OLD JOKE ALERT: 3 guys die and appear at the pearly gates before St. Peter. St. Peter says to them "To gain admittence to Heaven, you must tell me the true meaning of easter." The first guy says "Easter is about chocolate eggs and bunny rabbits." St. Peter says "Nope, sorry." Second guy says "Easter is about being with your family and celebrating the coming of spring." St. Peter says "Nope, sorry." Third guy says "Well, Easter is about Jesus dying on the cross." "Yes, go on" says St. Peter "And three days later he rose from the dead and walked out of his tomb." "Very good, please continue" says St. Peter. The third guys looks thoughtful for a moment and says "Umm... And if he sees his own shadow there'll be six more weeks of winter!" Actually of course, christianity wouldn't really exist had it not been for all the other belief systems they co-opted. In fact, all of the central tennets of christianity, including the devine saviour made mortal, the last supper and subsequent death, ressurection and ascention, as well as the communion, were taken directly from the worship of Mithra which appeared in what is now Iraq some 3 thousand years ago. Christmas itself was The Fesival of Mithra until co-opted by christianity into the birth of Christ after the collapse of Rome. An interesting subject. Plenty of info out there for those willing to learn. :-)