History of Easter

Easter is celebrated the world over to mark the resurrection of Jesus Christ – believed by Christians to be  the Son of God. Easter is celebrated by many races of people worldwide. However, Easter has been extremely commercialized to a large extent by companies manufacturing Easter related goods and items, which includes the greeting card industry. It is important that in all the commercialization of this very important festival, one does not forget the history of Easter.

The History of Easter

by Geno Jezek

 

Easter is one of the most celebrated festivals of the modern Christian church. According to St.Bede, an English historian of the eighteenth century, Easter owes its origin to the old Teutonic mythology. The name Easter was originally derived from the word Eostre. Eostre was the ancient Greek goddess of spring. It was believed that every year, Eostre returned to Earth after a long, cold winter and brought along with her the light and warmth of Spring. Thus, ancient Greeks held pagan festivals to welcome Eostre and herald the onset of spring.

 

The Pagan festivals always coincided with the vernal Equinox on the 21st of March every year. Though the Greek were not fully cognizant of why and when spring comes, they believed Eostre must be pleased to ensure that she returns year after year. The festivals were lavish feasts that celebrated the booming of new flowers, the chirping of birds, butterflies, and sunshine and in general the feeling of rejuvenation that is inherent of spring.

 

The Christian church however, changed the Pagan festival from a celebration of spring to a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. In 325 A.D. the church also changed the date of the festival. The festival was no longer held on the spring equinox. Instead, as per the Church Council of Nicaea henceforth it was to be held on the very first Sunday following the full moon on or after the vernal equinox. Thus, today Easter is celebrated on different dates every year and can occur as early as March 22nd or as late as April 25th.

 

Some people even believe that Easter is related to the Hebrew celebration, the Jewish Passover. Passover is celebrated to mark the freedom of the Israelis from bondage and slavery after 300 years. It was during Passover in 30 A.D. that Christ was crucified for being blasphemous. The resurrection happened three days later on what is today known as Easter Sunday. The early Christians, many of whom were raised as Jews considered the resurrection and Easter as a new part of pascha. Thus the early celebration of Passover came to be celebrated as Good Friday and Easter.

 

Today grand scale events mark the celebration of Easter in the United States and across the globe. Many traditional symbols of Easter continue to dominate the scene while new traditions are being part of the festival too. Thus, Easter is a festival that denotes life, rejuvenation, renewal, rebirth and restoration of all beings on Earth.

 

For more information, please visit the following websites:   The Holy Week leading up to Easter  / Orthodox Easter in the United States  /  Would Jesus Keep Easter? / Easter: USA and around the world / Traditions & Symbols of Easter          

St. Patrick and "His Day"

Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated yearly on March 17th and named in honor of St. Patrick, the most commonly recognized patron saint of Ireland. Also referred to as the "Feast of St. Patrick", this day is considered a cultural and religious holiday and observed especially by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Lutheran Church (especially the Church of Ireland).

History of St. Patrick

(from Wikipedia.com)                                                            

Little is known of Patrick's early life, though it is known that he was born in Roman Britain in the fourth century [AD], into a wealthy Romano-British family. His father was a deacon and his grandfather was a priest in the Christian church. At the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken captive to Ireland as a slave. It is believed he was held somewhere on the west coast of Ireland, possibly Mayo, but the exact location is unknown. According to his Confession, he was told by God in a dream to flee from captivity to the coast, where he would board a ship and return to Britain. Upon returning, he quickly joined the Church in Auxerre in Gaul and studied to be a priest. In 432, he again said that he was called back to Ireland, though as a bishop, to Christianise the Irish from their native polytheism. Irish folklore tells that one of his teaching methods included using the shamrock to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish people. After nearly thirty years of evangelism, he died on 17 March 461, and according to tradition, was buried at Downpatrick. Although there were other more successful missions to Ireland from Rome, Patrick endured as the principal champion of Irish Christianity and is held in esteem in the Irish church. 

St. Patrick's Day Traditions & Legends

(from History.com)

The day generally involves public parades and festivals, céilithe, and wearing of green attire or shamrocks. Christians also attend church services and the Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol are lifted for the day.   

Wearing of the Green ... originally, the colour associated with Saint Patrick was blue. Over the years the colour green and its association with Saint Patrick's Day grew. Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century. Saint Patrick is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Trinity to the pagan Irish, and the ubiquitous wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs has become a feature of the day. In the 1798 rebellion, to make a political statement, Irish soldiers wore full green uniforms on 17 March in hopes of catching public attention. The phrase "the wearing of the green", meaning to wear a shamrock on one's clothing, derives from a song of the same name.   

The Shamrock ... also called the "seamroy" by the Celts, was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of Spring. By the seventeenth century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism. As the English began to seize Irish land and make laws against the use of the Irish language and the practice of Catholicism, many Irish began to wear the shamrock as a symbol of their pride in their heritage and their displeasure with English rule.   

St. Patrick's Day Parade ... the first Saint Patrick's Day parade held in the Irish Free State was held in Dublin in 1931 and was reviewed by the then Minister of Defence Desmond Fitzgerald. In the mid-1990s the government of the Republic of Ireland began a campaign to use Saint Patrick's Day to showcase Ireland and its culture. It become known as the "Saint Patrick's Festival" which was first held on 17 March 1996. In 1997, it became a three-day event, and by 2000 it was a four-day event. By 2006, the festival was five days long; more than 675,000 people attended the 2009 parade.   

Irish Music ... from ancient days of the Celts, music has always been an important part of Irish life. The Celts had an oral culture, where religion, legend and history were passed from one generation to the next by way of stories and songs. After being conquered by the English, and forbidden to speak their own language, the Irish, like other oppressed peoples, turned to music to help them remember important events and hold on to their heritage and history. During her reign, Queen Elizabeth I even decreed that all artists and pipers were to be arrested and hanged on the spot.   

The Snake ... it has long been recounted that, during his mission in Ireland, St. Patrick once stood on a hilltop (which is now called Croagh Patrick) and, with only a wooden staff by his side, banished all the snakes from Ireland. In fact, the island nation was never home to any snakes. The "banishing of the snakes" was really a metaphor for the eradication of pagan ideology from Ireland and the triumph of Christianity. Within 200 years of Patrick's arrival, Ireland was completely Christianized.  

Corned Beef ... each year, thousands of Irish Americans gather with their loved ones on St. Patrick's Day to share a "traditional" meal of corned beef and cabbage. Though cabbage has long been an Irish food, corned beef only began to be associated with St. Patrick's Day at the turn of the century. Irish immigrants living on New York City's Lower East Side substituted corned beef for their traditional dish of Irish bacon to save money. They learned about the cheaper alternative from their Jewish neighbors. 

The Leprechaun ... belief in leprechauns probably stems from Celtic belief in fairies, tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. In Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls, responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies. Though only minor figures in Celtic folklore, leprechauns were known for their trickery, which they often used to protect their much-fabled treasure of gold. Leprechauns had nothing to do with St. Patrick or the celebration of St. Patrick's Day. In 1959, Walt Disney released a film called Darby O'Gill & the Little People, which introduced America to a very different sort of leprechaun than the cantankerous little man of Irish folklore. This cheerful, friendly leprechaun is a purely American invention, but has quickly evolved into an easily recognizable symbol of both St. Patrick's Day and Ireland in general.   

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While St. Patrick's Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early seventeenth century, the celebrations with parades and parties are a more modern affair. St. Patrick's Day is only recognized as a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador and Montserrat. However, the day is widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora  around the world, especially in Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand.   

New Pope Chosen for Catholic Church

Pope Benedict XVI (born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger; 16 April 1927) was pope emeritus of the Catholic Church and served as the 265th pope from 2005 to 2013. In that role he was both the leader of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of the Vatican City State. Benedict was elected on 19 April 2005 in a papal conclave, celebrated his Papal Inauguration Mass on 24 April 2005, and took possession of his cathedral, the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, on 7 May 2005. Pope Benedict XVI officially retired from the papalcy on February 28, 2013. He left Vatican City and flew by helicopter to the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo, where he waited for his resignation to take effect. There he will stay until after the conclave to elect a successor completes its task. Afterwards he will return to the Vatican, where the monastery Mater Ecclesiae is located in the Vatican Gardens and will serve as a retirement home. After his resignation, Benedict XVI retains his papal name rather than reverting to usage of his birth name, Joseph Ratzinger. Benedict XVI will give up his Fisherman's Ring, which is usually destroyed by Vatican officials on the event of the death of a pope to prevent counterfeit documents.

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Cardinals from around the world gather in the Vatican to elect the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church.  March 12, 2013: No winner in first vote to elect new pope . Roman Catholic cardinals signaled Wednesday, March 13, 2013, that they had failed to agree on a new pope during the early session of the second day of secret voting inside the Sistine Chapel. 

 

One voting session on Tuesday and two Wednesday morning have proved inconclusive, meaning that support has not yet coalesced around a single man but remains spread over several candidates. Much speculation has centered on Angelo Scola, the archbishop of Milan, as a leading contender. But also being mentioned are candidates from Brazil and even the United States, which would give the church its first non-European pope in nearly 1,300 years.

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Black smoke indicates no Pope has been chosen; White smoke indicates New Pope has been elected.

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Pope Francis I: FIRST Pope Elected Outside of Europe since St. Peter Was Chosen FIRST Pope in 33 AD... many headlines will grace the newspapers, internet, cable news and other media outlets as the new pope, was elected Archbishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church on Wednesday afternoon, March 13, 2013. Argentina's Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio [of Buenos Aires] becomes the 266th new Catholic leader. Bergoglio will attain the title "Pope Francis I", named for St. Francis of Assisi, whom was noted for his kindness, humility and service to others. Though Francis of Assisi was never ordained to the Catholic priesthood, Francis is one of the most venerated religious figures in history. Becoming "Pope Francis" will be another first for the Catholic Church, as no one else has ever taken that particular name before. Another first in this papal election is that Bergoglio is a Jesuit priest.The archbishop of Buenos Aires is the Argentine-born son of an Italian railway worker. Seen as a compassionate conservative, he reportedly came in second during the 2005 balloting that ultimately elected Benedict XVI. This papal election follows the abdication of Pope Benedict XVI on Feb. 28 due to health problems.
 

"Habemus Papam!" meaning, "We have a pope!"

  



Pope Francis I

 

The "Two Witnesses" of Revelation

In Christian eschatology, the book of Revelation speaks about "two witnesses" that will appear prior to the Second Coming of Jesus. They will prophesied for three and half years, during what the Christians refer to as the "The Great Tribulation".

 

Who Are They?                                                       

 



John of Patmos

The two witnesses are perceived to be  the  Creator's  prophets  as  seen  by  John of Patmos in a vision in the Book of Revelation (11:1-14). There has been some contention among the scholars and theologians as to the identity of the two witnesses.

 

They are classified as real individuals [reincarnated Biblical prophets or new arrivals on the earth], two groups of people [the Christian Church and Messianic Judaism; those Jews who believe in Jesus], or as two concepts [symbolically Old and New Testament; the Law and the Prophets].

 

Dispensationalist Christians contend it relates to the Second Coming of Jesus and historical, as well as current, prophetical events that have or will take place. 

 

Early Christian scholars, such as Tertullian, Irenaeus, and Hippolytus of Rome concluded that the two witnesses would be  Enoch and Elijah, the only two prophets in the Bible that did not "die", but instead was "taken" by God. Others believe Moses will be at least one of the two witnesses, for his ability to turn water into blood and to cause plagues upon the earth at his command. In Zechariah 4, the identification of the two olive branches is in accordance to "two anointed ones" and reinforces the literal interpretation as two people, according to literalists such as William Barclay . However, modern theologians, such as John Walvoord, point out that no specific person(s) are mentioned in Revelation 11:3 and therefore not related to any previous historical figures.

 

The two witnesses have been suggested as representing the Church, as stated in the the  1599 Geneva Study Bible, which asserted that the witnesses are the exclusive purview of the [Christian] church. According to Matthew Henry's "Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible", his interpretation consisting of the believing Jews and Gentiles as a whole represent the concept of the witnesses, while John Wesley's commentary on Revelation 11 suggests a more spiritual application. There are many theologians that believe the "two olive trees and the two lampstands." clearly defines the Church as the witnesses, while other scholars continue to debate such a theory.

 

Some Christian Protestant congregations, such as the Seventh-day Adventist interpret the two witnesses as the Old and New Testaments. The founder of the Seventh-day Adventist movement, Ellen G. White, believed that the French Revolution was the time when the two witnesses were killed.

 

Why Do They Come?        

 

 

According to biblical text, the two witnesses symbolize "two olive trees and two lampstands" and they will have the power to destroy their enemies, control the weather and cause plagues. Some scholars believe the two olive trees represent the peace that the two witnesses try to bring to the sinful Earth and the two lampstands signify the light that they shine for Jesus Christ. John of Patmos was told that the court of God's Temple would be trampled on by many nations for 42 months (3.5 years). It will be during this time that the two witnesses will make an appearance and be granted the authority to prophesy and given the power over the land, water and sky to strike the Earth with major plagues (much worse than Moses' time). The Beast will eventually overcome the two witnesses and kills them. The Bible states, for three and a half days the people of the earth celebrate the death of these two prophets God had sent to warn mankind to repent of their evil ways. Merriment is quickly replaced with fear when the people 'witness' their revival and resurrection of the two witnesses and watch dumbfounded as they are ascended into Heaven. After the ascension, God brings his wrath upon the earth again.

¹³And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. ¹⁴ The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. - Revelation 11:13-14

 

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The Apocalypse of John is considered by Christian theologians, in some cases, to contain unfathomable information and find it impossible to fully comprehend the significance of John's message. Without the comprehensive knowledge of the original "Testament", scholars remain baffled while trying to decipher the true meaning of the ancient prophet's words.

 

While the description of the two witnesses may be symbolistic, allegory, or literal, the "purpose" of the two witnesses is to 'Denounce' the reign of the Antichrist. The "destiny" of the two witnesses is to 'Reveal' the power of God.

 

Timeline of Major & Other Religions

Religion has been around almost since the beginning of mankind. Descriptions and definitions vary from religion to religion, but most religious factions equally share a common denominator - belief in an omnipresent Creator. The following is an informational assortment of the top five (5) major world religions, their brief histories and the beliefs of its founders. This article also includes a partial compilation of other religions [mainly off-shoots from one of the five major religions] and their timelines, founders and membership statues.
                   

2085 BC

Judaism

Founder: Abraham

Members: 14 million

Judaism is a monotheistic religion founded by the Hebrew patriarch, Abraham, almost 4,000 years ago. Its origins can be found in the Hebrew Bible (known as the Tanakh) and examined in later texts such as the Talmud. The Tanakh is an account of the Israelites' relationship with the Creator from their earliest history until the building of the Second Temple around 535 BC. Abraham is considered by many to be the first Hebrew and the father of the Jewish people. Judaism is basically the establishment of a covenant between the Creator and Abraham for his act of faith in believing in just one god; he is credited with teaching his people the true laws and precepts of the one true God. Judaism has three branches: Orthodox, Reformed and Conservative. The sacred texts, traditions and values of Judaism has strongly influenced other religions, which include: Christianity, Islam and the Baha'i Faith, which are known as the Abrahamic religions. The story of Abraham can be found in the book of Genesis (starting at chapter 11:26 through chapter 18 and chapters 20:1 through 25:11). The adherents of Judaism can be found mainly in Israel, the United States and Canada, with most of the remainder living in Europe.

1500 BC

Hinduism

Founder: none specific

Members:  900 million

Hinduism is the polytheistic religion of the Indian subcontinent and includes Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Śrauta among numerous other traditions. The Hindu belief revolves around as many as 330 million gods in the dharma, yet the ultimate reality of Hinduism contains one, omnipresent God having many different names and functions.  The religion is formed of diverse traditions and has no single credited  founder. Among other practices and philosophies, this religion includes a wide variety of laws and prescriptions of "daily morality" based on the dharma, karma and other societal norms. Hinduism does not stick to a rigid set of beliefs common to most other religions. One orthodox classification of Hindu texts is divided into Śruti ("revealed") and Smriti ("remembered"). These texts discuss theology, philosophy, mythology, rituals and temple building, among other topics. Major scriptures include the Vedas, Upanishads, Purāṇas, Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa, Bhagavad Gītā and Āgamas. Hindu followers can be found worldwide with the majority residing  in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and the minority in such countries as Malaysia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. 

560 BC

Buddhism

Founder: Gautama Buddha

Members:  376  million

Buddhism is another polytheistic religion mainly indigenous to the Indian subcontinent and encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices that are attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha (meaning "the awakened one"). Buddha's teachings encouraged mankind to help unfortunate beings end suffering through eliminating ignorance by way of understanding and seeing dependent origination in order to attain the highest degree of happiness or nirvāņa. Unlike many religions, Buddhism has no central text that is universally referred to by all traditions. Buddhism is an off-shoot from Hinduism. It was during the first century BC that the religion completely broke away from the insignificant sacrifices and rituals of Vedic Brahmanism and rejected the Vedas and Brahmans [of the Hindus]. Three major branches of the religion is recognized: Theravada, Mahayana and Tibetan. The teachings of the Four Noble Truths are regarded as central to the teachings of Buddha and are said to provide an abstract framework for Buddhist thought. The "four truths" explain the nature of dukkha (suffering, anxiety, dissatisfaction), its causes, and how it can be overcome. Devotion is also an important part of the practice of most Buddhists. Devotional practices include bowing, offerings, pilgrimage, and chanting. Most Buddhists are found in India, Sri Lanka and in East, Central and Southeast Asia.

c/30 AD

Christianity

Founder: Jesus Christ

Members:  2.1  billion

Christianity is the largest monotheistic religion in the world and is based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ as presented in the New Testament writings of the Christian Bible; moreover, Jesus expounded upon the laws from the Old Testament (Jewish Tanakh) and taught a "new way" of worshipping and furthering one's understanding of the true laws of the Creator. The mainstream Christian belief is that Jesus was not only a prophet, but the Son of God and the savior of humanity. Because of this, Christians commonly refer to Jesus as the Messiah. The religion has three branches: Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church and the various denominations of Protestantism. The Christian faith teaches the way to achieve eternal life. In short, through the Gospel of Jesus, the Creator achieves eternal victory over evil and the promise of  salvation [and eternal life for all people] through divine grace. Christians are scattered throughout the world with the majority of its adherents being in the Americas, Europe and Africa and has played a prominent role in the shaping of the sub-Saharan and Western civilizations.

610 AD

Islam

Founder: Muhammad

Members:  1.5 billion

Islam is the second largest monotheistic religion in the world. Muḥammad is credited with being the religion's founder and reorganized the concepts of Judaism to bring the Abrahamic religion back to its original teachings and created a "true religion". Muslims (Islam adherents) believe their holy book, the Qur'an, is a verbatim text dictated to the Islamic prophet by Allah (God) through the archangel Gabriel . Their holy book is divided into 114 suras (chapters), which contain 6,236 āyāt (verses) and is considered the "sourcebook of Islamic principles and values". The sacred teachings of Muhammad, known as the Sunnah and composed of the Hadith, are also considered consecrated teachings. There are two major branches of Islam: Sunni and Shia. In Islam, God is one and incomparable; the purpose of existence is to love and serve God. The Muslims maintain that the previous messages and revelations of other religions have been partially misinterpreted or altered over time, but consider the Qur'an to be both the unaltered and final revelation of God. The religion of Islam is practiced worldwide with the majority of its members located in Indonesia, South Asia, the Middle East and in sub-Sarahan Africa. There is a large minority of followers in the Americas, China and Russia and is one of the fastest growing religions in the world. 

  

 

PARTIAL LIST OF OTHER RELIGIONS IN THE WORLD

DATE	RELIGION	FOUNDER	MEMBERS
3000 BC	Paganism	None	0.5 million
600 BC	Zoroastrianism	Zoroaster	2.7 million
570 BC	Jainism	Mahavira	4.3 million
550 BC	Taoism	Lao Tzu	2.7 million
520 BC	Confucianism	Confucius/Lun Yu	6.3 million
30-70 AD	Eastern Orthodox	St. Paul	230 million
500 AD	Shinto	Kojiki/Nohon Shoki	2.7 million
590 AD	Roman Catholicism	Constantine/Pope Gregory	1.2 billion
1500 AD	Sikhism	Guru Granth Sahib	23.8 million
1515 AD	Protestantism	Martin Luther	800 million
1559 AD	Anglicanism	Anglican divines	85 million
1650 AD	Tibetan Buddhism	Dalai Lama	10-20 million
1830 AD	Mormonism	Joseph Smith	14.4 million
1844 AD	Bahá'í Faith	Baha’u’llah	13.5 million
1879 AD	Christian Science	Mary Baker Eddy	100 thousand
1930 AD	Nation of Islam (Black Muslims)	Wallace D. Fard	100 thousand
1954 AD	Unification Church	Sun Myung Moon	unavailable
1955 AD	Scientology	L. Ron Hubbard	8-15 million
1966 AD	Church of Satan	Anton LeVey	unavailable
1968 AD	Hare Krishna	Swami Prabhupada	250 thousand