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I think all the non-English European names for the holiday derive from that, Sippan. At least, I know that in French Easter is Paques (with a circonflex over the a). Etymology can be pretty interesting.

bright spark wrote:Except for adders, they still have them. Apparently.

Nope. No snakes at all, you must be thinking of England, Scotland and Wales, we've still got them. But only just.

And then we got drunk.

DRUNK ON LOVE!!

The name's a regional thing anyway.

[quote]
(source: Catholic Encyclopedia)
The English term, according to the Ven. Bede (De temporum ratione, I, v), relates to Estre, a Teutonic goddess of the rising light of day and spring, which deity, however, is otherwise unknown, even in the Edda (Simrock, Mythol., 362); Anglo-Saxon, e

Mercury_Hat wrote:I think all the non-English European names for the holiday derive from that, Sippan. At least, I know that in French Easter is Paques (with a circonflex over the a). Etymology can be pretty interesting.

In polish it's Wielkanoc.
It would backtranslate as "the big night".
So boo-yah.

rkolter wrote:

MixedMyth wrote:Yup. Wasn't Easter originally from Oester (spelling), a fertility goddess of some kind? What with the egg and rabbit symbolism and all.

Ostara.

Actually, I knew that.

Just like Christmas had something to do with the Winter Solstice and Halloween (All Hallows Eve, the day before All Saints Day, something else that's on the preferial of my religious radar) was one of the larger Pagen holidays...can't for the life of me remember and I'm not really sure I want to.

Sorta explains how someone can go "Crusifiction, Resurrection" To "Chocolate Bunnies, colored Eggs." (Paraphrase of Robin Williams.)

It's really rather humbling if you look at it right. Sort of the same thing as realizing that the Gregorian Monk who calculated the calandar was about four years off the mark (Three years dumb math and one year because the math system the Catholic Church was using didn't have zero.) And that it was medically impossible for Christ to be crusified through the hands (unless they tied 'em to the cross, like they showed in the Passion movie. Which is unlikely to me. The Romans were far too medically advanced for the day to waste time tying prisoners up when all they really have to do is drive the iron through wrist instead of the metacarpuls)

Ah, well. A day is a day is a day, and if I celebrated my Easter on September 23rd, it's still frigging Easter. If Jesus really cared what day we celebrate his birthday (ectera) He'd have posted a great big celestial sign. "BIRTHDAY! HERE!"

CW

oh, BTW, everything I know about St. Patrick's day I learned from "the Fugitive"
Let's see: there was a bunch of people, a parade, crowd, the river was dyed green, and you could easily loose the police by wearing a hat and mixing with the crowd.


that movie rocks, BTW

christwriter wrote:

rkolter wrote:

MixedMyth wrote:Yup. Wasn't Easter originally from Oester (spelling), a fertility goddess of some kind? What with the egg and rabbit symbolism and all.

Ostara.

Actually, I knew that.

Just like Christmas had something to do with the Winter Solstice and Halloween (All Hallows Eve, the day before All Saints Day, something else that's on the preferial of my religious radar) was one of the larger Pagen holidays...can't for the life of me remember and I'm not really sure I want to.

It's Samhain (pronounced Sah-ween). It's the most holy of the eight holidays - a time to look back at people who had died over the year and remember them as they pass from this world to the next.

I'm actually fairly impressed you know this stuff - you are not the typical Christian I'm used to bumping into. Oh hey, someone splashed me with holy water last weekend, by the way - no kidding. I was reading a book in the "spiritual" section of Barnes and Noble. Maybe I just attract wacky Christians.

christwriter wrote:Sorta explains how someone can go "Crusifiction, Resurrection" To "Chocolate Bunnies, colored Eggs." (Paraphrase of Robin Williams.)

It's really rather humbling if you look at it right. Sort of the same thing as realizing that the Gregorian Monk who calculated the calandar was about four years off the mark (Three years dumb math and one year because the math system the Catholic Church was using didn't have zero.) And that it was medically impossible for Christ to be crusified through the hands (unless they tied 'em to the cross, like they showed in the Passion movie. Which is unlikely to me. The Romans were far too medically advanced for the day to waste time tying prisoners up when all they really have to do is drive the iron through wrist instead of the metacarpuls)

What's humbling is that Christianity isn't the first religion to absorb the previous religions holidays... nearly every upcoming religion does it. What I wonder is, which religion first decided to have a holiday on XXX date, and why?

christwriter wrote:Ah, well. A day is a day is a day, and if I celebrated my Easter on September 23rd, it's still frigging Easter. If Jesus really cared what day we celebrate his birthday (ectera) He'd have posted a great big celestial sign. "BIRTHDAY! HERE!"

I celebrate Yule at Christmas, for similar reasons.

CW[/quote]

Come to think of it, the Sci Fi/Fantasy house I live in is pretty religiously diverse, as is the club as a whole. Catholic, Jewish, Eastern Orthodox, Hindu (used to be, anyhow), several different varieties of pagan religions, and flat out athiesm are all represented. There also used to be at least one kid who was Ba'hai. They get along for most part, too, at least in terms of religion. In fact, political leanings and social behavior seems to be more of a divisive force. Oh well. Every year in spring some of my pagan friends celebrate Samhain, some parts of which they invite anyone to celebrate.

Serbian: Uskrs.
Aparently, same root as Easter.

My favorite is Halloween, but I dunno how wide spread that already is. But it rocks. It's like easter in terms of food, only much much cooler.

Saint Patrick actually wasn't Irish. He was a slave brought over from another country when he was a little boy and later he started to protest against slavery. He was for equal rights and all that good stuff.

MissAlaina wrote:Saint Patrick actually wasn't Irish. He was a slave brought over from another country when he was a little boy and later he started to protest against slavery. He was for equal rights and all that good stuff.

Oh course, well if he brought Christianity to Irelang, he must've brought it from somewhere.

christwriter wrote: ...one year because the math system the Catholic Church was using didn't have zero.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Having a year 0 is like having a birthday for a 0 year old.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Having a year 0 is like having a birthday for a 0 year old.

Heh...to do that they'd have to throw the kid a party before s/he was conceived.

What's that you say amorphous ball of energy, christianity supressing native pagan religions? Say it ain't so... that would never happen.

People do celebrate your 0th birthday, it's traditional to go into hospital and your mum even gets to take drugs. Then all these people stand around wearing funny masks and costumes. There's a lot of pain, crying and blood. The person taking drugs can suffer from depression and soreness the next day.

In fact it's a lot like your 21st when you think about it.

Religious holidays have steadily been improving this last century:

Instead of Saint patricks day we have green beer day.
Instead of Saint valentine's day we have love day.
Instead of Easter we have chocolate rabbit day.
Instead of Christmas we have gift day.
Instead of Samhain we have costume and candy day.

Long live international talk like a pirate day...

Dan Nicholls wrote:

christwriter wrote: ...one year because the math system the Catholic Church was using didn't have zero.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Having a year 0 is like having a birthday for a 0 year old.

Quick little point: there was no year 0. It went straight from 1 BCE to 1 CE (like how I'm being politically correct?) without any nulls, zilches, or aughts in the way.

And isn't a baby shower kinda like a birthday party for the newborn?

--Sij

For those who want to know...

St. Patrick's history is sort of a mystery. but well there are documents pertaining to some historical fact (plus the churches) and some come from lore, and this short history is from the point of view of what i was told.. my father's family is welsh so it might be a bit one sided.

He was the son of a religious offical (who's name I forgot) and lived in Wales, from birth until about sixteen when celt raiders attacked his town and he was captured and thrown into slavery to the Celt Chieftains. for years he was a slave and he was a sheep herder and worked on what is known as the Slemmish mountains. it was here atop this mountain he would spend much time remembering his religion and viewing the turmoil of this land. One night he heard a voice and this voice lead him to a ship and to what it said was "his country". he walked 200 miles before finding ship and returned to his family, who were in london or some such I believe.

So one night Patrick heard another voice (can anyone say schizo? j/k) who told him he needed to go back to camboria (or the british isles) and spread the works of God (jehova) to the fallen savages. He needed to study first and was accepted to a church in france under the leadership of saint germanus. Now his journey to ireland would not have been accepted if it was not for the recent death of Saint Pallous who was "bringing christ to ireland" or somthing but was slain I think in 464 or somthing around there.

so he finally treks back to camboria to teach the celts about religion. So he lands on the shores and quicky converts Dichu and his clan and they give him a barn to make into a church and he begins his march conveting all these clans til finally he makes it to the seat of the big boss man of the celts Meath. and basically Meath is scared and not sure what the heck this guys deal is. the collected masses of Pat's coverts light a big ole fire (now this is a big deal cause the Druids of Tara believed that it was a bad omen to leave fires burning all night) and so all the converts are singing hymms around the fire. Meath tries to send out people to take out the flame.. but the flame doesn't go out. this is where the never ending flame of Patrick comes from..

this night was also said to have introduced the classic hymm "The breastplate of St. Patrick" at the end of the night Meath and the druids of Tara realize there's enough room for christianity.. and well the rest is as they say...

...history.

The version I heard said he was a Roman slave, but whatever. There are lots of versions.

Luprand, I know, was commenting on the usual line about how it's 'wrong' that there's no year zero.

Thingschange, ya start with day zero, but yer working on your 1st year. And...I will never remember my 21st the same way again. 0.o