- Much of our modern Easter tradition is based upon pre-Christian celebrations which honored the Spring Equinox. Fact or Fiction?
- On Spring Equinox day every location on earth has exactly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. Fact or Fiction?
- Easter is the only Lunar-based Christian holiday. Fact or Fiction?
- The Spring Equinox is the only time of the year when you can balance an egg on it’s upright position. Fact or Fiction?
- Another name for the Spring Equinox is the “Vernal Equinox”. Fact or Fiction?
Answers:
- Fact. Easter is based upon several pre-Christian holidays which honor the Spring Equinox. In fact, one of the names given for a European Pagan celebration of the Spring Equinox was Eoster, (or Ester) honoring the rebirth (or resurrection) of the earth and the sun. Another celebration of the equinox was said to be known by the name of Ishtar during ancient Egyptian and Babylonian times in honor of the namesake Goddess. Interestingly one of the devotional animals to Ishtar was the Rabbit. Early Christians drew upon these concepts and created the celebration of Easter (honoring the resurrection of Christ) as part of an effort to make their religion more attractive to the largely Pagan populous of the time.
- Fiction. It’s true that during the exact moment of the equinox the earth is in perfect balance between day and night, however, the daily increase in sunlight (in the northern hemsphere) is so rapid during this time of year that it is not necessarily true that every location on earth will experience exactly 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night on Equinox Day. For example, in the Arctic region, at a location like Barrow Alaska, the daily increase of sunlight this time of year is about 15 minutes per day. So say the exact moment of the equinox were to occur moments after midnight on March 20 in America‘s northern most city; that night would feature about 12 hours of darkness but the following day would have about 12 hours and 10 minutes of sun light.
- Fiction. Though Easter may be the only MAJOR Christian holiday which is partially based upon the moon’s cycles (always occurring on the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox), other Christian holidays occurring around late Winter/early Spring (leading up to the Easter celebration) are also partially based upon the lunar cycles, like Palm Sunday and Ash Wednesday.
- Fiction. You can balance an egg upright any time of the year if you have enough patience to do so, though it is debatable (given the energetic alignments) as to whether it’s easier to do so around the equinoxes.
- Fact. Vernal means “of Spring”. The equinox that marks the beginning of fall is aptly named the “Autumnal Equinox”.
How did you do?
If you got all 5 right your are a “Spring-king”
If you got 3-4 right your are a “Spring-ahead”
If you got 1-2 right you are a “Spring-fling”
If you got none right you are a “Winter-lover”
