Spain and the Virgin Mary aka Queen Ishtar-Easter the Big Lie

This paper is a study of the Virgin Mary and Queen Ishtar and their relation to the modern-day use of Easter bunnies and eggs to depict Easter. Christians celebrate Easter in a more intimate way by remembering the death and resurrection of Christ; this paper explains more about the celebration and how it is celebrated differently. There is so much importance in understanding the inception of the Virgin Mary, and this paper will give you an intuitive look at how pagans have used bunny eggs and how the celebration of Christ during Easter alters the real meaning and celebration of Easter.

The Worship of Mary “Sun Worship”

The worship of the Virgin Mary developed from the worship of the sun. The worship of the sun can be illustrated by the fact that the Virgin Mary was worshiped more than her son. The Roman Catholic Church shows more influence on Sun worship as it teaches Christianity but also exalts the mother of Jesus more. True Christianity states that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light; only He forgives sin, and it is only He who is not tainted with sin.

By praying to the Virgin Mary, Catholics believe that she can help intercede for them in prayer, hence their recitation of the rosary citing “Hail Mary”. There is always a visible prominent statue of the Virgin Mary in every chapel and cathedral. The scripture says that Jesus, the Son, is more merciful, compassionate, and understanding, but the Catholics today infer that Mary shows more of these traits. The Catholic Church praises and bases most of its teaching and prayer under the Virgin Mary, the belief in the sanctity and holiness of the mother of Jesus led to many pagans converting to the Catholic Church. Many were led to believe in her power to intercede, even when God was not inclined to answer ones need, He would do it just for the Virgin Mary (Perry, Tim, et al, n.p).

Christian and Pagan Easter Celebration Explained

There are so many rich associations of Easter between Christians and the early Pagan religions. The Easter celebrated today, the traditions to be precise evolved from pagan symbols, it started from the ancient goddess Ishtar, evolved to Easter eggs and the bunny. Christians consider Easter one of the most important celebrations; in fact, it is the second most celebrated period after Christmas. Good Friday marks the death of Christ, and Easter Monday, the resurrection of Christ, is celebrated. This rebirth interconnects with the pagans’ vernal equinox, a time in history that depicts the beginning of spring. This period to pagans symbolizes the arrival of light and an awakening of life around them.

The Easter Connection

Many will wonder what the connection is between the celebration of the death and resurrection of Christ, worshipping the sun, Queen Ishtar, and Easter bunnies and eggs. Despite Easter being an annual celebration for Christians, there is no Bible quote that neither endorses nor authorizes the tradition (Joanna, Ponto, n.p). The same Bible does not mention anything about Easter bunnies, Easter baskets and Easter eggs, this are part of the ancient Babylon mystery religions brought up and nurtured by the early day pagan. Easter is believed to have come into existence even before the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Easter is also said to come from the name Ishtar/Easter. She was known as the moon goddess and was worshipped as the goddess of fertility and spring, and she was also called the Queen of heaven. This pagan goddess is still worshipped through Easter today in some countries, unknowingly. The Babylonians celebrated day of Ishtar/Easter when spring set in, the legend says that annually a huge egg from heaven would fall and land near the Euphrates River. During Ishtar’s rebirth, annually, she would break out of the egg; anyone who celebrated the occasion received a special blessing from her if they found the egg.

The Egg-Laying Easter Bunny and the Eggs

The Easter celebrations today, make one believe in that a rabbit can lay eggs, traditions, despite lack of definite meaning have led to the growth of that culture over the years. There is a legend about Easter in pre-Christian England, where Eastre (goddess) came upon an injured bird whose only cure was to turn into a hare, which was known for its fertility. The bird took its new shape as a hare; it could still build nests and still lay eggs. This definitely explains the coming about of the Easter bunny laying eggs

Symbolism and Coloring of the Eggs

Eggs generally represent rebirth and fertility, hence the association of eggs with Easter, a Christian celebration of the resurrection of Christ. Historians till date, do not know when the egg rebirth connotation first began. Egyptians, Ancient Persians, and Hindus even believed that the world we live in today began as an egg (deChant, Dell, n.p). The coloring of Easter eggs is said to have come from the bird that was turned into a hare, as a way of gratitude to the goddess for saving its Life. The bird would decorate the eggs it had laid and give them to Eastre. Different cultures have developed different ways of decorating eggs, thus bringing up different meanings to the day. In Greece, eggs are decorated crimson to honor the blood of Jesus Christ. The coloring of the eggs for orthodox Christians is said to come from the story where the Virgin Mary offered Roman soldiers who were guarding her son eggs so that they could treat and protect him. As she pleaded her case, tears fell on the eggs, and they turned red, hence the coloring red of eggs by some Christians on Easter.

The Sun God

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people, foreigners and locals as well attend The Sun God Festival in Spain. The Incas of Cusco, Peru, worshipped the sun as their source of life and deity; they believed they were the Sun God's children. Through a festival called Inti Raymi, the Incas performed a colorful festival that summoned their God (Raymi is equivalent to what Christians and pagans call Easter). Today the festival is recreated and goes on all day on June 24th. Rituals, sacrifices, and prophecies are made, all praising prosperity. The Intu Churin (Son of the Sun) leads the celebration through the most important shrine. Groups of women use a leafy native plant to sweep away bad spirits in a colorful, extravagant spiritual and cultural event.

Conclusion

With the many traditions we have today, emulating diverse cultural and Christian traditions has become the norm. Easter has been reduced to a bunny and egg decorating affair, and the day has lost its meaning to the same Christians who strictly viewed it as a celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because of the many origins of Easter, one would be misled in one way or another. The Bible does not talk about Easter but it talks of the death and resurrection of Christ, the tradition was just been adopted in the churches, whether it is Christian or not is still open for debate.

Works Cited

deChant, Dell. Easter. n.p.: 2014. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 2 Apr. 2016.

Joanna, Ponto. Easter. [N.p.]: Enslow Publishing, LLC, 2016. Discovery eBooks. Web. 2 Apr. 2016.

Perry, Tim S., and Daniel Kendall. The Blessed Virgin Mary. Grand Rapids, Mich: Eerdmans, 2013. Discovery eBooks. Web. 2 Apr. 2016.