To me Easter is the celeberation of Jesus's life and death.

Spring break, nothing more.  Don't believe in ther immaculate conception, nor the resurrection.  I do believe in the Easter Bunny though.

5 days to have fun and enjoy the last days of summer (or first days of spring depending on which half of the world you're on...)

Jelly beans!
8)

my mother has the faith in my family. she'll go to church and pray to keep her sinners, my father and i, out of hell.

my son is going to get chocolate poisoning from all the sweets he'll consume on easter sunday.

to me, i'll be PO'd that good friday the beer vendors will be closed, that's my beer night!

One word:


CHOCOLATE





Cat

To me Easter is the celeberation of Jesus's life and death.


There ya go, and honestly, nothing else!

Tanya

One word:


CHOCOLATE





Cat

Me too...we always eat a lot of it. :) :D

One word:

CHOCOLATE



In all honesty, same here.  :)

To me Easter is the celeberation of Jesus's life and death.


Same here

My youngest child is only 3, and I am already letting her know the real meaning of Easter, and all the other holidays marking jesus's life.

Spring break, Easter Bunny bringing Easter baskets (or other containers) filled with candies & trinkets for the kids, coloring Easter eggs, going to various egg hunts in the area... that sort of thing. 

One word:


CHOCOLATE





Cat

Specifically, a gigant white chocolate Easter bunny I devour in one sitting and regret for the remainder of Easter Sunday!
:P

The christian's adoption of the pagan celebration of the Vernal Equinox, they even kept the old pagan symbols of fertility, the rabbit and the egg

To me Easter is the celeberation of Jesus's life and death.


Easter (or Resurrection Sunday in my church) means the same to me, too.

Ham and potluck at my aunt's house. :D

To me Easter is the celeberation of Jesus's life and death.
It is the same for our family, and also it means study for me.

The christian's adoption of the pagan celebration of the Vernal Equinox, they even kept the old pagan symbols of fertility, the rabbit and the egg


Likewise. I went to Avebury, an ancient stone fertility circle near me, on 17th March. I didn't go there to celebrate (I thought the Equinox was on the 21st, so was going to visit then), but was 'called' there. (Sounds wierd, but I often am; this time it was an overwhelming urge to visit a particular group of trees just outside the circle).
When I got there, there were several Druids in the circle, doing a dawn-til-dusk ceremony; I spent some time with them, shared their food & mead, and had a lengthy conversation with the head Druid, ending in a blessing of sorts. He also told me that the trees I was called to are in fact a remainder of an attempt by Christians to destroy the site- beech trees apparently only surface-root, until the shallow soil can no longer support them, then they topple over, taking the topsoil with them. Don't know if he's right or not.
He also suggested these trees were not really a valid worship point, because of this, but I disregarded that information & followed my instincts, and went to the trees. (It's not always a good idea, when relating to your God, to follow other's advice!). I sat & meditated for a couple of hours- it even felt like I was 'directed' to a particular spot to sit, roughly equidistant between the three major trees in the group. I left feeling blissful & refreshed, and somehow 'cleansed', far more so than when I meditate in a house or something. For me, that recognition of the coming of Spring was my Easter celebration- yes, I'll do the traditional long-weekend-of-drinking thing that many secular Brits do too, but I won't be engaging in any Christian celebrations.
My company is doing quite a bit for Easter, I've got glitter all over my face at the moment from helping decorate the department (seems like a nice boy ;)). I'll probably be given a chocolate egg, which will last me ages, as I'm really fussy about what chocolate I eat. We've had competitions this week to name our department 'Easter Bunny'- I have declared on my entry form "whoever is most Easterous at the moment". Anyone who knows pagan lore will know the Easter/ Oestr connection, yet despite working in a department of 20-odd women, not one of them picked up on my pun...

Likewise. I went to Avebury, an ancient stone fertility circle near me, on 17th March. I didn't go there to celebrate (I thought the Equinox was on the 21st, so was going to visit then), but was 'called' there. (Sounds wierd, but I often am; this time it was an overwhelming urge to visit a particular group of trees just outside the circle).
When I got there, there were several Druids in the circle, doing a dawn-til-dusk ceremony; I spent some time with them, shared their food & mead, and had a lengthy conversation with the head Druid, ending in a blessing of sorts. He also told me that the trees I was called to are in fact a remainder of an attempt by Christians to destroy the site- beech trees apparently only surface-root, until the shallow soil can no longer support them, then they topple over, taking the topsoil with them. Don't know if he's right or not.
He also suggested these trees were not really a valid worship point, because of this, but I disregarded that information & followed my instincts, and went to the trees. (It's not always a good idea, when relating to your God, to follow other's advice!). I sat & meditated for a couple of hours- it even felt like I was 'directed' to a particular spot to sit, roughly equidistant between the three major trees in the group. I left feeling blissful & refreshed, and somehow 'cleansed', far more so than when I meditate in a house or something. For me, that recognition of the coming of Spring was my Easter celebration- yes, I'll do the traditional long-weekend-of-drinking thing that many secular Brits do too, but I won't be engaging in any Christian celebrations.
My company is doing quite a bit for Easter, I've got glitter all over my face at the moment from helping decorate the department (seems like a nice boy ;)). I'll probably be given a chocolate egg, which will last me ages, as I'm really fussy about what chocolate I eat. We've had competitions this week to name our department 'Easter Bunny'- I have declared on my entry form "whoever is most Easterous at the moment". Anyone who knows pagan lore will know the Easter/ Oestr connection, yet despite working in a department of 20-odd women, not one of them picked up on my pun...


Where is Avebury?  Sounds fascinating :)  Don't think I'd find many Druids here!  I'm guessing that the Easter/Oestr is something to do with fertility ???

Oh and I know what you mean about Easter egg chocolate - some of it is putrid.  My kids even refuse it.

Where is Avebury?  Sounds fascinating :)  Don't think I'd find many Druids here!  I'm guessing that the Easter/Oestr is something to do with fertility ???

Oh and I know what you mean about Easter egg chocolate - some of it is putrid.  My kids even refuse it.


Avebury is in Wiltshire, UK. It's a large stone 'circle', although the site is womb-shaped, with 2 stone circles representing ovaries. Druids tend to convene there at the times of the major pagan festivals, Summer Solstice, Winter Solstice, Beltane (28th April/ 1st May), All Hallows Eve (31st October or thereabouts), and the Vernal & Autumnal Equinoxes (21st March/ 21st September or thereabouts). The most popular is definitely the Summer Solstice, where thousands of people (who generally don't want to bother with the police hassle at Stonehenge) gather for an all-night celebration.

There are 2 other features near Avebury of ancient & mystical origin- West Kennet Long Barrow (ancient burial site) & Silbury Hill. Silbury Hill is a large, man-made knoll, of which the origin or purpose is little known. It's even been suggested it has extra-terrestrial links, but don't know about that. When Summer Solstice comes around, it's quite common for people to stay overnight on the top of the hill, as it is one of the best vantage points to see the sun rising.

I believe the word "Easter" is derived from an ancient Teutonic fertility/ dawn-goddess Eastre. My pun involved the fact that women who are ovulating are described as oestrous, and my office is full of 'em. I must admit I made a bit of a faux-pas though, as I thought the words "oestrous" & "oestrogen" were derived from Eastre, due to the fertility connection. My reference dictionary tells me otherwise- it claims that the prefix "oestr-" comes from the latin "Oestrus", meaning a gadfly, so I don't quite know how the connection between that & female hormones comes about! (And again, it goes to show you shouldn't always listen to the advice of fellow pagans, as I aquired that 'knowledge' from a previous spiritual mentor, in fact I think I've read my original surmision in a book somewhere, too...)

As for not having Druids round your way, where are you? I bet they're lurking in the bushes, hugging trees & stones, unbeknownst to yourself. Seriously though, I don't know how widespread Druidism really is, I don't tend to move in pagan circles (other than stone ones!) so I don't know how common it is. Are there Druids in the US, for instance?

Avebury is in Wiltshire, UK. It's a large stone 'circle', although the site is womb-shaped, with 2 stone circles representing ovaries. Druids tend to convene there at the times of the major pagan festivals, Summer Solstice, Winter Solstice, Beltane (28th April/ 1st May), All Hallows Eve (31st October or thereabouts), and the Vernal & Autumnal Equinoxes (21st March/ 21st September or thereabouts). The most popular is definitely the Summer Solstice, where thousands of people (who generally don't want to bother with the police hassle at Stonehenge) gather for an all-night celebration.

There are 2 other features near Avebury of ancient & mystical origin- West Kennet Long Barrow (ancient burial site) & Silbury Hill. Silbury Hill is a large, man-made knoll, of which the origin or purpose is little known. It's even been suggested it has extra-terrestrial links, but don't know about that. When Summer Solstice comes around, it's quite common for people to stay overnight on the top of the hill, as it is one of the best vantage points to see the sun rising.

I believe the word "Easter" is derived from an ancient Teutonic fertility/ dawn-goddess Eastre. My pun involved the fact that women who are ovulating are described as oestrous, and my office is full of 'em. I must admit I made a bit of a faux-pas though, as I thought the words "oestrous" & "oestrogen" were derived from Eastre, due to the fertility connection. My reference dictionary tells me otherwise- it claims that the prefix "oestr-" comes from the latin "Oestrus", meaning a gadfly, so I don't quite know how the connection between that & female hormones comes about! (And again, it goes to show you shouldn't always listen to the advice of fellow pagans, as I aquired that 'knowledge' from a previous spiritual mentor, in fact I think I've read my original surmision in a book somewhere, too...)

As for not having Druids round your way, where are you? I bet they're lurking in the bushes, hugging trees & stones, unbeknownst to yourself. Seriously though, I don't know how widespread Druidism really is, I don't tend to move in pagan circles (other than stone ones!) so I don't know how common it is. Are there Druids in the US, for instance?



That is way cool. There are Druids in the U.S. But, being a solitairary witch myself, I don't participate in any "public" ritual (I do my own thing).


If anyone is interested, this is a link to a site that is basically a Pagan network from all over the world.  http://www.witchvox.com/





Cat

Avebury is in Wiltshire, UK. It's a large stone 'circle', although the site is womb-shaped, with 2 stone circles representing ovaries. Druids tend to convene there at the times of the major pagan festivals, Summer Solstice, Winter Solstice, Beltane (28th April/ 1st May), All Hallows Eve (31st October or thereabouts), and the Vernal & Autumnal Equinoxes (21st March/ 21st September or thereabouts). The most popular is definitely the Summer Solstice, where thousands of people (who generally don't want to bother with the police hassle at Stonehenge) gather for an all-night celebration.

There are 2 other features near Avebury of ancient & mystical origin- West Kennet Long Barrow (ancient burial site) & Silbury Hill. Silbury Hill is a large, man-made knoll, of which the origin or purpose is little known. It's even been suggested it has extra-terrestrial links, but don't know about that. When Summer Solstice comes around, it's quite common for people to stay overnight on the top of the hill, as it is one of the best vantage points to see the sun rising.

I believe the word "Easter" is derived from an ancient Teutonic fertility/ dawn-goddess Eastre. My pun involved the fact that women who are ovulating are described as oestrous, and my office is full of 'em. I must admit I made a bit of a faux-pas though, as I thought the words "oestrous" & "oestrogen" were derived from Eastre, due to the fertility connection. My reference dictionary tells me otherwise- it claims that the prefix "oestr-" comes from the latin "Oestrus", meaning a gadfly, so I don't quite know how the connection between that & female hormones comes about! (And again, it goes to show you shouldn't always listen to the advice of fellow pagans, as I aquired that 'knowledge' from a previous spiritual mentor, in fact I think I've read my original surmision in a book somewhere, too...)

As for not having Druids round your way, where are you? I bet they're lurking in the bushes, hugging trees & stones, unbeknownst to yourself. Seriously though, I don't know how widespread Druidism really is, I don't tend to move in pagan circles (other than stone ones!) so I don't know how common it is. Are there Druids in the US, for instance?


Avebury Rings
http://www.stonehenge.org.uk/images/Avebury.jpghttp://www.megalithicsites.co.uk/images/Avearial.gif

I expressed what Easter means to me in a song parody of "Under The Boardwalk" by The Drifters:

http://www.amiright.com/parody/60s/thedrifters14.shtml

The christian's adoption of the pagan celebration of the Vernal Equinox, they even kept the old pagan symbols of fertility, the rabbit and the egg


Yep!  Big Sunday dinner and Jelly Beans :)

Avebury Rings
http://www.stonehenge.org.uk/images/Avebury.jpghttp://www.megalithicsites.co.uk/images/Avearial.gif

STONEHENGE!
Where a man's a man, and the children dance to the pipes of pan!

--Spinal Tap

Avebury is in Wiltshire, UK. It's a large stone 'circle', although the site is womb-shaped, with 2 stone circles representing ovaries. Druids tend to convene there at the times of the major pagan festivals, Summer Solstice, Winter Solstice, Beltane (28th April/ 1st May), All Hallows Eve (31st October or thereabouts), and the Vernal & Autumnal Equinoxes (21st March/ 21st September or thereabouts). The most popular is definitely the Summer Solstice, where thousands of people (who generally don't want to bother with the police hassle at Stonehenge) gather for an all-night celebration.

There are 2 other features near Avebury of ancient & mystical origin- West Kennet Long Barrow (ancient burial site) & Silbury Hill. Silbury Hill is a large, man-made knoll, of which the origin or purpose is little known. It's even been suggested it has extra-terrestrial links, but don't know about that. When Summer Solstice comes around, it's quite common for people to stay overnight on the top of the hill, as it is one of the best vantage points to see the sun rising.

I believe the word "Easter" is derived from an ancient Teutonic fertility/ dawn-goddess Eastre. My pun involved the fact that women who are ovulating are described as oestrous, and my office is full of 'em. I must admit I made a bit of a faux-pas though, as I thought the words "oestrous" & "oestrogen" were derived from Eastre, due to the fertility connection. My reference dictionary tells me otherwise- it claims that the prefix "oestr-" comes from the latin "Oestrus", meaning a gadfly, so I don't quite know how the connection between that & female hormones comes about! (And again, it goes to show you shouldn't always listen to the advice of fellow pagans, as I aquired that 'knowledge' from a previous spiritual mentor, in fact I think I've read my original surmision in a book somewhere, too...)

As for not having Druids round your way, where are you? I bet they're lurking in the bushes, hugging trees & stones, unbeknownst to yourself. Seriously though, I don't know how widespread Druidism really is, I don't tend to move in pagan circles (other than stone ones!) so I don't know how common it is. Are there Druids in the US, for instance?


Thanks for that info Goodsin.  I find it so interesting.  I'm in Brisbane, Australia.  Maybe there are Druids lurking.  8)

Avebury Rings
http://www.stonehenge.org.uk/images/Avebury.jpghttp://www.megalithicsites.co.uk/images/Avearial.gif


Wow!  Thanks for the pics Phil.  :)

Back to the question:

Chocolate

I know someone posted it already, but there it is again...

To me, Easter is the time to celebrate Jesus' resurrection for US.  Its always a sad time, but a joyous time to know that we are saved!!

Oh, I got 4 chocolate eggs from my company. One fat pagan with no teeth, coming up... ;D

Thanks for the pics Philip Eno (Are you Filipino?), I don't tend to post links or pics much, as apparently it attracts the attention of my IT department (generally write on here from my workplace).

And as for you, young Maxwell, and your Spinal Tap (LOL)- I can assure you that, unlike their version of Stonehenge, Avebury has 12' rather than 12" stones!

Specifically, a gigant white chocolate Easter bunny I devour in one sitting and regret for the remainder of Easter Sunday!

I always get a chocolate bunny from my grandma every Easter.


To me Easter is the celeberation of Jesus's life and death.

On the other hand, I do second that. For as long as I can remember, I have been going to a church service on one or all of the days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and/or Holy Saturday. And in most years, I've also gone to the Easter Sunday mass.

Baked Ham, mashed potatos, corn, and Easter candy :)