Our Pagan Past

The Christian holiday of Good Friday marks the execution of Jesus, so why is it called “good” Theologians’ best guess is that the name derived from “God’s Friday” (the same way “good-bye” came from “God be with ye”). In some countries Good Friday is known as Long Friday, Silent Friday, or Holy Friday.

Easter is the Celebration of the resurrection of Christ, but the name “Easter” really comes from Eostre, the dawn goddess of Anglos-Saxon myth. Before the advent of Christianity, she was honored with an annual festival at the beginning of spring. It was also an ancient pre-Christian tradition to give people decorated eggs-a symbol of rebirth and resurrection-as gifts in the spring. Today, we call them Easter eggs.