Let us begin by first stating that the celebration called Easter does not originate in Christianity. Easter is a pagan celebration that existed before the coming of Jesus, His crucifixion, and His resurrection. Surprised? Please don't be. Let us take a look at the customs of Easter and their origins. The festival of Easter has its origins in ancient pagan culture and worship and is tied to the celebration of fertility, the festival of the spring equinox, the rebirth of the sun god, and the celebration of the fertility goddess Ishtar (pronounced Easter). This is the reason Easter is celebrated with symbols such as the egg and the rabbit. These are all pagan symbols of fertility that were used in ancient pagan rituals dating as far back as the ancient kingdoms of Babylon and Assyria . Here are some facts about the pagan goddess Ishtar:

1.	She was the deification of the sex passion.
2.	Her worship required the absence of sexual restraint and prostitution was a part of her worship in her sanctuaries.
3.	Her temple priestesses were temple prostitutes who entertained male worshippers in sexual ceremonies.
4.	She was represented as the creative force in all nature and the mother of all things.
5.	She was responsible for the "renewal" of life that occurred each year around the time of spring, represented by the Easter egg and the Easter bunny.
6.	The Babylonians and Assyrians knew her as Ishtar.
7.	In Palestine she was known as Astarte.
8.	The Egyptians knew her as Isis and among other names the Greeks worshipped her as Aphrodite
9.	She is also known as the Queen of Heaven and her worship is condemned in the Holy Scriptures.
10.	Her husband was the pagan god Tammuz, the sun god, who dies each year in the summer and is reborn each year in spring.
11.	There is weeping for Tammuz, led by Ishtar during the fall and winter months. As a result of his rebirth, fertility and joy returns to the earth each spring, hence the pagan spring festival called Easter, which is celebrated with fertility symbols such as eggs and rabbits.
12.	The worship of Tammuz is also condemned in the Holy Scriptures.