What is the origin of the name Easter for the day christians celebrate the Resurrection of Christ?

Tabby Tom

The name comes from Eostre or Eastre, the Germanic goddess of spring and the dawn. May 02 02, 11:16 AM

Senior Moments

It goes back even further than that according to http://www.infoplease.com/spot/easterintro1.html Easter takes its name from Ishtar, the Babylonian and Assyrian goddess of love and fertility. The Phoenicians knew her as Astarte, sister and consort of Baal, a God worshipped in much of the Middle East and Mediterranean. Some of the ancient Hebrews also worshipped Baal. Astarte spread through Europe, becoming Ostara, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, fertility, and the rising sun. The Old English word for Easter, 'Eastre' refers to Ostara. Around the second century A.D., Christian missionaries seeking to convert the tribes of northern Europe realized that the time of the crucifixion of Jesus roughly coincided with the Teutonic springtime celebrations, which emphasized the triumph of life over death. Christian Easter gradually absorbed the traditional symbols. May 02 02, 5:27 PM