easter
UK[ˈiːstə]US[ˈiːstər]
n
A Christian festival that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, held on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after March 21.
n
The period in which this festival occurs.
Etymology
The word 'Easter' originates from the Old English 'Ēastre' or 'Ēostre', the name of a pagan Germanic goddess of spring and dawn. The Venerable Bede, an 8th-century English monk, recorded that the name of this goddess was given to the Christian festival celebrating the resurrection of Christ, which often occurred in the month named after her. This etymological path illustrates a common pattern of Christian missionaries adopting and repurposing the names and timings of existing pagan festivals to facilitate conversion. Thus, the modern abstract meaning of a central Christian holiday is built upon a pre-Christian celebration of renewal and light.
Analysis
The word is a simplex form derived from the name of a Germanic goddess. It is not productively formed from separable morphemes in modern English.
Examples
We celebrate Easter with a special church service and a family meal.
The children hunted for eggs in the garden on Easter morning.
Easter falls on a different date each year.