Pagan Origin of Easter vs Pascha (Passover)

The Venerable Bede, an 8th-century historian, suggested that "Easter" came from "Eostre," an Anglo-Saxon goddess associated with spring and renewal. Bede is the only source mentioning her. Some scholars suggest that Eostre was linked to fertility and rebirth, with symbols like hares and eggs—which later became part of Easter traditions. Inscriptions referring to Matronae Austriahenae, goddesses with similar names, were discovered in Germany, supporting the idea that Eostre may have been a genuine pagan goddess. Her legacy continues in modern neopaganism, where she is sometimes venerated as a goddess of spring and renewal.

In the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, the word Easter appears only once—in Acts 12:4—where it is [mis]translated from the Greek word pascha, which typically means Passover. Some scholars believe that the pagan holiday referenced here could be linked to the worship of Tammuz, a Babylonian sun god, or other Roman festivities honoring springtime renewal. The timing of this event, occurring after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, suggests that it was not referring to the Jewish Passover but rather a non-Jewish celebration. The KJV translators followed earlier English versions, such as Tyndale’s Bible, which also used Easter in this passage. Interestingly, the word Passover itself did not exist in English until William Tyndale coined it in the 16th century. 

Ēostre or Ostara (Northumbrian Old English: Ēostre; West Saxon Old English: Ēastre; Old High German: *Ôstara) is a goddess in Germanic paganism who, by way of the Germanic month bearing her name is the namesake of the festival of Easter. During the month of April, feasts were held in Eostre's honor among the pagan Anglo-Saxons, but had died out by 8th century, replaced by the Christian "Paschal month" (a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus). In her various forms, she is a "Spring-like fertility goddess" associated with dawn, and is connected to numerous traditions and deities indigenous to Northern Europe.

While most European languages retained Pascha from Latin and Greek, English and German took a different route, using Easter and Ostern instead. This choice could reflect a desire for cultural distinction or even an unconscious distancing from Jewish traditions. Christianity was emerging as a dominant force in medieval England, and many early English Christians were influenced by local customs and existing pagan traditions rather than the Jewish roots of Christianity. The Anglo-Saxon calendar already had the term Eosturmonath, named after the goddess Eostre, which may have played a role in shaping terminology.

Below is a table showing some examples of languages that use "Pascha" (or a variant linked to "Pesach", that is, Passover) and those that use "Easter" (or a variant):

Language	Term for Easter	Origin
English	Easter	Derived from Ēostre
German	Ostern	Related to Ēostre
French	Pâques	Derived from Pesach
Spanish	Pascua	Derived from Pesach
Italian	Pasqua	Derived from Pesach
Portuguese	Páscoa	Derived from Pesach
Greek	Πάσχα (Pascha)	Derived from Pesach
Russian	Пасха (Paskha)	Derived from Pesach
Dutch	Pasen	Derived from Pesach
Norwegian	Påske	Derived from Pesach
Swedish	Påsk	Derived from Pesach
Danish	Påske	Derived from Pesach
Finnish	Pääsiäinen	Derived from Pesach
Hungarian	Húsvét	Derived from Pesach
Polish	Wielkanoc	Derived from Pesach
Icelandic	Páskar	Derived from Pesach