This year Easter and Passover fall just one day appart. Passover is April 7th - Easter is April 8th. These two 'holidays' don't always fall that near in dates.
A long time ago, this whole concept of "eggs and rabbits" bothered me, so I researched "Easter", back in the mid-80s and was really angered by all that I found.
This is not to say that we need to observe the whole Seder/Passover - but just to get a closer look at what 'truth' is and how even the KJV has been corrupted by those of Constantine's era.
G3957Act 12:4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after *Easter - G3957* to bring him forth to the people.
G3957 πάσχα pascha = Passover. "Pascha [Passover]" used 29 times in the KJV and only once translated as "Easter".
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Origin of Easter - Its Pagan Roots
"The origin of Easter dates back to ancient times, not long after the global Flood recorded in Genesis 6-9 of the Bible. Nimrod, a grandson of Noah, had turned from following his grandfather's God and had become a tyrannical ruler. According to the biblical record, as king, Nimrod created Babel, Ninevah, Asshur, Calla and other cities, all known for lifestyles that promoted unspeakable evil and perversion. When Nimrod died, his wife, Queen Semiramis, deified him as the Sun-god, or Life Giver. Later he would become known as Baal, and those who followed the religion Semiramis created in his name would be called Baal worshippers. They became associated with idolatry, demon worship, human sacrifice and other practices regarded as evil.
The origin of Easter involves the birth of Semiramis' illegitimate son, Tammuz. Somehow, Semiramis convinced the people that Tammuz was actually Nimrod reborn. Since people had been looking for the promised savior since the beginning of mankind (see Genesis 3:15), they were persuaded by Semiramis to believe that Tammuz was that savior, even that he had been supernaturally conceived. Before long, in addition to worshipping Tammuz (or Nimrod reborn), the people also worshipped Semiramis herself as the goddess of fertility. In other cultures, she has been called *Ishtar, Ashtur and yes, Easter.
The origin of Easter goes back to the *springtime* ritual instituted by Semiramis following the death of Tammuz, who, according to tradition, was killed by a wild boar. Legend has it that through the power of his mother's tears, Tammuz was "resurrected" in the form of the new vegetation that appeared on the earth.
According to the Bible, it was in the city of Babel that the people created a tower in order to defy God. Up until that time, all the people on the earth spoke one language. The building of the tower led God, as recorded in Genesis 11:7, to confuse their tongues to keep them from being further unified in their false beliefs. As the people moved into other lands, many of them took their pagan practices with them.
Contemporary traditions such as the *Easter Bunny and the Easter egg* can also be traced back to the practices established by Semiramis. Because of their prolific nature, *rabbits have long been associated with fertility and its goddess, Ishtar*. Ancient Babylonians believed in a fable about an egg that fell into the Euphrates River from heaven and from which Queen Astarte (another name for Ishtar or Semiramis) was "hatched." "
http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/origin-of-easter.htm [astericks added]
The Spring Equinox is a time when Pagan's celebrate "a new birth" and the "gods of fertility".
Which Sunday will Easter fall on?
The first Sunday after the first full moon that comes After the first day of Spring.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter
Nothing whatsoever to do with what day that Passover falls on - when Jesus was foreordained to be crucified as our Passover Lamb.
Why didn't they just make it the first Sunday after Passover?
Because the whole "Easter" concept has it's origins as stated above, though that's merely the nutshell origin of "Easter".
As with "Christ-mas" - [though Jesus was born in the Fall for the Feast of Tabernacles] ---- for the sake of our unsaved loved ones -- we use these two "holidays" as a time when we can freely bring up "JESUS'" Name and tell the reason and purpose of why He came, died and resurrected.
My opinion of these two times of year is that - though both of these pagan 'holidays' bother me much - I still believe that those that force this issue on their unsaved family or friends, do more harm than good. Better to find ways to witness about Him on these occasions than to give family or friends more reasons to think you're in a cult. THEY think it's His Birthday and When He Rose - so what good does it do to try to show them that HE was fulfilling the Feast Days that were set in place as a foreshadow and prophetic foretelling of His coming in the first place.
From the people that I know that have tried to convince their family or friends that these days originate from Pagan Festivals - they've lost the ability to now 'witness' to their loved ones.
We call it "Resurrection Day" [the day that we remember His resurrection] and find cards that don't have the name "Easter" on them. It's just twice a year that we should make this effort to find the best witnessing type Greeting cards that are sold and some good tracts as well - Amen!!