Why is Easter my favorite holiday?
374013
I know this one-\n\n'Cause you don't have to do anything but ride your quad, go fishin', and drink beers all day long.
326826
Actually, there is a mixture in your mind. Easter, the Resurrection story as celebrated by the Christians is a Christian celebration. However, when the Holy Roman Empire was making it's way across Europe there were several pagan holiday traditions that couldn't be stamped out, no matter how they tried. Therefore, the Catholics took a page out of the Romans' book and just adopted them into their own celebrations and glossed them over as Catholic rituals. \n\nI could go on forever with examples of these, but I'll limit myself to the Easter rituals. Easter was named after a Norse goddess named Ostara, a goddess of fertility. She had certain symbols sacred to her, the hare and the egg. During the Spring Equinox, the adult women would decorate and hide eggs for the men to find. Whomever found the woman's egg, was that woman's partner for the feasting and activities after (think fertility ritual). For this day, marriages were set aside so that the ritual could be enjoyed by all. \n\nSince the Catholics couldn't get rid of this festival entirely, they kept the Easter Bunny and the Egg Coloring and got rid of the fun stuff like the feasting, drinking and fertility ritual. \n\nAnd that's the story of the origin of the Easter Bunny and the colored eggs folks.
111316
i like Christmas the best b/c u get the day off and u get presents and u get good food ;)
396464
i spend my easter in the church.\nafter praying to the god i reached home \nate my easter food thats it
580435
delicious\n\ni love easter candy...those reese eggs are my all-time favorites!
253270
Thanksgiving is my personal favorite because it has that "Ahh, the whole family is here together!" feeling but isn't over-commercialized like Christmas. It also has a great theme that seems to bring out the good in people. Plus, boy do I love turkey! ...and pumkin pie...and turkey sandwich leftovers...YUM!
234560
I've know about the pagan link between the Easter Bunny and fertility and such for a while.  Here's some other websites I've found:\nhttp://www.easterbunnys.net/easterbunnyhistory.htm\nhttp://wilstar.com/holidays/easter.htm\nhttp://www.chiff.com/a/easter-bunny.htm\n\nPretty much, it seems we get the word Easter from the German holiday that used to take place at about the same time of year.  Easter falls close to Passover - the story of Jesus on the cross takes place in the new testament immediately following the last supper, which was a Passover feast.\n\nBasically, the early Christians borrowed symbols from pagan religions for all of their holidays.  Many Christmas traditions stem from these rituals as well.
938729
i have always thought of Easter as more important.  Jesus was tempted and because he WAS man, he could've NOT died on the cross for our sins.  However, He chose to do so and showed us His ultimate love and sacrifice through it.  I always look at Easter as a more important and more reverant holiday than Christmas.  I love Christmas and enjoy the festivities with a smile, but Easter always brings a certain solemness at first (usually on Good Friday) and then a joyful ending on Easter Sunday - since He rose and is now alive in Heaven.\n\nGood question!
379342
What do these all have to do with Christianity?  The answer is, NOTHING! People find it hard to believe that the traditions for their favorite holidays didn't originate with that holiday. Easter is the Christian celebration of the rebirth of Jesus. The holiday was set at this time of the year because it coencides with Passover, a Jewish tradition remembering the night when the angel of death came and killed the sons of Egypt.  It also conincided with the pagan celebration of the Spring Equidox, and the coming of Spring. \n\n The traditions of modern Easter, though, are very Pagan. The name of easter is linked to the goddess Ester, of firtility. Some of her symbols were: rabbits, young animals (such as chicks), eggs, and chocolate. (Do these seem familiar?) When christians would convert pagans, they would bring some of their traditions with them. There are many other influences in this holiday as well.\n\nDitto with the oriigns of Christmas.  If you study the Bible, and the climate of the Middle East, topography etc.  you will find that Jesus was most likely born in the Spring,and not December 25.  So what's with celerbrating Chirstmas 24 ~ the Winter Solstice ~ you've got it ~ another orginal Pagan holiday!
342517
Ostara is the one I believe most closely matches Easter. She represents fertility and renewal just as spring has sprung. \n\nDid you know: Eggs were (and still are!) dyed or painted bright colors as an offering to Ostara. Dawn is the best time to invoke her. In days of old, fires were lit at dawn in her honor. It always amazes me how traditions like this survive over the millennia.---
891683
Holidays are overrated. I prefer to try to enjoy every day and make the most of every day. To treat every day as if it's special because it is and treat myself special also :c)\nWhat's your fave holiday?
301068
Easter is derived from an ancient Germanic name for the month of April, Eostremonat--or rather Eostre Month, in dedication to the goddess Eostre. Eostre, or Ostara was a German goddess of fertility and her return was marked by the coming of spring and the sun. The Ost in her name refers to the East--the rising of the sun. The rebirth of the day and the rebirth of the spring were her specialties, and her celebrations occured during the vernal equinox--the first day of spring. Of course calendar dates have gotten juggled about for quite a few different reasons over time and now April is no longer where it once was on the calendar at what is now March 21st.\n\nThe rabbit was a traditional symbol of the goddess because of its great fertility, and the fact that the coming of spring marked the time when all of the little bunnies were seen starting to be born.\n\nWhen Christianity became the predominant religion it was an easy transition to introduce the rebirth of the Christ figure into the already extant birth and rebirth tradition. Old ways die hard, and the bunny stuck around. \n\nAlthough there are several explanations for the eggs the Easter bunny brings, (other than eggs are another traditional symbol of birth/rebirth) the most likely is that eggs were forbidden during the fast of lent, and were decorated and eaten in abundance to mark the end of the fast.\n\nGerman protestants although breaking with Roman Catholocism liked the egg tradition and kept it. And when German immigrants came to America, they brought with them the traditions of the Osterhase (Easter hare) and his eggs.\n\nInasmuch as Christianity has stolen the ancient goddess' name for their own holiday, it seems only fitting that its original mascot still puts in an appearance each year.
230149
Regular Easter is on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the first day of spring (vernal equinox).  I assume that Eastern Orthodox uses a different method to calculate Easter, but it is celebrated for the same reason (Christ arisen from the grave.)
428127
:) Cadbury creme-filled eggs are definately a must-have Easter treat here in the States. Don't forget those Jelly-Belly Jelly Beans too.:) Happy Easter.
778305
I like Thanksgiving.  I have lots of family over and I love to cook.  However, I must say Christmas is my favorite.  I love the season.  I love the carols, both religious and secular, the movies, from A Charlie Brown Christmas to Its a Wonderful Life, the window shopping (I never actually buy much; its the Lord's birthday, not anyone else's!) and the intimate time I have with just my own small family on the actual day.  \nHappy Holidays to you!
317562
Because Easter is a Moveable Feast - it isn't celebrated on one particular date.
333618
Easter is not a Christian Holiday neither is chocolate candy good for children to eat.Christmas is not a Christian holiday either December 25 is the day Tammuz was born, the son of Nimrod (who I believe to be satan) and Semiramis (the sun god.) Tammuz was killed buy a wildbore or pig. Thats where they get the easter ham. Every first Sunday after the first full moon of spring the sun worshiper would celebrate giving rabbits and eggs as a symbol of Life. Paganism has taken over most christian churches that's why most church worship on Sunday (The Devils Day) Gods Holy day is The Sabbath the 7th day Saturday. This is why The bible warn as against false teachings. Follow Gods commandment out of Love not in the tradition the rest of the so call christians are doing.