Pascha, Πάσχα, Not Easter

 The word "Easter" in English has a very different etymological and cultural origin than the terms used in Romance languages or in Greek and Hebrew, and this difference is deeply significant in understanding how Christianity developed in various linguistic and cultural contexts.

1. English and German: "Easter" / "Ostern"

The English word "Easter" comes from the Old English Ēastre (or Ēostre), which was the name of a pagan Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and fertility. The Venerable Bede, an 8th-century English monk and historian, wrote in De Temporum Ratione (On the Reckoning of Time) that the month of Ēosturmōnaþ (April) was named after this goddess, and that the Christian celebration of the resurrection had, at that time, begun to be celebrated during that month. Over time, the name of the month and the pagan festival were transferred to the Christian holiday.

In German, the word is "Ostern", which is also thought to derive from the same proto-Germanic root associated with east, dawn, or the rising sun—all symbolic of rebirth and resurrection. Some scholars link the root to Proto-Indo-European *aus-, meaning "to shine" or "dawn."

Thus, in English and German, the term Easter/Ostern has pre-Christian, pagan origins, later Christianized to refer to the Resurrection of Christ.

2. Romance Languages: "Pasqua," "Pascua," "Pâques"

In contrast, the Romance languages use terms that derive directly from the Hebrew word פסח (Pesach), meaning Passover, the Jewish festival commemorating the Israelites' exodus from Egypt.

• Latin: Pascha
  
  

• Italian: Pasqua
  
  

• Spanish: Pascua
  
  

• French: Pâques
  
  

• Portuguese: Páscoa
  
  

These languages reflect the fact that Christ's Passion, Crucifixion, and Resurrection occurred during Passover, and the early Church understood the Resurrection as a new Passover—a passage from death to life.

3. Greek and Eastern Orthodoxy: Πάσχα (Pascha) and πάσχω (paschō)

In Greek, the word for Easter is Πάσχα (Pascha), directly borrowed from the Aramaic פַּסְחָא and ultimately from the Hebrew Pesach. The verb πάσχω (paschō) means "to suffer", which is related to Christ's Passion (hence the term "Paschal" for things relating to Easter).

• In Orthodox Christianity, the use of Πάσχα reinforces the direct theological continuity between the Old Testament Passover and the New Covenant realized in Christ’s death and resurrection.
  
  

• Liturgically and theologically, Pascha is seen as the culmination of salvation history.
  
  

Summary: Two Etymological Paths

Language Group	Word for Easter	Origin	Meaning/Association
English / Germanic	Easter / Ostern	Old English Ēastre / Proto-Germanic *aus-	Pagan goddess / dawn / spring
Romance / Greek	Pasqua / Pâques / Πάσχα	Hebrew Pesach via Latin/Greek Pascha	Jewish Passover / Christ's Passion

So, while most of Christendom uses a form of Pascha for the Resurrection feast—emphasizing its Jewish roots and theological continuity—the English and German traditions uniquely retained pagan seasonal names, repurposed through Christian reinterpretation.

How did Easter Become the Word of Choice in English over Pasqua or Pascha? 

The reason “Easter” became the word of choice in English, instead of something like Pascha, Pasqua, or Paschal, lies in the intersection of language, culture, and liturgical history in the early medieval Anglo-Saxon world.

Here’s a breakdown of how that happened:

1. The Anglo-Saxon Missionaries and Vernacular Language

When Christianity was introduced to Anglo-Saxon England (5th–7th centuries), it was brought by missionaries such as St. Augustine of Canterbury, sent by Pope Gregory the Great in 597 AD. These missionaries worked to translate the faith into the local language and cultural context to make it more accessible.

• Instead of using the Latin or Greek Pascha, they used a familiar term already associated with springtime religious observance: Ēastre, the Anglo-Saxon name for the month and festival of spring (possibly linked to a goddess of the dawn).
  
  

• This adaptation was part of a broader pattern of inculturation, where Christian concepts were embedded within existing linguistic and cultural frameworks.
  
  

So, the Anglo-Saxon Church began referring to the Christian celebration of the Resurrection using the native seasonal term, just as Yule was used for Christmas.

2. Bede’s Influence

The Venerable Bede (8th century), a pivotal figure in English ecclesiastical history, wrote in De Temporum Ratione that the month of Eosturmonath was named after a pre-Christian goddess, Ēostre, and that the festival celebrated during this month had adopted that name even as it became Christian.

His account reinforced the use of the native term for the Christian feast in English-speaking areas. Since Bede’s Latin scholarship was so influential in shaping English Christian identity, the name stuck.

3. Lack of Latin Continuity in Early English

Unlike French, Spanish, or Italian, which evolved directly from Latin and retained many of its religious terms, Old English developed from Germanic roots, not Latin. As a result:

• The Latin word Pascha did not naturally become part of the Old English vocabulary.
  
  

• Instead, Latin terms were translated or replaced with native equivalents.
  
  

• Only later, with the Norman Conquest (1066), did many Latin-based words enter English—by then, "Easter" was well-established.
  
  

4. Contrast with Other Christian Traditions

In other parts of Europe:

• Latin was the liturgical and literary language, and local languages were Latin-based.
  
  

• Thus, the word Pascha (from Greek and Hebrew origins) naturally evolved into Pasqua, Pascua, Pâques, etc.
  
  

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, where Greek was the dominant liturgical language, Πάσχα (Pascha) was retained directly from the Septuagint and early Christian usage.

In Summary: Why “Easter” in English?

• Missionary inculturation used familiar pagan terms for new Christian meanings.
  
  

• The native Anglo-Saxon calendar already had a spring festival called Ēastre.
  
  

• Old English lacked Latin linguistic continuity.
  
  

• Bede’s writings helped institutionalize the term.
  
  

• Over time, "Easter" became the culturally dominant term, while Paschal survives only in theological or liturgical contexts (e.g., Paschal candle, Paschal mystery).

The Survival of “Paschal” in Liturgical and Theological English

While “Easter” became the standard English term for the Resurrection feast in everyday use, the term "Paschal"—from Latin Paschalis, from Greek Πάσχα (Pascha), from Hebrew Pesach—continues to carry deep theological weight within the Church. It’s used in formal, liturgical, and theological contexts to emphasize the connection between Christ’s Passion and the Jewish Passover.

Here are key examples:

• Paschal Mystery: Refers to the suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ—central to Christian salvation.
  
  

• Paschal Lamb: A title for Christ, who is seen as the fulfillment of the sacrificial lamb in the Passover.
  
  

• Paschal Candle: A large candle lit at the Easter Vigil representing the light of Christ risen from the dead.
  
  

• Paschal Triduum: The three-day liturgical celebration from Holy Thursday evening through Good Friday and Holy Saturday, culminating in Easter Sunday.
  
  

• Paschal Greeting: “Christ is risen!” / “Indeed He is risen!”—especially in Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine traditions, preserving the word's original roots.
  
  

Why It Matters

The continued use of Paschal helps keep the biblical and theological continuity between the Old Testament Passover and the New Covenant in Christ alive—something the term “Easter”, with its pagan etymology, does not convey on its own.

The Eastern Orthodox Church continues to use the term Pascha to refer to the Feast of the Resurrection, preserving the original biblical and apostolic terminology used by the early Church. This word, rooted in the Hebrew Pesach (Passover) and adopted into Greek as Πάσχα, emphasizes the deep theological continuity between the Jewish Passover and Christ’s redemptive Passion and Resurrection. By retaining Pascha, the Orthodox Church affirms that Christ is the true Paschal Lamb, whose death and resurrection inaugurate a new covenant and the deliverance of humankind from sin and death—mirroring Israel’s deliverance from Egypt.

Unlike the English term "Easter," which derives from the name of a pre-Christian spring goddess (Ēostre), Pascha carries no association with paganism. It is free from the seasonal or fertility-related overtones that can obscure the profound salvific meaning of the feast. For the Orthodox, the Resurrection is not simply a springtime celebration, but the cosmic triumph of life over death, rooted in sacred history and fulfilled in Christ.

Most importantly, Pascha is the language of the Apostolic Church—used in Scripture, in the early liturgies, and in the writings of the Church Fathers. It links Orthodox worship directly to the ancient Christian proclamation: “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.” This continuity of language reflects the Church’s unbroken tradition and fidelity to its biblical foundations. Thus, in preserving the word Pascha, the Orthodox Church also preserves the integrity of the faith itself.