Why Some Christians Question Easter Traditions

Not long after we began asking questions about Christmas, another holiday came into focus.

Easter.

Once again, I found myself asking simple but important questions.

Why do we call it Easter?
Where did the name come from?
Why the eggs?
Why the bunnies?
Why the baskets and egg hunts?

Questions We Couldn’t Ignore

I began researching the history and traditions surrounding Easter. I wanted to understand how the Christian remembrance of Jesus’ resurrection became connected with the customs our family knew.

I soon learned that the history was more layered than many quick explanations suggest. Christians have commemorated the resurrection since the early centuries of the faith. In most Christian languages, the celebration is known by a form of Pascha, a name connected to Passover. The English word Easter has a more debated history, and claims that it simply comes from Ishtar are not supported by linguistic evidence.

The customs also developed in different settings and periods. Decorated eggs have carried seasonal, cultural, and Christian meanings in various communities. The egg-bringing hare appears much later in German-speaking European tradition and eventually developed into the American Easter Bunny. Baskets, candy, and modern egg hunts added still more layers.

Understanding that complexity mattered. We did not need to repeat an oversimplified story claiming that every Easter custom came from one pagan source. At the same time, our family still struggled to see how the bunnies, baskets, and egg hunts expressed the resurrection of Jesus for us.

A Decision That Took Time

When we eventually shared that we were no longer going to celebrate Easter, the reactions were strong.

People would say:

“How can you not celebrate the resurrection?”
“This is Jesus’ day.”
“For Christians, this is the most important day of the year.”

I understood why they felt that way. The resurrection is central to Christian faith. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15 that if Christ has not been raised, Christian faith is futile. For many believers, their annual celebration is a sincere expression of that hope.

What was difficult to explain in a quick conversation was that our decision had not happened overnight. It was not a rejection of Jesus, a sudden rebellion, or a judgment against other Christians.

We needed time—months and even years—to study, pray, and process what we were learning. These traditions had been part of our lives for a long time, and they held meaningful memories.

Family gatherings.
Picnics in the park.
Children searching for hidden eggs.
Candy baskets and laughter.

Those moments were real. Changing our practice did not require us to deny the love and joy within those memories.

Separating the Resurrection from Our Traditions

When we stepped back and asked whether our familiar customs helped our family honor Jesus’ resurrection, we struggled to make that connection.

Not with the egg hunts.
Not with the bunnies.
Not with the candy baskets.

Yet leaving those customs made some people feel that we were leaving the resurrection behind. That was not what was happening.

We were not rejecting the resurrection. Jesus’ death and resurrection remain central to our faith every day, not only during one annual observance. We were separating that belief from traditions we no longer felt able to practice with a clear conscience.

Other Christians faithfully commemorate the resurrection at Easter, Resurrection Sunday, or Pascha, with or without the surrounding cultural customs. Our family’s decision did not make their worship less sincere, just as their observance did not make our conviction less sincere.

We were learning to speak honestly about our choice while leaving room for others to discern differently. That realization slowly led us toward a decision we never expected to make.

Have you ever separated the heart of a belief from traditions that had grown around it?

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