Goddesses, rabbits, theology and ‘Superstar’: Examining the complicated history of Easter

WHAT’S EASTER ABOUT? In some ways, the answer is pretty simple: Jesus Christ, and Christians’ belief that he rose from the dead.

In other ways, though, the springtime holiday is far from straightforward. How did rabbits get involved? Where did the name “Easter” come from — and why is the English word different from the way many other cultures refer to the holy day? Even theologically, exactly what the Resurrection means is not universally agreed upon.