled gimmal or gimmel. This was two or three decidedly ornamental links, usually with hands and hearts or knots, fastened together by a hinge, or interlocking like the Olympic rings, and being capable of joining into one. At betrothal, they would be separated, with one given to the woman, one kept by her lover, and if present, the third held by a witness until the wedding day when all would be reunited and henceforth kept by the bride.
Back to fingers though, and the thumb briefly challenged the accepted norm in Elizabethan days as fashionable ladies deemed to wear their wedding rings there, but this did not last and so today it is as it was in the beginning, just like a circle really, or a ring.
CREDITS
Matt Jacks is a successful freelance writer providing tips and advice for consumers purchasing diamond wedding rings, western wedding invitations and perfect wedding dress. His numerous articles offer moneysaving tips and valuable insight on typically confusing topics.
The “History of the Wedding Ring” reprinted with permission. Net Guides Publishing, Inc.

Easter

Easter: Christian or Pagan?

by Acharya S/D.M. Murdock

In the gospel , there are two dates for the crucifixion: the 14th and the 15th of the month of Nisan, and within Christianity the date for Easter was debated for centuries. There continue to be two dates for Easter: the Western Catholic and Eastern Orthodox, thus demonstrating that this holiday is not the historical date of the actual crucifixion of a particular man. The dates are, in fact, astronomical, astrological and astrotheological.
In explaining this roving date, one “distinguished churchman,” as Catholic Church historian Eusebius called him, Anatolius, revealed the meaning of Easter and of Christ, as well as the fact that astrology was a known and respected science used in Christianity. Said Anatolius:

“On this day [March 22] the sun is found not only to have reached the first sign of the Zodiac, but to be already passing through the fourth day within it. This sign is generally known as the first of the twelve, the equinoctial sign, the beginning of months, head of the cycle, and start of the planetary course…. Aristobolus adds that it is necessary at the Passover Festival that not only the sun but the moon as well should be passing through an equinoctial sign. There are two of these signs, one in spring, one in autumn, diametrically opposed to each other….”

In establishing the “Paschal festival,” Church father Anatolius thus based his calculations on the positions of the sun and moon during the vernal equinox.

Ēostre

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Old English Ēostre (also Ēastre) and Old High German Ôstarâ are the names of a putative Germanic goddess whose Anglo-Saxon month, Ēostur-monath, has given its name to the festival of Easter.
The Real Easter
http://zine.dal.net/previousissues/issue14/editorial-life-easter.php
The festival of Eastre was celebrated by the Pagans on the vernal equinox, the first day of spring. The Goddess was said to take the form of a Hare, so effigies of these animals were made to worship her. This, of course, is the origin of the good old Easter Bunny.
So what about those eggs? Well, the egg has been the symbol of rebirth since ancient times. The Egyptians and Greeks would bury eggs in the tombs of the dead as a sign of resurrection, and the egg was especially important in the Pagan Eastre festival as a symbol of nature being reborn over again. Therefore, real eggs would be decorated and given as gifts on this day.

Pagan Easter Food Traditions

http://www.ehow.com/about_6910694_pagan-easter-food-traditions.html

According to Witchvox.com, in pagan tradition, baskets full of treats were left out for fairies at different times of the year. This was said to save the basket provider from becoming the subject of fairy mischief. At Ostara, these baskets were filled with sweet things, corresponding to the nectar in new flowers. This is most likely the origin of the traditional Easter basket, filled with real or artificial grass, candy, eggs and other treats.

The Easter Rabbit: Pagan Origin, Pest Control

Easter Origins: Easter Rabbit, Easter Eggs

By David Beaulieu,
Eastre (earlier, Eostre, derived from the Saxons’ Germanic heritage) was the Anglo-Saxon name of a Teutonic goddess of dawn, spring and fertility. Our word, “east” is related to this deity’s name. Her male consort was the Sun god, and the sun does rise, after all, at dawn and in the east. Rites of spring were celebrated in her honor at the vernal equinox (first day of spring). The first Sunday after the first full moon succeeding the vernal equinox was also sacred to her, and this pagan holiday was given her name — Eastre. The full moon represented the “pregnant” phase of Eastre — she was passing into the fertile season and giving birth to the Sun’s offspring.
Eastre’s symbols were the hare and the egg. Both represent fertility and, consequently, rebirth. Since rabbits are more common in most lands than hares, over time the rabbit has been substituted — not without merit, since rabbits are notorious for their fertility. Thus was born the “Easter Rabbit” tradition.
Dyed eggs were already being used as part of pagan rituals at the dawn of history in the Near Eastern civilizations. These were the first “Easter eggs.” As the traditions of the Easter Rabbit and Easter eggs evolved, they were lumped together — somewhat incongruously. Thus in our modern Easter lore, although the Easter Rabbit is sometimes thought of as laying the Easter eggs so eagerly sought by children, the Easter Rabbit is nonetheless often regarded as male. Since rabbits don’t lay eggs anyhow, I suppose quibbling over gender wouldn’t make much sense.

Easter Bunny

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rabbits and hares

The Catholic Encyclopedia says: “The rabbit is a pagan symbol and has always been an emblem of fertility”^[7] Eggs, like rabbits and hares, are fertility symbols of antiquity. Since birds lay eggs and rabbits and hares give birth to large litters in the early spring, these became symbols of the rising fertility of the earth at the Vernal Equinox.

The Traditions of Easter

http://wilstar.com/holidays/easter.htm
Prior to A.D. 325, Easter was variously celebrated on different days of the week, including Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In that year, the Council of Nicaea was convened by emperor Constantine. It issued the Easter Rule which states that Easter shall be celebrated on the first Sunday that occurs after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox. The “full moon” in the rule is the ecclesiastical full moon, which is defined as the fourteenth day of a tabular lunation, where day 1 corresponds to the ecclesiastical New Moon. It does not always occur on the same date as the astronomical full moon. The ecclesiastical “vernal equinox” is always on March 21. Therefore, Easter must be celebrated on a Sunday between the dates of March 22 and April 25.
The Lenten Season
Lent is the forty-six day period just prior to Easter Sunday. It begins on Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras (French for “Fat Tuesday”) is a celebration, sometimes called “Carnival,” practiced around the world, on the Tuesday prior to Ash Wednesday. It was designed as a way to “get it all out” before the sacrifices of Lent began. New Orleans is the focal point of Mardi Gras celebrations in the U.S. Read about the religious meanings of the Lenten Season.
The Easter Bunny
The Easter Bunny is not a modern invention. The symbol originated with the pagan festival of Eastre. The goddess, Eastre, was worshipped by the Anglo-Saxons through her earthly symbol, the rabbit.
The Germans brought the symbol of the Easter rabbit to America. It was widely ignored by other Christians until shortly after the Civil War. In fact, Easter itself was not widely celebrated in America until after that time.
The Easter Egg
As with the Easter Bunny and the holiday itself, the Easter Egg predates the Christian holiday of Easter. The exchange of eggs in the springtime is a custom that was centuries old when Easter was first celebrated by Christians.
From the earliest times, the egg was a symbol of birth in most cultures. Eggs were often wrapped in gold leaf or, if you were a peasant, colored brightly by boiling them with the leaves or petals of certain flowers.

Origins of the name “Easter”:

The name “Easter” originated with the names of an ancient Goddess and God. 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.” ₁ Her name was derived from the ancient word for spring: “eastre.” Similar Goddesses were known by other names in ancient cultures around the Mediterranean, and were celebrated in the springtime. Some were:

	Aphrodite from ancient Cyprus
	Ashtoreth from ancient Israel
	Astarte from ancient Greece
	Demeter from Mycenae
	Hathor from ancient Egypt
	Ishtar from Assyria
	Kali, from India
	Ostara a Norse Goddess of fertility.

An alternative explanation has been suggested. The name given by the Frankish church to Jesus’ resurrection festival included the Latin word “alba” which means “white.” (This was a reference to the white robes that were worn during the festival.) “Alba” also has a second meaning: “sunrise.” When the name of the festival was translated into German, the “sunrise” meaning was selected in error. This became “ostern” in German. Ostern has been proposed as the origin of the word “Easter“. ₂
There are two popular beliefs about the origin of the English word “Sunday.”

	It is derived from the name of the Scandinavian sun Goddess Sunna (a.k.a. Sunne, Frau Sonne). 5,6
	It is derived from “Sol,” the Roman God of the Sun.” Their phrase “Dies Solis” means “day of the Sun.” The Christian saint Jerome (d. 420) commented “If it is called the day of the sun by the pagans, we willingly accept this name, for on this day the Light of the world arose, on this day the Sun of Justice shone forth.”

Larry Boemler “Asherah and Easter,” Biblical Archaeology Review, Vol. 18, Number 3, 1992-May/June reprinted

Is Easter PAGAN?

WHERE DID WE GET LENT?
http://www.albatrus.org/english/festivals/easter/is_easter_pagan.htm
“It ought to be known,” wrote Cassianus in the fifth century, “that the observance of the forty days (Lent) had no existence, so long as the perfection of that primitive Church remained inviolate.”
Jesus observed no Lent. The apostles and the early true Church of God observed no Lenten season. Then how did this observance originate?
“The forty days’ abstinence of the Lent was directly borrowed from the worshippers of the Babylonian goddess. Such a Lent of forty days, ‘in the spring of the year,’ is still observed by the Yezidis or pagan Devil worshippers of Koordistan, who have inherited it from their early masters, the Babylonians. Such a Lent was held by the pagan Mexicans, in honor of the sun…. Such Lent was observed in Egypt (Wilkinson’s Egyptians). This Egyptian Lent of forty days was held expressly in commemoration of Adonis or Osiris, the great mediatorial god.” (the Two Babylons, by Hislop, pages 104 and 105, and Sabean Researches, by Landseer, p. 112).
Do you realize what has happened? God Almighty commanded His people to observe the PASSOVER FOREVER! (Exo 12:24). This command was given while the Israelites were still in Egypt, prior to the Old Covenant, or the Law or Moses! It pictured, before the Crucifixion, Christ’s death for the remission of our sins. At His last Passover, Jesus changed the emblems used, from the blood of a lamb and eating it’s roasted body, to the bread and wine.
Jesus did not abolish Passover ….He merely CHANGED the emblems, or symbols used. All of the apostles of Christ, and the true Christians of the first century true Church, observed it. On the 14th day, of the first month, of the sacred calendar. It is now a MEMORIAL of Christ’s death. Reaffirming, year by year, on it’s anniversary, the true Christian’s FAITH in the blood of Christ for the remission of sin, and the broken body of Christ for physical healing.
But what has happened? DO YOU REALIZE IT? All western nations have been deceived into dropping the festival God ordained forever to commemorate the death of the true Saviour for our sins, and substituting in its place the PAGAN festival, commemorating the counterfeit “saviour” and mediator of Baal, the SUN GOD, named after the mythical Ishtar, his wife ..actually, none other than the ancient Semirimus, who palmed herself off as the wife of the sun-god, the idolatrous “QUEEN OF HEAVEN.”
THIS is NOT Christian! IT IS PAGAN TO THE CORE!
Yet scores of millions of Americans are deceived into observing this form of heathen idolatry, under the delusion they are honoring Jesus Christ the Son of the Heavenly Father!
Easter does not honor Christ! And yet, have you not been, like a blind sheep, following the other millions in this customs? “The times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth to come to repentance.” (Acts 17:30)
Hot Cross Buns and Dyed Eggs
But, did you know the hot cross buns, and dyed Easter eggs also figured in the idolatrous Chaldean rites, just as they do in Easter observance today?
Yes, these are pagan, too. The “buns,” known by that identical name, were used in the worship of the days of Cecrops, the founder of Athens, 1500 years before Christ. (The Two Babylons pgs 107-108).
“One species of sacred bread, which used to be offered to the gods, was of great antiquity, and called Boun,” says Bryant, Mythology, Vol. 1, p. 373.
It will astonish you, but it’s true! One of the reasons God drove the Jews into Babylonian captivity was this very idolatry; their whole families joined in this idolatrous worship, in making and offering HOT CROSS BUNS!
Read the entire 7th chapter of Jeremiah. Here you will find God’s stern sentence upon Judah, thru Jeremiah the prophet, “If you really amend your life and doings,” God warns them, “I will allow you to remain in this place (Palestine) for a time.” But they would not listen. Then ” I will cast you out of my sight,” says God to Judah. And to Jeremiah He says, ” Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah…?
“The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, TO MAKE CAKES TO THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN… that they may provoke me to anger…. Therefore thus saith the Eternal God: Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, upon beast… and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.” (Verse 18-20)
The Hebrew word for “cakes” as Jeremiah originally wrote it is “kavvan,” and really means “BUNS.” The word “bun,” says Hislop, seems to have been derived from this word. It is used nowhere else in the Bible, except Jeremiah 44:19, where again, the same idolatrous worship to the queen of the heaven is mentioned. Every other place in the Bible where the English word “cakes’ is used, a different Hebrew word was used in the original.
Jeremiah was referring to HOT CROSS BUNS— exactly the same kind hundreds of you who read this have been buying and eating at “Easter season!”
The origin of the Easter egg is just as clear. It is recorded in Davies’ Druids, p. 208, that the ancient Druids bore an egg as the sacred emblem of their idolatrous order. On p. 207, same history, it is recorded that in the mysteries of Bacchus, as celebrated in Athens, part of the idolatrous ceremony consisted in the consecration of an egg. Hindu fables celebrate their mundane egg as of a golden color. It has been ancient customs in Japan to make their sacred egg a hard brazen color. In China, dyed or painted eggs are used on “sacred” heathen festivals. In the idolatry of ancient Egypt and Greece, eggs were used in their religious rites.

Christ, Constantine, Sol Invictus: the Unconquerable Sun
By Ralph Monday
Christian Overlays of Easter
Many ancient cultures celebrated the resurrection of the god at the vernal equinox. The ancients, not having any recourse to modern science, saw the rebirth of life in the spring after the death of winter as a spiritual and holy phenomenon, and invariably connected the rebirth of life with the resurrection of a deity, the archetypal symbolism once again readily apparent. The name Easter is derived from a pagan fertility goddess (either Eastre, or Eostre) that the Saxons of Northern Europe held a festival to her at the vernal equinox in order to celebrate the “resurrection” of life in the spring. Second century Christian missionaries found political expedience in making Saxons easier to convert to Christianity by renaming the celebration of Christ’s resurrection Easter which always falls after the vernal equinox (Origins of Easter). Other scholars accept the derivation put forth by the English scholar St. Bede where the name Easter is believed to originate in the Scandinavian “Ostra” and the Teutonic “Ostern” or “Eastre.” Both of these names of mythological goddesses archetypally symbolize spring and fertility and their festival, too, was observed on the day of the vernal equinox (Story of Easter). In addition, reaching even further back in time to the Sumerian civilization, Ishtar, another fertility goddess whose name can be pronounced “Easter,” was honored on a day commemorating the resurrection of a dying and reborn god named Tammuz; he was believed to be the only begotten son of the moon goddess and the sun god (Pagan Origin of Easter). The underlying scientific explanation, of course, is that at the vernal equinox the sun is directly over the equator apparently moving northward from an earth based vantage point, and will soon be “born again” into the northern hemisphere as the light increasingly floods the earth with longer days, more warmth, and the return of vegetation from its dormant or “dead” state, a clear connection of journeys to, and return from, the underworld. Again, the dominant idea is the link to the sun as the giver and protector of life, the “savior” of the world.
In order to reinforce the above information in regard to the incorporation of Easter into Catholicism, one final point must be made, that of the establishment of the Easter observance date, for this “moveable feast” was a problem and sometime embarrassment to the church as the festival was often celebrated on different dates in the ancient world. Churches in the West celebrate Easter on the first Sunday, after the first full moon that occurs on or after the vernal equinox, so once again we must look to the heavens to determine the proper festival dates of the god(s).
Before 325 C.E. Easter could be celebrated on different days of the week; these included Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Again, the lack of solidarity among the churches of the ancient world created a schism in the power of the church. Constantine called the Council of Nicea in 325, the first great ecumenical council of the Catholic Church, where not only the Arian controversy concerning the nature of Christ was resolved, but the date of Easter was finally firmly established. This was called the “Easter rule,” and the festival is always celebrated on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25 (Tian et. al. 8). This, of course, contributed to a much more unified empire in the far flung borders of Constantine’s reign.
Constantine did not want Easter to be celebrated on the Jewish Passover for he believed and stated that it was a Christian “duty to have nothing in common with the murderers of our Lord,” (Nicea Ruling…) most certainly an anti-Semitic view. Now, with the date of Easter firmly established, the church after the fall of the Roman Empire grew enormously in power and prestige over the majority of Western Europe, which leads to the final absorption of the ancient sun archetype into the church in the symbol of artistic halos.