Today’s Google Doodle described Easter this way: “Easter traditions blend religious observances with festive spring rituals, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus for Christians and renewed life. Key customs include attending church services, decorating and hunting for eggs, sharing feasts with lamb or ham, and the arrival of the Easter Bunny.”
THE EASTER BUNNY?!?!?
Google’s curated wording increased my blood pressure faster than the cup of coffee on my desk.
Why? Because of what it does subtly and (grrr!) effectively: it places the resurrection of Jesus alongside seasonal customs, as if they carry equal weight. It emphasizes Easter as a balanced mixture of faith and festivity, rather than a singular, defining event with traditions that altered history.
At first glance, Google’s blender full of spring might seem harmless. But it raises a more important question: are we gradually trading the substance of Easter for something more palatable? The images are imbedded in our culture: brightly colored eggs, cheery bunnies and chicks, pastel woven baskets, and pretty foil-wrapped candy–lots and lots of candy!! These tokens show carefully curated summaries of what Easter could mean, rather than what it really means: the empty tomb. The resurrection of Christ.
The Name Tells the Story
“Easter” is actually the exception, not the rule. Outside English and German (“Ostern”), most languages use forms of Pascha—Spanish Pascua, Italian Pasqua, French Pâques, Scandinavian Påske. That word comes from the Hebrew Pesach, meaning Passover.
This isn’t an etymological question to be debated; it’s the foundation.
Rooted in Passover
The New Testament places Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection firmly during Passover. Early Christians understood this as THE fulfillment, not a mere coincidence of timing. Passover marked deliverance from death and slavery for Jews, while the resurrection points to a greater deliverance from sin and death. That’s why the earliest name for what we in English call Easter was known as Pascha—not a new idea but a completion.
Not a Pagan Reinvention
While some traditions developed culturally over time, the core of Easter is not pagan in origin. The resurrection is described accurately in the Gospel accounts and affirmed throughout the New Testament. Even the date of Easter reflects this origin, following the Passover-linked lunar calendar rather than a fixed spring festival.
What Gets Lost
When Jesus death for our sins and ultimate resurrection sits beside plastic eggs or marshmallow chicks on a grocery store shelf, it blurs the message, whether intentional or not. The resurrection, in Christian belief, is not symbolic or an idea; it is an EVENT. A real happening that shaped history and changes lives to this day.
Treating Easter as one theme of spring waters down the sacrifice.
Holding Onto the Core
Easter—Pascha—is about the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of Passover. That meaning has endured across centuries, continents, and cultures. The question is whether we keep it clear, or allow culture to mish-mash it into something that is more palatable rather than powerful.
You can’t change lives with a Cadbury egg. It takes the blood of Christ and an empty tomb to restore souls.