Happy Easter!

May I wish all my regular blog readers a Happy Easter, regardless of whether or not they are Christian. Most belief systems have some sort of rite which celebrates the coming of spring and/or the beginning of a new year, and my best wishes are extended to all of you in a spirit of welcoming what we hope will be better times ahead.

The modern English word Easter seems to have its origin from pre-Christian times when, during April, feasts were held to celebrate the goddess Ēostre, the goddess of the dawn. In the non-English-speaking world the word Pascha is used instead. This seems to have been derived from the Aramaic word פסחא, which is also used to denote the Jewish festival known in English as Passover.

The date of Easter currently varies from year to year and whether or not it is being calculated by Western or Eastern/Orthodox Christian churches. Recently Justin Welby – the Archbishop of Canterbury – has agreed with the idea put forward by the Catholic and Coptic popes and the Ecumenical Patriarch of the Orthodox Church that a specific Sunday should be identified as Easter Sunday. Whether or not this will ever come about is a moot point ... but it is interesting that such an idea is actively being discussed.