The name "Easter" is derived from the Old English word "Ēastre" or "Ēostre," which originally referred to an Anglo-Saxon goddess associated with dawn and possibly spring or fertility. The Venerable Bede, an 8th-century monk, wrote that the name of the month corresponding to April was "Ēosturmōnaþ" (Easter month), named after this goddess in whose honor feasts were celebrated. Over time, the Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus during this period adopted the name from the month, becoming known as Easter. Linguistically, the term Easter is related to words meaning "east" or "dawn," connected to the Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to shine," which ties into themes of light and rebirth. Most other languages refer to the holiday with terms derived from the Hebrew "Pesach" (Passover) or the Greek and Latin "Pascha," which relate the Christian celebration to the Jewish Passover. In summary, Easter's English name likely originates from a pre-Christian festival named after a dawn goddess, marking spring's arrival, which was later repurposed to signify the Christian resurrection celebration.
