Forms: 1 (as pl.) éastron, -un, -an, -u, -o, Northumb. éastro, éostro, éostru; (as sing.) éastre, Northumb. éostro; genit. (as pl.) eastreno, -ana, eastra; (as sing.) éastran, Northumb. éastres, éostres; 2 eastran, eastren, 3, 5 eastre, 3–6 esterne, 4–6 ester, (4 hestern), 5 aster(e, estren(e, eesterne, estryn, 6 estur, 6– easter. [OE. éastre wk. fem. = OHG. ôstara; more freq. in plural éastron, corresponding to OHG. ôstoron (MHG., mod.G. ostern pl.); the strong forms occas. appearing seem to have been derived from the combining form éastor-. Bæda Temp. Rat. xv. derives the word from Eostre (Northumb. spelling of Éastre), the name of a goddess whose festival was celebrated at the vernal equinox; her name (:—OTeut. *austrôn- cogn. w. Skr. usrā dawn; see EAST) shows that she was originally the dawn-goddess.]
1. One of the great festivals of the Christian Church, commemorating the resurrection of Christ, and corresponding to the Jewish passover, the name of which it bears in most of the European langs. (Gr. πασχά, ad. Heb. pésaḥ, L. pascha, Fr. Pâques, It. Pasqua, Sp. Pascua, Du. pask). According to the modern rule it is observed on the first Sunday after the calendar full moon—i.e., ‘not the actual full moon, but the 14th day of the calendar moon’ (Bp. Butcher)—which happens on or next after 21 March. In ordinary language Easter is often applied to the entire week commencing with Easter Sunday.
c. 890. K. Ælfred, Bæda, V. xxi. Ic ðas tide Eastrena ecelice healdan wille.
c. 1050. Ags. Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker, 471. Phase, eastran.
a. 1123. O. E. Chron., an. 1101. Heold se cyng Heanrig his hired … to Eastran on Winceastre.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 101. Þe þre dage biforen estre [ben] cleped swidages.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 3288. Ðor-of in esterne be we wunen Seuene siðes to funt cumen.
c. 1300. St. Brandan, 148. Ther ȝe shulle this Ester beo.
1389. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 35. Þe soneday fourtnythe after esterne.
c. 1420. Chron. Vilod., 785. Þis miracle was þus … y do, In þe Astere nexste after hurre body dyenge.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 143. Eesterne, Pascha.
1450–1530. Myrr. Our Ladye, 278. From passyon Sonday tyl Esterne.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., ccxxxiii. 254. The clergye … wold not graunte vnto Estre next comyng.
1593. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., IV. xi. Keeping the feast of Easter on the same day, the Jews kept theirs.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., II. 55. The Springtime, wherein the Feast of Easter … was celebrated.
1782. Priestley, Corrupt. Chr., II. VIII. 129. The first … festival … that was observed … was Easter.
1837. Howitt, Rur. Life, VI. iv. (1862), 432. Easter was the great festival of the Church.
† 2. The Jewish passover. Obs.
971. Blickl. Hom., 67. Hælend cwom syx daʓum ær Iudea eastrum.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Mark xiv. 1. Æfter twam daʓum wæron eastron.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., IX. xxxi. (1495), 366. Ester is callyd in Ebrewe Phase, that is passynge other passage.
1535. Coverdale, Ezek. xlv. 21. Vpon ye xiiij. daye of the first moneth ye shal kepe Easter.
1563. Homilies, II. Whitsunday, I. (1859), 453. Easter, a great, and solemne feast among the Jewes.
1611. Bible, Acts xii. 4. Intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
3. Comb. and attrib.
a. Obvious combinations: in sense 1, as easter-festival, -gambols, holidays, -lamb (see also b), -morning, † -morrow, † -pence, -Sunday (-Monday, -Tuesday, etc.), -tide, -time, -week.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. II. 133. On Eester monedai.
1460. in Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1866), 249. He ros on estryn morwe.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., lxii. 266 (Add. MS.). Our Lord Jhesu Crist, the whiche many desire for to norisshe, and namly in Esterne tyme.
14[?]. Prose St. Brandan (Percy), 39. A place lyke Paradyse wherein they shold kepe theyr Eestertyde.
1517. Torkington, Pilgr. (1884), 66. Ther we a bode … Ester evyn, Ester Day, And also Ester munday … Ester Tewysday … we Departyd.
1676. Marvell, Mr. Smirke, 4. [Some] would … have ventur’d their Coffee-Farthings, yea their Easter-Pence by advance.
1722. Lond. Gaz., No. 6052/1. The Easter-Holidays having passed.
1815. Scott, Ld. of Isles, III. xxviii. How there the Easter gambols pass.
1826. in W. Cobbett, Rur. Rides, II. 193. The house-lambs and the early Easter-lambs.
1885. Manch. Exam., 6 April, 5/2. The weather this Eastertide is bright.
b. Special combs., as easter-book, an account-book for recording easter-dues; easter-dues, money payable at Easter to the parson of a parish by the parishioners; easter-eggs, eggs painted in bright colors, which it was (and, by a partial revival, still is) customary to present to friends at Easter (= PACE-EGGS); easter eve, † -even, the evening, and hence the day, before Easter-Sunday; † easter-lamb, the paschal lamb; easter-offering = easter-dues; formerly also used for the paschal sacrifice; † easter-supper, the passover; easter-taper [L. cereus paschalis], a taper used in church ceremonies at Easter. Also EASTER-DAY.
1546. Mem. Ripon (Surtees), III. 10. Item the *Easter Booke communibus Annis, lxvjs. viijd.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., III. xxv. 229. Necessity will … make him study his Easter-book more then all other Writers.
1825. Hone, Every-day Bk., I. 425–6. *Easter Eggs … pass about at Easter week under the name of pask, paste, or pace eggs.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 95. On *ester euen gon abuten þe fantston.
1594. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. (1617), 391. That one Sabboth or Saturday which falleth out to bee the Easter-eue.
1598. Hakluyt, Voy., I. 66. Vpon Easter even we were called vnto the tent.
1535. Coverdale, 1 Esdr. vii. 10. They that came out of captiuyte, kylled the *easter lambe.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, xxx. 561. Iesus the true Easterlambe.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), II. 339. Iosue offrede þe *Ester offrynge.
1818. Bentham, Ch. Eng., 422. Were it only by Easter-offerings.
1548. Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Mark xiv. 15. There prepare you for vs our *easter souper.
1848. Keightley, Secr. Soc. Middle Ages, 361. Accused of having disinterred an unchristened child, and of having made a candle of the bone of its arm, which he had filled with the wax of an *Easter-taper, and with incense.
1818. Cruise, Digest, II. 477. The fine levied … in *Easter term 1697.
