In religious tradition, Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus, but many Easter traditions are derived from Ostara, a fertility goddess, who is associated with Spring and the rising sun. Read more about the pagan and religious traditions of Easter. Also, find out how how Easter appear in myth and literature.
1. Treasury of Easter Celebrations
by Julie K. Hogan, Eve De Grie (Illustrator). Ideals Publications. From the publisher: "Easter comes just once a year, but a comprehensive Easter treasury like this will last a lifetime. True to its title, 'Treasury of Easter Celebrations' is a commemoration of the customs and traditions of Easter throughout the world." This collection includes works by Robert Browning, Geoffrey Chaucer, and Christina Rossetti.
2. The Easter Book of Legends and Stories
by Alice Hazeltine. Omnigraphics. From the publisher: "Through the centuries of the Christian Church, the festival of the Resurrection has been celebrated with songs of joy and praise. This well-referenced book is a compilation of the literature of Easter comprising not only biblical narrative, but poems, plays, legends, and stories associated with the holiday. Combined, they offer word pictures of the Easter celebration in various countries and commemorate the joyful aspects of nature."3. Happy Easter: Inspiring Quotes, Poems, and Stories to Celebrate the Season
Cook Communications. From the publisher: "A wonderful little book to help readers celebrate the joy and true meaning of Easter. Includes fun activities, interesting traditions, unique legends, little known facts," and more.4. Encyclopedia of Easter, Carnival and Lent
by Tanya Gulevich. Omnigraphics. "The 'Encyclopedia of Easter, Carnival, and Lent' is a convenient source of information on virtually every aspect of Easter and related holidays. Also covered in the book are customs and observances associated with Lent as well as the Carnival that traditionally precedes the beginning of Lent."5. Three Plays: The Father, Mis Julia, Easter
by Peter Watts, and August Strindberg. Penguin. From the publisher: "'Easter' centres on a family in need of redemption for its sins and suffering, finding forgiveness at a season of rebirth. Strindberg’s acute psychological analysis and his dramatization of naked emotion within a naturalistic domestic setting make him one of the great innovators of the modern theatre."6. The Book of Easter
by George Wharton Edwards, and W.C. Doane. Omnigraphics. From the publisher: "This work is a collection of Easter poems, stories, hymns, and essays, with reproductions of famous paintings relating to Easter by Rembrandt, Breton Rubens, Fra Angelico, Veronese, and others. The historic accounts and descriptions of customs and legends are concerned with the people and events associated with Good Friday, Easter, and the Ascension."7. The Book of the Year
by Anthony Aveni. Oxford University Press. From the publisher: "The calendar and its holidays, Aveni writes, function as 'a kind of metronome that keeps the beat of human activity tuned to the manifold overlapping cycles of life,' to the ebb and flow of birth, growth, decay, and death."8. The Story of Easter
by Frank J. Finamore. Random House. From the publisher: "A beautiful gift book celebrating the traditions of the Easter season, providing a keepsake of stories, activities, lore, and much more, including selections from the Gospels and the New Testament, poems, and classic Easter recipes."9. Martin Luther's Easter Book
by Martin Luther. Augsburg Fortress, Publishers. From the publisher: "This powerful book of passages from Martin Luther's Easter sermons portrays the reformer's lasting thoughts... Eighteen handsome engravings by Luther's contemporary, Virgil Solis, depict Luther's treatment of biblical people..."