Happy Easter!

Here is a little bit of trivia about the origin of the word Easter.  This word in English comes through our ancient English heritage.  The English monk St. Bede, who lived in the seventh and eighth centuries, gives us an insight.  It seems that in the ancient English tongue, the month equivalent to our April was called Eosturmonap (month of the goddess Eostre).  Of course, Easter falls most frequently in the spring month of April.  This is because it is associated with the Jewish celebration of the Passover.  So, being the April feast, it took on the olde English name of Easter.  Simple!

The origin in most Greek and Latin rooted languages finds its root in the Hebrew word for the Passover— pesach.  In Greek and Latin, that became Pascha.  It spread throughout the Romance languages and, because of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, into the Slavic languages, as well.

But whatever we call it, it is the same glorious Holy Day!  So, Happy Easter or Pascha!  Remember that through our Baptisms, we have died with Christ so that we may rise with Him, as well.  This feast of Christ’s Resurrection is a promise to us all that in death life is changed not ended!