Easter: Originally a Saxon word (Eostre), denoting a goddess of the Saxons, in
honour of whom sacrifices were offered about the time of the
Passover. Hence the name came to be given to the festival of the
Resurrection of Christ, which occured at the time of the Passover. In
the early English versions this word was frequently used as the
translation of the Greek pascha (the Passover). When the Authorized
Version (1611) was formed, the word "passover" was used in all
passages in which this word pascha occurred, except in
(Acts 12:4)
In the Revised Version the proper word, "passover," is always used.
