"Easter" is derived from the German "Ostern" and was originally the name of a [German] goddess and her festival.
"Easter" is the English word for the celebration of the Resurrection. In other European languages, their words are derived from the Hebrew for "Passover".
- Latin - Pascha or Festa Paschalia
- Greek - Paskha
- Bulgarian - Paskha
- Danish - Paaske
- Dutch - Pasen
- Finnish - Pääsiäinen
- French - Pâques
- Indonesian - Paskah
- Irish - Cáisc
- Italian - Pasqua
- Lower Rhine German - Paisken
- Norwegian - Påske
- Portuguese - Páscoa
- Romanian - Pasti
- Russian - Paskha
- Scottish Gaelic - Càisg
- Spanish - Pascua
- Swedish - Påsk
- Welsh - Pasg
Easter eggs have been used in the Greek church since ancient times and, for symbolical reasons, they are painted red.
"Easter eggs" were first recorded in the English language in 1737, so there does not seem to be a long tradition using Easter eggs in the England.
The "Easter bunny" is a rabbit that according to a folkloric tradition of German origin and it brings colored eggs in a basket to good children at Easter. This is similar to the Dutch tradition that Saint Nicholas brings presents to good children at Christmas.
As for the often told fact that Ishtar's fertility was symbolized by the egg and the rabbit, philology knows nothing of these facts. Therefore, we leave this matter to those more qualified than ourselves.