I use to think that too - until I studied the history of "Easter."
Funk and Wagnall’s Standard Reference Encyclopedia: “EASTRE, Anglo-Saxon name of a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility to who was dedicated the Eastre monath, corresponding to April.”
Collier’s Encyclopedia: “ISHTAR, the goddess of love and war, was the most important goddess of the Sumero-Akkadian pantheon. Her name in Sumerian is Inanna (LADY of HEAVEN). She was the sister of the Sun god Shamash and the daughter of the moon god Sin. Ishtar was equated with the planet VENUS. Her symbol was a star inscribed in a circle.” “The Ishtar Festivals were symbolic of ISHTAR as the goddess of love or generation. As the daughter of SIN, the moon god, she was the MOTHER GODDESS who presided over child birth; women, in her honor, sacrificed their VIRGINITY on the feast day or became TEMPLE PROSTITUTES…”
Watson’s Biblical and Archeological Dictionary:” Ashtaroth…She was also called the Queen of heaven; and sometimes her worship is said to be that of the host of heaven. She was represented in the same manner as Isis, with cow’s horns on her head, to denote the increase and decrease of the moon. Cicero calls her the fourth VENUS of the Syrians. She is almost always joined with Baal (lord), and is called a god.
Watson’s Biblical and Archeological Dictionary: “Easter”: The English word comes from the Anglo-Saxon Eastre or Estera, a Teutonic goddess to whom sacrifice was offered in April, so the name was transferred to the paschal feast. The word does not properly occur in Scripture, although the King James Version has it in Act_12:4 where it stands for Passover, as it is rightly rendered in the Revised Versions (British and American). ISBE
Easton Bible Dictionary: “Easter” Originally a Saxon word (Eostre), denoting a goddess of the Saxons, in honor of who sacrifices were offered about the time of the Passover. Hence the name came to be given to the festival of the Resurrection of [Messiah], which occurred at the time of the Passover. In the early English versions this word was incorrectly used as the translation of the Greek pascha (the Passover). When the Authorized Version (1611) was formed, the word “Passover” was used in all passages in which this word pascha occurred, except in Acts_12:4. In the Revised Version the proper word, “Passover,” is always used. .
There is no trace of an Easter celebration in the New Testament. The Jewish Christians in the early church continued to celebrate the Passover, regarding [Messiah] as the true paschal lamb.
Over the years differences arose as to the time of the blended “Easter” / Passover celebration, the Jewish Christians naturally fixing it at the time of the Passover feast which was regulated by the paschal moon and appointed by YAHWEY in the Old Testament. According to this reckoning it began on the evening of the 14th day of the moon of the month of Nissan without regard to the day of the week, while the Gentile Christians identified it with the first day of the week, i.e. the Sunday of the resurrection, irrespective of the day of the month. This latter practice finally prevailed in the church, and those who followed the other reckoning were stigmatized as heretics. But differences arose as to the proper Sunday for the Easter celebration which led to long and bitter controversies. The Council of Nicea, 325 AD, decreed that it should be on Sunday, but did not fix the particular Sunday. It was left to the bishop of Alexandria to determine, since that city was regarded as the authority in astronomical matters and he was to communicate the result of his determination to the other bishops.
This mother goddess worship spread from Babylon to the entire world. It was finally established at Rome and spread throughout all the Roman Empire. And it is now known as the Easter celebration. All its trappings of eggs, bunnies, hot-cross buns, and Sunrise services speak of the pagan fertility rites that took place in her temples long ago! Just as Israel of old succumbed to idolatry, so in the last days Israel (Ephraim) has been guilty of paganism and idolatry!
Why would anyone who loves Jesus want to participate in something as pagan and obscene as Ishtar / Easter? Why would you want this pagan festival to be taught to your children? Why would you want to substitute Easter for the feast Yahweh has given us as all Israel, the Passover?
The Passover is part of the Old Law. The commemoration of the Last Supper enshrined in the Eucharist, which is the Body and Blood of Jesus, is the New Law.
We no longer wait for the Messiah. He has come, and He has delivered His people from their sins.
He has risen, and is among us. That is Easter, and that is why we celebrate this great feast.