Here is the Jewish take on such comments from a Jew who supports his fellow Catholics. Easter isn’t pagan, and Passover isn’t a Christian celebration. Also…
You can’t celebrate Passover by “citing the Old Testament.” Celebrating Passover is a Jewish liturgical event and requires the use of the Jewish liturgical text called the Haggadah. It also takes training in Jewish liturgy to know how to properly lead, recite (which often calls for chanting and singing–some of it in Hebrew)–and prepare the Seder foods that the Haggadah calls for.
You have to be associated with the Jewish nation and (often) some denomination in order to know when and how often you will hold a Seder (yes, some Jews hold it two nights in a row). You have to know how to kosher your home and utensils for Passover and what foods are allowed and not allowed for Passover week (its not a one-night observance). How do you get Passover-approved foods? Where do you find them? How do you cook them? Why do your cooking utensils and surfaces and kitchen have to be prepared in a special way for Passover? You can’t just ‘read from the Old Testament’ to observe Passover. That is not the way Passover works.
And even though Easter isn’t Passover, there are similarities. For example, both holidays use the symbol of the egg. In Christianity it is the symbol of the resurrection of Christ, called the Lamb of God. In Judaism, a roasted egg is used on the Seder plate as a reminder of the roasted lamb, the Sacrifice of Passover. Both holidays recall God’s power of redemption, of salvation, and of hope of a better and lasting future.
The symbols that people often call “pagan” are merely universal in nature shared by cultures that did not worship the God of Abraham. For instance, many cultures use eggs as symbols of life. Just because the culture happened to be pagan does not mean that the egg is a symbol exclusive to pagans. God created eggs, right? Then eggs are not the exclusive symbol of pagan gods, gods that, in reality, do not exist.
While not sharing in the exact same festivals around springtime, Jews and Christians don’t have to give up their liturgical celebrations to others who believe that they can make them their own by merely reading Bible texts. The liturgy and traditions of both the Catholic Church and the synagogue have been handed down for generations of the faithful. They teach truths of God we cannot simply set aside because someone comes to us and wants to read the “Bible only” in some vacuum. The Bible did not develop in some vacuum but in the tradition of the Patriarchs and Apostles and sages and faithful who have handed it down to us. This living tradition is not pagan but part of the treasure that adorns the Word of God that gives us life, both Christian and Jew.