In the case of Easter the conversion was peculiarly easy. The book Curiosities of Popular Customs answers: “It was the invariable policy of the early Church to give a Christian significance to such of the extant pagan ceremonies as could not be rooted out. In fact, the apostle Peter tells us to “form a longing for the unadulterated milk belonging to the word, that through it may grow to salvation.” ( 1 Peter 2:2) So why did the churches of Christendom adopt such obviously pagan symbols into their beliefs and practices? Nowhere in Scripture do we find mention of these things, nor is there any evidence that the early disciples of Jesus gave them any credence. cross,” the book Easter and Its Customs states: “The cross was a pagan symbol long before it acquired everlasting significance from the events of the first Good Friday, and bread and cakes were sometimes marked with it in pre-Christian times.” Concerning the custom of making hot cross buns, “with their shiny brown tops marked by a. This adoption explains how in certain lands the Easter customs, such as Easter eggs, the Easter rabbit, and hot cross buns, came about. As the festival of Eostre was in celebration of the renewal of life in the spring it was easy to make it a celebration of the resurrection from the dead of Jesus, whose gospel they preached.” It adds: “There is no doubt that the Church in its early days adopted the old pagan customs and gave a Christian meaning to them. The book Medieval Holidays and Festivals tells us that “the holiday is named after the pagan Goddess of the Dawn and of Spring, Eostre.” And who was this goddess? “Eostre it was who, according to the legend, opened the portals of Valhalla to receive Baldur, called the White God, because of his purity and also the Sun God, because his brow supplied light to mankind,” answers The American Book of Days. The name Easter, used in many lands, is not found in the Bible.
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