For children, Easter means oversized bunnies carrying Easter baskets full of goodies. For adults, it can be an excuse to show off their best spring outfits and have a nice dinner with family and relatives, or it can be a solemn religious celebration.

In fact, the holiday known as Easter seems to have had religious significance for thousands of years in every culture from ancient Babylon to modern England, but the exact meaning depended on the religion you were following.

Most cultures in the Northern Hemisphere have had some sort of celebration of the return of spring. In fact, the Persian New Year is celebrated on the date of the spring equinox, as it was for the ancient Romans. One theory is that the word “Easter” refers to the fertility goddess of the Babylonians, known as “Ishtar”. However, there is no strong linguistic link to prove a connection, particularly as Ishtar eventually became identified with the Greek Aphrodite, goddess of female sexuality.

A more likely explanation associates Easter with the old Anglo-Saxon month of Eostremonat, roughly corresponding to modern late March and early April. While some link the festival to a Germanic goddess named Eostre, there is little historical evidence that a goddess by this name was ever worshipped. It is more likely that Eostre referred to the east and dawn and was simply a celebration of spring and the beginning of the agricultural year. Rabbits, the most fertile of creatures, and eggs have long been symbols of fertility and good harvest, so it’s no wonder they’re associated with the holiday and are still presented as Easter gifts.

The Christian holiday of Passover which celebrates the resurrection of Yeshua ben-Yosef, generally recognized as the founder of Christianity, is closely linked to the Jewish holiday of Passover or “Pesach”. In fact, the Last Supper was actually a seder, a special meal that celebrated the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt. As missionaries spread Christianity throughout pagan Europe in the early years of the common era, it absorbed many pagan traditions as it gained converts. Today, some Christian sects reject Easter for its pagan overtones.

In the Roman Catholic church, Easter not only marks the resurrection, but also the end of a forty-day period of fasting and self-sacrifice known as Lent, which begins the day after Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday.” This celebration, also known in Latin America as “Carnaval”, is intended as a last chance to have fun and pamper yourself before the observance of Lent.

However, as a secular holiday, Easter remains as popular as ever, especially with children who receive Easter gift baskets and enjoy Easter egg hunts, a fitting welcome to spring.