The word Easter comes from the pagan festival of Eostre, which paid tribute to the spring goddess Eostre. In fact, the month of April used to be called Eosturmonath (Eostre Month) in the Old English calendar.
Early Christianity adopted the name of this festival, which had become synonymous with springtime and rebirth, for its own Easter holiday.
Because springtime is also associated with the Jewish tradition of Passover and the Christian tradition of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, many Easter symbols have roots in pagan, Jewish, and Christian history — including Easter eggs, the Easter bunny, and even that chocolate in your Easter basket.