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Help me talk about Easter/religious differences to 12-year olds!
So as many of you know, I am a Girl Guide leader here to a group of 10-12 year olds. Its not a religious-based organization here, although certainly many of the girls do have strong faiths (Christian).
I'd like to do an activity tomorrow (Jeopardy style!) that teaches them about Easter in different religions. Now, obviously Easter is a predominantly Christian celebration, but I'd also like to include Islam (why they don't believe in Easter - no death/rebirth of Jesus) and Judaism (I'm terribly uniformed about Passover) and anything else you guys can think of.
it has to be on a REALLY basic level - not true PCE style 
So if you guys could give me the basic beliefs (or lack thereof) around Easter with your specific religion, it would be much appreciated
Re: Help me talk about Easter/religious differences to 12-year olds!
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I should have clarified - more about the spring religious festivals in other religions.
Its not a religious organization, but we are free to talk about anything. One of the parents actually suggested I do something that teaches the girls about different religious celebrations at this time of the year. It will be pretty basic.
Mr.Dobalina is probably better for Passover details.
However, I can answer your question from the other thread- the reason Easter and Passover are around the same time is that The Last Supper was a Passover Seder.
I'll cosign this.
Passover celebrates the flight of the Israelites from Pharaoh's Egypt. It is commemorated in the Spring so the Jews have their Spring Fling just like the Christians and the Pagans.
You may want to also look into the Celtic festival of Imbolc, which celebrates Spring.
The word Easter actually is derived from the Babylonian goddess Astarte/Ishtar, a goddess of fertility. A celebration in her honor occurred at the same time.
Easter didn't become an official celebration until 325 AD. Prior to that point Christians actually celebrated Passover, just like the Jews, since most were Jewish. At that point the church in Rome decided it needed to separate itself from Judaism and replaced Passover with official Easter celebrations.
Fascinating. I didn't know this! Thanks AW.
The girls will love this stuff - they really enjoy learning about how people celebrate things differently.
Anyone know where the Easter Bunny came from? Is it an extension of the eggs being a symbol of fertility?
Bunnies and eggs were part of the celebration of Astarte/Ishtar, for fertility. They were probably common in most Spring celebrations though.
This is why you'll see a lot of fundamentalist Christians that won't have anything to do with Easter, because it's roots and celebration are so pagan. Instead, you'll hear them say they are celebrating Resurrection Day instead (without any of the bunny and egg stuff).
But if you look at any Christian holiday, you can see the pagan influences (the tree, wreaths, etc. at Christmas for example).
The rabbit is the symbol of an old German goddess which is believed to represent fertility. As such, the Easter Bunny tradition started in Germany in the 1500s.
I think I'd like to include at least Buddhism and perhaps the Chinese new Year or something other than just Islam, Christianity and Judaism.
help!
They're probably too young for fertility festivals in Japan (honen matsuri if you want to google), but hanami might be of interest. It's not religious per se, but it's a celebration of spring.
For Buddhism, Buddha's birthday is celebrated in early May. In Korea it's a lotus lantern festival, but it's celebrated differently elsewhere.
Isn't the Cherry Blossom festival a traditional Chinese tradition or am I making that up?
We do a Tulip Festival ( I think a lot of places do) that supposedly has its roots in Dutch culture.
What about the roots of MayDay and May baskets??
::gets out my rabbit book::
Several pagan spring/rebirth/ fertility goddesses from around Europe were depicted by the moon and/or rabbits. Rabbits have a lot of connection (mythological) with the moon (and women, and caves) but that's another story. Anyway, these goddesses include Ostara and Eostre. Rabbits were often sacrificed to these goddesses.
Eggs have been a symbol of rebirth in pretty much every culture. They used to be forbidden during Lent, so they were a present on Easter morning. Eggs also symbolize virgin birth since you don't need a rooster to get chicken eggs (lolz).
My book seems to vaguely pin Easter Bunny on the German's too - 16th Century. He was the Oschter Haws.
I think the cherry blossoms are Japanese, not Chinese.
I mentioned hanami above but didn't clarify. That's the Japanese word for cherry blossom viewing.
I found it! Its the festival Sibil was referencing.
So many interesting spring festivals! My girls are going to love this.
AW, you're thinking of Ostara. Imbolc is in the beginning of February and celebrates the first signs of spring. But Ostara is the full on spring celebration and coincides with the Spring Equinox. Note the similarities in name to Easter.
Pinky's father ascribes to Druidism and when I was married to him, we were a part of a pagan group that celebrated most of the pagan holidays. We had mostly Wiccans, Druids, and a few Asatru (Norse gods.)
Ostara was my favorite holiday because of how much fun it was. I couldn't tell you why or what are the traditional ways of celebrating it, but ours involved going out to a nature walk, throwing confetti filled eggs at each other, ringing bells, looking for fairies, and having a picnic.
Click me, click me!
This link has some details on easter eggs:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/02/easter-eggs-history-origin-symbolism-tradition_n_1392054.html
I guess I'm still wondering about teaching this in a non-religious setting where there is no set curriculum. You say one parent suggested this. Are you sure that all parents would be okay with this lesson? I'm not sure I would even venture down this road.
Eta: And I want to make this clicky:
http://menachemmendel.net/blog/2011/04/12/was-the-last-supper-a-seder/
I have a couple of comments.
(1) I would suggest that even if it was the first night of Passover that Christ changed the meal, so even though it would have been the time for a seder, it technically wasn't a seder. For example, there would be no cup for Elijah who was to announce the coming of the Messiah (since Jesus was the Messiah). Having said that, things that are said/described in the Bible have remnants of a seder.
(2) It is my understanding as a former Jew that there are two seder nights. If so, it is very possible that Holy Thursday was the first night and Good Friday was the second night.
I guess that makes sense, but like Isaid in my other post I would suggest that it wasn't the old Passover like it was prior to Christ. It was an amended version...a new Passover. Just as I suspect the Last Supper was an amended version.
I agree.
Also, as others have mentioned, I don't even think the Jewish celebration of Passover at that time was as structured or similar to the way Jews celebrate it today. That happened much later.
Easter is celebrating Christ rising from the grave. period.
there are no other religions that celebrate it,