Hi Kathy,  I bet you were almost afraid to open this letter, eh?  I want to thank you for addressing this issue even though it will hurt the feelings of the many Christians that have followed Easter Sunday Sunrise services, had egg hunts at their churches, etc.  We did it for years.  If one wants to truly follow Jesus Christ, one must face the truth as spoken of in God's Word and abandon the pagan tradtions/holidays that were brought into the Church.  The one word found in the Bible that refers to Isthar (Easter) is in reference to  King Herod, whom was in Jerusalem at the time of the Jewish Passover and it was he that waited until his Isthar celebrations was over.  Often times the two celebrations landed at the same time and that year was one of them.   Read Acts 12 but especially: Acts 12: 3-4 3And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (This was during the Days of Unleavened Bread.) 4And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him, intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.    To face the East in Sunrise services is in defiance to God's Word   Ezekiel 8:16-17 King James Version (KJV) 16And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east. 17Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.All that you have brought out is honest and true.                                      Kathy K (11 Apr 2012)                                            "Easter" http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/apr2012/kathyk411.htm I haven't ever wrote to Five Doves before but enjoy the insight and opinion expressed on this site. The article about Easter beginning in darkness, though, made me feel that I needed to respond. First of all, Easter is not a Christian celebration of our Saviors resurrection. It is a pagan holiday that Constantine borrowed after several hundred years after His resurrection. It is to honor the Goddess Ester. Sunrise service is not a service to our Master but an ancient pagan custom from ancient Babylon. It's true that it was dark when the women came to the tomb because our Master had risen at the beginning of First Fruits which would have began at sunset the night before Sunday. (The Jewish day begins at sun down). Our Savior crying out was a sign to those present to the suffering he was prophesied to endure from Psalms 22. He was quoting the Psalm which each person present would have known and heard throughout their life time in the synagogue. I just felt that these facts needed to be added to the information shared on your site. Kathy King