What is Wrong with Easter?

by Russ Schmidt; 3/11/2025

What could be wrong with Easter, right? What if I told you the traditions attached to Easter have nothing to do with Jesus’ resurrection? In this article I will probably ruffle some feathers, particularly those who call themselves ministers of God. And maybe disappoint a few folks who enjoy Easter, like I used.

When my wife and I got married, the first couple of years I made a big deal out of Easter. I would take those good old plastic Easter eggs and fill them all with little rhyming riddles and hide them throughout the house.

Then I would concoct this story of an ancient king who left a treasure map. That map would lead my wife to the first hidden egg. Then there would be a little riddle in that egg to lead her to the next one. This would go on with maybe fifteen or twenty eggs that she would have to find, which would ultimately lead her to her Easter present.

Then after two years of doing that, I happened across a Christian television program that devastated me. It was all about what was wrong with Easter, and why Christians shouldn’t be observing it; at least not in the traditions that have become Easter.

Even the name Easter comes from a pagan source. Okay, now that I popped your balloon, let me explain. Hey, why should my ballon be the only one popped? Lol!

This is actually a serious subject, and one all true Christians need to know. I say the word “true” before Christians because there are many who call themselves Christians, but it’s in name only. But that’s not what this article is about.

Why is Resurrection Day called Easter?

Of course, the origin of Resurrection Day goes back to the crucifixion of Jesus, and how three days later, on Sunday morning, He was resurrected. You can read many articles I wrote regarding the early centuries of Christianity and the controversy of which day Christians should observe, Passover or Resurrection Day. But that’s not the topic of this article either.

As far as referring to Resurrection Day as Easter, that didn’t begin until around the 7th to 8th century in England. The name Easter actually comes from an ancient mythological fertility goddess named, Eostre. You might be asking yourself, “Why in the world would they give the day Jesus was resurrected the name of a fertility goddess?” And that is a very good question, and there are varying answers to it, but in Old English the month of April was called, Eosturmonath. The month was named after the goddess Eostre. Because Resurrection Day would most often fall in the month of Eosturmonath, the season became know as the Easter season, which is another translation of Eostre.

But why would they even name a month after Eostre if she was a product of mythology? Well, if you are asking that question, most, if not all, our months and weekdays are named after mythological gods and goddesses. 

But as far as Eostre is concerned, she is the goddess of fertility and related to the newness or resurrection of life come spring after a long winter period where everything seems dead and dormant. Are you starting to get a hint of why this mythological figure of newness of life has been blasphemously tied to the resurrection of Jesus?

As a fertility goddess, the mythology behind her has to do with bunny rabbits and eggs. Hint, hint; Easter Bunny, and Easter Eggs! The stories vary depending on what people group we are talking about and their interpretation of the mythology.

Everyone of these mythological stories has a mythological god who died and goes to the underworld, and is resurrected to life again. There is so much symbolism within each of these stories that has been stolen from the true story of God that it really is an abomination to the Lord.

I’m not going to go down all the “rabbit” holes of mythology; no pun intended. Actually, yes it was intended, lol! But if you are interested in learning about all the mythology behind Easter, you can search for mythological figures and their stories like Tammuz, Ishtar, Aphrodite, the list could go on and on. But they all have similar stories. 

As a matter of fact, Tammuz is even mentioned in the Bible in Ezekiel 8:14. Women were weeping for Tammuz, and God calls it an abomination. Tammuz is said to be the child of the biblical character of Nimrod and his wife and mother, Semi-Ramis. Yes, I said that right, his wife and mother! Can you see now why God calls it an abomination?

Okay; What’s the big deal if we put some Easter eggs in a basket and tell children that the Easter bunny brought them? Well, unfortunately, if you are truly serving God and believe that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, and that you know in your heart of hearts that He died on the cross and rose from the grave three days later for you and I, it is a big deal, and one that you should recognize immediately. But if not, in the rest of this article, I will give you many good reasons to run from these pagan traditions that have been blasphemously added to the Feast of the Resurrection. 

Let’s begin with reading Deuteronomy 12:29-32, God gives us the reason why it’s a big deal and really is enough for me to end this article with this verse, but I will elaborate further for those who need it:

“29 When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, 30 take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ 31 You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

32 “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.”

I think this scripture reference is pretty straight forward. You can convince yourself all you want that these traditions are harmless and just for the kids, but God thinks otherwise.

This is how Christianity became corrupted, going along with traditions of men and not holding fast to the traditions set forth by God. That’s why I created this website and have article after article speaking of these man-made traditions that have been accepted by not just the average Christian, but by the ministers and church leaders who have embraced these traditions and false doctrines and promote them to the people.

It leads me to scriptures like Jeremiah 23:1 which reads “Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord.”

Or, Jeremiah 50:6, “My people have become lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray.”

Jeremiah 12:10, “Many shepherds have ruined My vineyard, they have trampled down My field; they have made My pleasant field a desolate wilderness.”

I think you get the idea. God doesn’t like when we mix His precious word with that of man-made traditions. God does not tolerate those leaders who speak for God to blaspheme His word. Deuteronomy 18:20 is pretty straight forward, “But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.”

The Hebrew word originally used, that is translated as “prophet,” can also be translated as “spokesman,” so this doesn’t exonerate ministers or preachers of the word; on the contrary, it includes them.

I mentioned at the start of this article that I was disheartened to hear a day that I enjoy and would make a big deal over, is actually blasphemous to the Lord. As hard as it was to forego the Easter traditions, especially when I was the only one in my family who had woken up to this truth; however, my relationship with my Lord and Savior, was much more important to me than keeping traditions of man that blasphemed my Lord.

I hope you see this truth as well, because we are most certainly in the last days and like the parable of the Ten Virgins that Jesus spoke of in Matthew chapter 25, we need to keep our spiritual lamps well oiled. 

Of course, this was symbolic of paying attention and being sure that we are in right standing with our Lord, because He is coming at an hour that we do not know, and when He comes, we need to be ready and not caught up in the man-made traditions of the world!

For more on the spring Holy Days, below are a few articles to help with understanding:

-> God’s Blueprint Part II: The Passover & Spring Holy Days

-> What Christians Need to Know About Passover & the Feast of Unleavened Bread

-> The Truth About Passion Week