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6.2.3.1.1.13
Of Eggs and Rabbits |
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A good many folk customs have gathered around Easter. Most have their origins in the pagan festivals surrounding the theme of the resurrection of life in the spring. Eggs, for example, have always been prominent as symbols of new life and resurrection, since they contain hidden life. They were forbidden to be eaten during Lent, along with meat and dairy products. In England, Easter is also known as Paste-egg Day, in reference to this connection with the egg, as well as a corruption of the Latin word for Easter, Pascha. This word is a corruption of the Hebrew Pesach, or Passover, and is the origin of the word Paschal, referring to Easter. |
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The custom of coloring eggs as part of spring rites is also an old one, dating to early Celtic times in England. |
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The hare has been regarded as a symbol of fertility since ancient Egyptian times, owing to its fecundity. The importance of rites at the beginning of spring to ensure the fertility of crops and animals is almost universal. |
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In North America, the hare is not found, but its place has been taken by the rabbit. These various folk traditions have blended, fused, and merged over the years into a popular tradition that features an Easter bunny laying colored eggs in specially prepared nests. |
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6.2.3.1.2
Functions Related to Easter |
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The SCDTL system supplies the functions needed for most applications associated with Easter and its traditional calculation. |
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6.2.3.1.2.1
Utility Functions |
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The traditional calculation of Easter date involves several concepts which have a long intellectual history. |
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6.2.3.1.2.1.1
golden_number () |
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The golden number, or numerus aureus, is the number that identifies a year within the 19-year Metonic cycle. Two explanations are generally offered for the term "golden": |
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Legend states that Meton, an Athenian astronomer, was awarded a plaque of gold for his discovery that 235 lunations were a very close approximation to 19 solar years. |
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The numbers were illuminated with ink of a golden color in medieval manuscripts. |
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The golden number was used extensively in calculations of Easter date (Listing 6.7). |
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