[markomalley]

Celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is NOT pagan.

The usual meme about that assumes that "Easter" is the actual name of the holiday and doesn't consider that, in most languages, the name of the holiday is derived from "pascha" -- i.e., pascal, i.e., passover. One also has to assume that the neo-pagan traditions surrounding it (eggs, rabbits, etc.) are of Catholic origin, vice Anglo-Saxon origin.

I know, as for myself, I've tried to correct that before, but after a while, one has to ask, "Why bother?"

[Mad Dawg]

There is within Christianity a fearful strain. It assumes that God is extremely touchy. These folks are made uncomfortable by the thought that sort of "stirred into" Christian worship are the traces of nature festivals which were transformed and sanctified by the saving act of God in Christ.

The same John of Damascus who argued in favor of the use of images also made the Easter's transformation of the celebration of spring clear in the second verse of his very great hymn:

Come, ye faithful, raise the strain
of triumphant gladness!
God hath brought his Israel
into joy from sadness:
loosed from Pharoah's bitter yoke
Jacob's sons and daughters,
led them with unmoistened foot
through the Red Sea waters.

'Tis the spring of souls today:
Christ hath burst his prison,
and from three days' sleep in death
as a sun hath risen;
all the winter of our sins,
long and dark, is flying
from his light, to whom we give
laud and praise undying.

Now the queen of seasons, bright
with the day of splendor,
with the royal feast of feasts,
comes its joy to render;
comes to glad Jerusalem,
who with true affection
welcomes in unwearied strains
Jesus' resurrection.

Neither might the gates of death,
nor the tomb's dark portal,
nor the watchers, nor the seal
hold thee as a mortal:
but today amidst the twelve
thou didst stand, bestowing
that thy peace which evermore
passeth human knowing.

Alleluia now we cry
to our King Immortal,
who triumphant burst the bars
of the tomb's dark portal;
alleluia, with the Son
God the Father praising;
alleluia yet again
to the Spirit raising.

Words: John of Damascus (ca. 675-749), 750;
trans. John Mason Neale (1818-1866), 1853 When we start our RCIA classes in the Fall, I note the moons and count the moons until the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Time and seasons are sanctified and made causes for rejoicing by Christ, and among the many purposes of Spring, surely our delight is one of them.