Lent is Pagan!

  It’s as predictable as death and taxes—whenever a traditional Christian holiday like Easter or Christmas approaches, a flood of articles, videos, and social media posts inevitably warn that these celebrations are 'pagan,' 'evil,' and should be avoided. But what’s the real story?

The Alleged Connection Between Lent and Pagan Practices

Some critics claim that Lent, particularly the 40 days of fasting and the observance of Ash Wednesday, has roots in pagan practices, specifically the Babylonian worship of the god Tammuz. These critics point to the 40 days of weeping for Tammuz, mentioned in the Bible, as a possible origin for the Christian observance of Lent. However, these claims are based on superficial similarities and lack strong historical evidence.

The 40 Days of Weeping for Tammuz

The Babylonian god Tammuz, also known as Dumuzi, was associated with fertility, agriculture, and the cycle of seasons. According to Babylonian mythology, Tammuz died and descended to the underworld, causing the earth to become barren. His wife, the goddess Ishtar (Inanna), mourned his death, and her mourning was believed to last for 40 days. This mourning period, marked by fasting and lamentation, was intended to bring Tammuz back to life, symbolizing the return of fertility to the earth.

The Bible mentions the mourning for Tammuz in Ezekiel 8:14: "Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the LORD, and I saw women sitting there, mourning the god Tammuz." This verse is part of a larger vision in which the prophet Ezekiel condemns the Israelites for adopting pagan practices.

Claims of Pagan Origins for Lent

Some proponents of the idea that Lent has pagan origins argue that the 40-day mourning period for Tammuz influenced the Christian practice of Lent. They claim that early Christians, particularly after the time of Constantine, adapted this pagan practice into their own religious calendar to make Christianity more palatable to converts from paganism.

These claims often also associate Ash Wednesday, when ashes are placed on the foreheads of Christians as a sign of repentance, with pagan rituals involving ashes. However, these connections are speculative and are not supported by solid historical evidence.

The Christian Origins of Lent

1. Biblical and Theological Roots: The 40 days of Lent are directly inspired by the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert, as recorded in the Gospels (Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13). This period of fasting and prayer is meant to prepare Christians for Easter by imitating Christ’s own period of preparation before His public ministry.

2. Ash Wednesday: The use of ashes as a symbol of repentance has clear biblical precedents in the Old Testament (Job 42:6, Daniel 9:3, Jonah 3:6). The practice of using ashes in the Christian liturgy can be traced back to the early Church and is not derived from pagan rituals.

3. Development of Lent in the Early Church: Lent as a liturgical season was established by the 4th century, as mentioned by early Church Fathers like St. Athanasius and St. Cyril of Jerusalem. The Council of Nicaea (325 AD) also referenced a period of fasting before Easter, further grounding Lent in Christian tradition.

Conclusion

The claim that Lent and Ash Wednesday are derived from the pagan worship of Tammuz or other Babylonian practices is not supported by historical evidence. While the 40 days of weeping for Tammuz in Babylonian mythology and the 40 days of Lent may seem superficially similar, their origins and meanings are entirely different. Lent is rooted in the biblical narrative of Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness and the early Christian practices of fasting, prayer, and repentance. The practice of using ashes also has a clear biblical foundation and was not borrowed from pagan rituals.

The development of Lent in the early Christian Church reflects a continuation of biblical themes and traditions, not an adoption of pagan customs. Therefore, while the Christian Church has, at times, transformed and adapted cultural elements, the core of Lent is thoroughly rooted in Christian theology and biblical practice.

Sources:

• Kelly, Joseph F. The Origins of Lent: From Fasting to Feasting. Liturgical Press, 2014.
• McGowan, Andrew. Ancient Christian Worship: Early Church Practices in Social, Historical, and Theological Perspective. Baker Academic, 2014.
• Bede, De Temporum Ratione.
• Ezekiel 8:14, The Holy Bible, NIV.

Easter is Pagan!

 The claim that Easter is pagan often revolves around the names and dates associated with the celebration, specifically the association with the pagan goddess Eostre or the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar. To understand whether Easter is pagan, it’s essential to examine the origins of the celebration and the alleged connections to these deities.

The Origins of Easter

Easter, in Christian tradition, is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, a central event in Christianity. The timing of Easter is linked to the Jewish festival of Passover, which commemorates the Exodus from Egypt and often overlaps with the Christian celebration. The New Testament describes how Jesus was crucified during Passover, and His resurrection is celebrated on the Sunday following Passover (Matthew 26-28, Mark 14-16, Luke 22-24, John 18-20).

The term "Easter" itself is derived from the Old English word Ēastre or Ēostre, which was mentioned by the Anglo-Saxon monk Bede in the 8th century. Bede noted that Ēosturmonath (April) was named after a goddess named Eostre, who was associated with spring and fertility. However, there is limited evidence outside of Bede’s writings about the worship of Eostre, and it’s unclear how widespread her veneration was.

The Goddess Eostre

Eostre, or Ostara, is a purported Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and dawn. According to Bede’s De Temporum Ratione, she was honored in a festival during the month of April, and it is from this name that the term "Easter" is believed to have been derived in English-speaking countries. However, outside of Bede's account, there is no substantial historical evidence of Eostre’s worship, leading some scholars to speculate that Bede might have extrapolated or misinterpreted the connection.

The Goddess Ishtar

Ishtar is a Mesopotamian goddess associated with love, war, and fertility. She is one of the most significant deities in the Mesopotamian pantheon. Some modern claims assert that Easter derives from Ishtar, due to the phonetic similarity between "Easter" and "Ishtar." However, this connection is not supported by historical evidence. The word "Easter" is not derived from "Ishtar"; rather, it comes from the Old English Ēastre. Furthermore, the themes and rituals of Easter have no direct connection to Ishtar’s worship, which was focused on entirely different concepts.

Christianization and Adaptation

While it’s true that early Christians sometimes adapted existing pagan festivals when introducing Christianity to new regions, the core of Easter—the resurrection of Christ—remains distinctly Christian. The use of symbols like eggs and rabbits, which are associated with fertility and spring, may have been integrated into Easter celebrations over time, but these are cultural additions rather than indicators that Easter itself is pagan.

Conclusion

The idea that Easter is pagan because of its association with Eostre or Ishtar is based on superficial similarities rather than historical evidence. The Christian celebration of Easter is firmly rooted in the resurrection of Jesus, a historical and theological event that predates any alleged connections to pagan festivals. While the name "Easter" may have been influenced by a local goddess in certain regions, the celebration’s content and meaning are thoroughly Christian.

Sources

• Bede, De Temporum Ratione.
• McDougall, Sara. Easter: Myth, Religion, and Tradition. Cambridge University Press, 2019.
• Hutton, Ronald. The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain. Oxford University Press, 1996.
• Leithart, Peter J. Deep Comedy: Trinity, Tragedy, and Hope in Western Literature. Canon Press, 2006.

The Official Name of Easter: Pascha (Passover)

While the term "Easter" is commonly used in English-speaking countries, the official name of the celebration in the Christian liturgical calendar remains Pascha, which is derived from the Hebrew word Pesach, meaning Passover. This reflects the historical and theological connection between the Jewish Passover and the Christian celebration of Jesus' resurrection. In most languages, the name for Easter is still closely related to "Pascha," emphasizing its roots in the Passover feast. The early Christians saw Christ’s death and resurrection as the fulfillment of the Passover, with Jesus being the new Passover lamb who delivers humanity from the bondage of sin.

The Council of Nicaea and the Change of Date

The date of Easter was a significant issue in the early Church, as different Christian communities celebrated it on different dates. Some followed the Jewish calendar, celebrating Easter on the 14th of Nisan (the date of Passover), regardless of the day of the week, while others celebrated it on the following Sunday. This difference led to disputes and confusion.

To address this, the First Council of Nicaea, convened by Emperor Constantine in 325 AD, sought to establish a uniform date for the celebration of Easter. The Council decided that Easter should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. This decision meant that Easter would no longer be directly tied to the Jewish Passover but would still maintain a connection to the lunar calendar. The goal was to ensure that all Christians would celebrate Easter on the same day, emphasizing unity within the Church.

Constantine’s Influence: Constantine’s motivations for standardizing the date of Easter were both theological and political. He wanted to separate Christian practices from Jewish customs, as indicated by his letter to the bishops after the Council, where he emphasized the importance of distinguishing the Christian celebration from Jewish Passover practices. Constantine wrote, “We ought not to have anything in common with the Jews, for the Savior has shown us another way… it is our duty not to have anything in common with the murderers of our Lord” (Eusebius, Life of Constantine, Book III, Chapter 18).

The decision at Nicaea to set Easter on a Sunday was also aimed at reinforcing the significance of Sunday as the day of the Lord’s resurrection, distancing Christian practices from Jewish traditions, and promoting a unified Christian identity.

Conclusion

The claim that Easter is pagan is not supported by historical evidence. The celebration of Easter, or Pascha, is rooted in the Jewish Passover and the Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus. While cultural elements, such as the name "Easter" in English, may have some connections to pre-Christian traditions, the core of the celebration is distinctly Christian. The decision to change the date of Easter at the Council of Nicaea was made to unify the Church and to ensure that the celebration of Christ's resurrection would be observed consistently across all Christian communities.

Sources:

• Bede, De Temporum Ratione.
• Eusebius, Life of Constantine, Book III, Chapter 18.
• Council of Nicaea, Canon 1.
• Hutton, Ronald. The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain. Oxford University Press, 1996.
• McGowan, Andrew. Ancient Christian Worship: Early Church Practices in Social, Historical, and Theological Perspective. Baker Academic, 2014.