Today's the day that we can all wonder what bunnies and decorated eggs have to do with Jesus.

[Towlie]

Could Easter really be about something else? Is it a hijacked holiday like Christmas?

[niyad]

1. Of course it is. The Pagan celebration of Oestara, renewal and rebirth. Eggs and bunnies are

Symbols of fertility, life. Every xian day is stolen from the Pagans. The whole Jesus story is practically word for word the mithr story, all the vegetation and year kings.

[Ferrets are Cool]

3. +1

[LunaSea]

2. awkward, isn't it?

[Progressive dog]

4. Spring is here

[alittlelark]

5. Solstice hijacked. Eostre ia a Pagan goddess.

Eggs and rabbits are symbols of fertility.

Chocolate just tastes good, so why not !!

[hedda_foil]

6. I knew about Easter, but do you mean Santa DIDN'T deliver baby Jesus to that manger in his sleigh?

Oh Noooooo!

[Towlie]

7. I've noticed over the years that the Wikipedia article on Easter has been quite volatile.

 
?

I've seen versions of the Wikipedia Easter article where there was no mention at all of a pagan fertility goddess, and versions that mention it but play it down. And right now on the talk page for that article there seems to be a lot of dispute about multiple aspects of Easter, including whether or not it has anything to do with Passover.

I've also seen other sources that make the dubious claim that colorfully decorated Easter eggs have something to do with blood, and some really tortuous explanations for the bunny.

I hesitate to sound like a conspiracy theorist but if the origin of Easter can legitimately be traced back to a pagan goddess then it seems like there's an ongoing Christian conspiracy to cover that up.