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Ukrainian Easter eggs called Pysankas |
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EASTER has roots in the EAST or LEVANT and represents resuscitation of life or SPRING. Celebrants of many cultures and religions rejoice in sharing flowers, decorated eggs, Easter breads and "bunnies", all symbols of fertility. Once Easter was related to DEMETER, CYBELE or CERES, names among many others, for spring personified.
This year (2011), Easter coincides with the 25th anniversary of the greatest man-made disaster, Chornobyl. There are overviews dedicated to Chornobyl as such and as a word that points to Biblical events given as emblems of the end of the word ... "an the waters turned bitter (Chornobyl) and fire rained from the sky (radioactivity). For more see the link given in the left side-bar.
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Cybele |
Easter is connected with the VERNAL EQUINOX which often falls on March 25th. In calendar, ephemeresis (ephemeral) or almanac terms, Easter once marked the new year. In fact, it was so in France and Venice until the 16th. century.
EASTER, once known as EASTRE or EAOSTRA, suggests a tie with ESTRus and
ESTRogen which denote feminizing hormones related to mating and fertility.
DEMETER and
CYBELE were honored by festivities with elements similar to those of modern Easter - a period of purification - elements of sacrifice, blood, death - and a culmination in a joyful banquet on March 26th or the vernal equinox which marks the arrival of spring.
The popularity of EASTRE disturbed Christians who during the Council of Nicea in 325 declared that the resurrection of Lord Jesus was to be celebrated as Easter. The date was fixed to the first Sunday after a full moon that followed the vernal equinox. A similar motive was another edict declaring that the birthday or nativity of Jesus Christ was to coincide with the birthday of Deity
MITHRA, on December 25th who then was arguably the more popular of the two.
The ancients prepared for Easter during February or Februa, terms meaning "purification" now referred to as LENT. The end of LENT occurs when slowly or LENTamente in Spanish, daylight LENgthens to a point when it is as long as night (nox). The EQUIvalence of day and night is a mark of the VERNAL EQUINOX and the arrival of SPRING. The Nicea edict moving the date of Easter forward, added elements based on the moon cycle, perhaps from an awareness that the moon influences fertility as denoted by ideas in MONTH or MENS, MENStruation and in EASTER or OISTROS, EASTRUS, ESTRUS, and ESTROGEN.
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Seeds Gonadal Gonia |
Easter exposes how Medicine and Biology are linked with Arts and Humanities. Clearly, EAST, EASTER link to YEAST and to LEAVEN, enLIVen, LIVen, LEVant, eLEVate, LIVing,
LIVER, LIVE,
LIFE, LEAF, LEVity,
LEVitate and LEAF, LUNG, topics relegated to future explorations. Now it may be more timely to remain focused on poetic roots about the mysteries of life
SPROUTING in SPRINGing.
EASTERN or LEVANT cultures contributed to Europe, magnificent EASTER traditions. In Ukraine, artistically decorated easter eggs, "Babkas" (Baba means grandmother as well as tall round leavened Easter cakes), crowns made from flowers and other revelries that punctuate Christian celebrations with glimmers of more ancient times.
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Ceres Easter Bread and an Easter Bunny. |
"...all Things are Ceres Gifts ... "
(even these Cerebral thoughts)
