Common myths about Easter

Each year around Easter a range of claims circulate online about the origins of the celebration. Social media posts, viral videos, and blog articles often repeat the same assertions:

• Easter is a pagan holiday.

• Easter comes from the goddess Ishtar.

• Christians adopted pagan fertility festivals and renamed them.

These claims are widespread, but they do not stand up well when examined historically or linguistically.

Careful study of the Bible, early Christian history, and linguistic evidence shows that Easter originates from the earliest Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which took place during the Jewish festival of Passover.

This article explores some of the most common myths about Easter and compares them with the historical and biblical evidence.

Myth 1: Easter Is a Pagan Holiday

One of the most frequently repeated claims is that Easter originated from ancient pagan fertility festivals.

According to this theory, Christians supposedly adopted spring celebrations from surrounding cultures and later attached Christian meaning to them.

However, historical evidence points to a very different origin.

The Historical Origin of Easter

The earliest Christians celebrated the resurrection of Jesus within the context of Passover, the Jewish festival remembering God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12).

The New Testament places Jesus’ death and resurrection explicitly within the Passover period.

For example, the Gospel of Luke records that Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with his disciples shortly before his crucifixion:

“And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’” Luke 22:19 (NIV)

Early Christians understood the death and resurrection of Jesus through this Passover imagery.

The Apostle Paul writes:

“For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” 1 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)

Because of this connection, the earliest Christian name for Easter was Pascha, derived from the Hebrew word Pesach (Passover).

Early Christian Evidence

Historical sources confirm that Christians were celebrating the resurrection very early.

The second-century bishop Melito of Sardis wrote a famous Easter sermon called On Pascha around AD 170. In it he declares:

“He who was buried as a man rose again as God.” Melito of Sardis, On Pascha

Melito’s sermon demonstrates that by the second century Christians were already celebrating the resurrection of Jesus as a central event.

Church historian Eusebius of Caesarea later recorded debates within the early church about the correct date of Easter, showing that the celebration itself was already well established.

He writes:

“A question of no small importance arose… concerning the day on which the Paschal feast ought to be observed.”— Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 5.23

In other words, Christians were not debating whether Easter should exist, but when it should be celebrated.

Modern historian Larry Hurtado, a leading scholar of early Christianity, notes that devotion to Jesus, including celebration of his resurrection, emerged remarkably early within the Christian movement (Hurtado, Lord Jesus Christ, 2003).

The evidence therefore points strongly toward a Christian origin rooted in the resurrection, not a pagan festival.

Myth 2: Easter Comes From the Goddess Ishtar

Another common claim suggests that Easter is derived from Ishtar, an ancient Mesopotamian goddess associated with fertility and love.

This theory usually relies on the observation that the words Easter and Ishtar appear superficially similar.

However, linguists consistently point out that this claim is historically and linguistically incorrect.

The Linguistic Reality

The word Ishtar comes from Akkadian, a Semitic language spoken in ancient Mesopotamia.

The word Easter, by contrast, comes from Old English, a Germanic language.

Because these languages belong to entirely different language families, there is no linguistic connection between the two terms.

New Testament scholar N. T. Wright notes that Easter’s origins are rooted in Jewish Passover traditions and early Christian proclamation of the resurrection rather than pagan religious practice (Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God, 2003).

Similarly, historian Alister McGrath explains that the Easter celebration developed directly from the early Christian remembrance of Christ’s resurrection within the Passover framework (McGrath, Christian Theology, 2017).

In short, the supposed link between Easter and Ishtar is based on modern speculation rather than historical evidence.

Where the Word “Easter” Actually Comes From

The English word Easter appears relatively late in the history of Christianity.

The earliest explanation for the term comes from the 8th-century English monk and historian Bede.

In his work The Reckoning of Time (De Temporum Ratione), Bede wrote:

“Eosturmonath has a name which is now translated ‘Paschal month’, and which was once called after a goddess of theirs named Eostre.”— Bede, De Temporum Ratione, AD 725

Several important observations follow from this statement.

First, Bede is the only historical source mentioning this supposed goddess.

Second, Bede’s comment concerns the name of a month in Anglo-Saxon England, not the origin of the Christian celebration itself.

By the time Bede wrote in the 8th century, Christians had already been celebrating the resurrection for hundreds of years.

This means the English word Easter may reflect a local linguistic development, but the celebration itself long predates the term.

Most Languages Still Use the Word Pascha

One of the simplest ways to see the historical origin of Easter is by examining the words used in different languages.

While English and German use the word Easter, most languages still use forms of Pascha, directly referencing Passover.

Examples include:

• Spanish: Pascua

• French: Pâques

• Italian: Pasqua

• Greek: Pascha

• Russian: Paskha

This linguistic consistency reflects the shared understanding among Christians that Easter is connected to the Passover context of the resurrection.

The resurrection is therefore best understood as the fulfilment of the Passover narrative — the moment when God acts decisively to bring redemption.

The Biblical Origin of Easter

At its core, Easter celebrates one central event: the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Gospels describe how Jesus was crucified, buried, and then raised from the dead on the third day.

Luke records the moment when the women discovered the empty tomb:

“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!” — Luke 24:5–6 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul emphasised that the resurrection stands at the centre of the Christian message:

“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” — 1 Corinthians 15:14 (NIV)

For Christians, Easter celebrates the moment when God defeated sin and death through the resurrection of Jesus.

Paul describes this victory in powerful terms:

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” — 1 Corinthians 15:55 (NIV)

This message became the foundation of the early Christian movement and remains central to Christian faith today.

Easter at Divergent Church

At Divergent Church, Easter is a moment where we join Christians across the world in celebrating the centre of the Christian story.

We gather to remember the death of Jesus on the cross and to celebrate the hope of the resurrection.

The resurrection reminds us that the story of Jesus did not end with the crucifixion.

Instead, Christians believe the resurrection reveals that God’s kingdom is moving forward and that new life is possible through Christ.

As Peter writes:

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Easter pagan?

No. Historical and biblical evidence shows that Easter originates from the Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ during the Jewish Passover festival.

Did Easter come from Ishtar?

No. Linguists confirm that the words Ishtar and Easter come from unrelated language families and have no historical connection.

What is the biblical origin of Easter?

The biblical origin of Easter is the resurrection of Jesus Christ, recorded in the New Testament (Matthew 28; Luke 24; John 20).

Why Understanding Easter Matters

The discussion about Easter’s origins ultimately points to a deeper question.

What actually happened in Jerusalem nearly two thousand years ago?

Christians believe that the resurrection of Jesus changed the course of history and revealed God’s plan to renew the world.

As Paul writes:

“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” 1 Corinthians 15:20 (NIV)

For Christians, Easter is not merely a seasonal tradition.

It is the celebration of a historical event that continues to shape faith, hope, and the life of the church today.