Neglected Easter

Quote:

Interesting that the only date Christians are commanded to remember is not of Jesus' birth, which we do not know, nor his resurrection, but of his death.

I don't think your statement is accurate, neologist. You make it sound as though we basically ignore the birth of Christ, and only observe the event of his death. That just isn't the case.

You're right, of course, that the exact date of his birth isn't known. In fact, the Catholic church, (I believe back in the 1400's) set the date as December 25th, for the express purpose of having a particular date on which to honor his birth.

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I think that Easter became doomed when it became strictly a holiday for little kids except in the devoted Christian community. It was commercially viable as a day for candy and Easter egg hunts until it became too much bother for over busy parents who don't want their kids getting so much candy. In a lot of ways Easter and Halloween have suffered the same fate, first relegated to kid status and then abandoned all together. Both holidays are not dead yet, but they are dieing rapidly.

There is the larger picture of celebratory days getting weaker. In large part this comes from individuals not wanting to be bothered, wanting to make use of the time for other things. MLK day is pretty much dead, as is Columbus day and Labor day. Memorial day is in flux, but generally is down. Forth of July does well because most people like fireworks and all of the day parties that now come with it. Thanksgiving is doing well because people use it to get family together once a year but the traditional meal is is danger as people don't want to be told what to make or bother with a large feast.

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Stray Cat wrote:

Quote:
If you are a christian, Easter is a more important religious holiday than Christmas by far.

However, this day comes and goes with very little attention attached to it, besides a special Sunday service.

Oh, I wouldn't say that. I don't know about the Protestants, but for us Catholics there is the whole period of Lent leading up to Easter, plus a busy mass schedule right before Easter.

I just went to mass tonight for Holy Thursday, then I'll go to mass tomorrow for Good Friday (we also fast on this day), attend a prayer service on Holy Saturday, and then Easter Sunday mass.

Hey now! That's a lotta church going! :wink:

Christmas is easy by comparison. You just attend mass on Christmas day (or Christmas eve, whichever you prefer) and that's it.

Quote:
I think Easter is celebrated as Christmas should be within the Christian community.

Well said, Coastal Rat. Just because Easter doesn't get as much media play doesn't mean it's neglected or not taken as seriously -- in fact, it seems to be just the opposite.

Oh Stray Cat, I was raised a RC.

12 years of Catholic school. Church on Sundays and all Holy Days of Obgligation. Confession monthly, Communion weekly. I have gone through Stations of the Cross every Friday during Lent for the first 18 years of my life. Ashes for remembrance, St Blaise to prevent colds, Palm Sunday, all part of my life.

I left the Catholic church, but not for the reasons above. In fact, I look upon most of the above with respect and appreciation.

I guess I'm not being totally clear.... Confused

I was taught the importance of Easter over Christmas in the Catholic church, and it's always bothered me that, despite all the Lenten activities leading up to Easter, there just seems to be, overall, this feeling that it's second fiddle, when in reality it's the main event.

I really think Coastal Rat said it very well when he was saying how people need to perhaps take the time to reflect on the true importance of the 2 days, and, realize, if secular activities are attached to specific religious days, given a choice, Easter really seems like the more appropriate day to make a hoopla.

Even though I don't belong to any religion, and question the need for salvation from some original sin, since the concept of original sin is ridiculous to me, I still look at Christmas and Easter as religious holidays, not secular ones. Not of religious significance for all, but that in no way takes away from the fact they are religious holidays.

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Leaving aside the pagan history of any of our holidays today: at least here in Europe, Easter still is quite a Christian holiday.

Today is Good Friday, a public holiday and for the Evangelical Christians even a higher day than Easter.

And Easter Monday is a public holiday as well (in many European countries).

Today, services in Evangelical/Protestant churches are full (regularily less than 8% of Evangelical/Protestant Christians attend Sunday services - Catholics are a bit better, with up to 20% on Sundays.).
It's a "quiet day" by law - so no dancing, comedy films etc are (officially) allowed.

Catholics, it's an 'aliturical' day in the Cathiolic Chuch, have a day of lent today - traditionally with big festivities in those places, where you've 'cross processions', afterwards.

'Tempora mutantur, et nos mutamur in illis' - bowadays, Evangelicals have Easter-night services like the Catholics, Good Friday services are common in all Catholic churches like with the Evangelicals ... and all and everyone is happy, that these days are in middle of the two (or three weeks, in some states) Easter school vacancies :wink:

Presents at Easter now (nearly) get the volume what I got as a child at Christmas.
And easter decorations are as much as at Christmas as well (though still more 'natural' stuff).

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Something anecsotical re Good Friday - but true (around here) at least until the late 50's/early 60's, as I remember: on Good Friday, Catholics were working on the fields and/or gardens, cleaning the house, doing their washings .... just to annoy the Evangelicals.

The latter did so on Corpus Christi Day (which is a public holiday [in our state] as well). Laughing

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Walter Hinteler wrote:

Presents at Easter now (nearly) get the volume what I got as a child at Christmas.
And easter decorations are as much as at Christmas as well (though still more 'natural' stuff).

Europe seems to have done much better at preserving days of celebration than America. I suspect this has much to do with families being much less time stressed than American families due to such things as fewer hours of work by the parents, more special days off from school and the job, transit systems that work and so on. I think it also has something to do with the long tradition of celebration days in Europe. The Church had many holy days free from work. The mostly Puritanical Protestants who founded America looked at that practice as slacking at best, the devil's workshop at worst.

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It certainly has to do with the long (Christian) tradition of clebrating Christian festivities in Europe - that were the only 'vacancies' until some centuries ago.

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yes.
everything is better in europe hawkeye.

even their god is better than ours Rolling Eyes

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Well, I travelled from Germany to Italy and back over the Easter period and not a blessed thing was open (virtually). I remember us walking around trying to find a restaurant that was open. The train was packed; everyone going home to be with their families. The only places that were open actually, were some of the shops in the tube and train stations.

You sure don't see that on the streets of Vancouver. What you see is windows of every kind of shop advertising Easter specials (meals, sales on clothes, shoes, you name it). Other than the devout, not much is made of Easter there except as the bunny-egg holiday.

I didn't notice much, if any, advertising as such in the two countries I mentioned.

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Chai wrote:

yes.
everything is better in europe hawkeye.

even their god is better than ours

Europe won my heart with beer. America can do beer now, we can even do coffee right, so there is hope for us.

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Chai wrote:

yes.
everything is better in europe hawkeye.

I don't really think that keeping those Christian holidays is better - I've always ask (actually, such even made my "suspicious" in school when I wrote about it in a school paper) why e.g. non-Christians are forced to regard laws and by-laws re Good Friday (and we had/have two or three more such days).

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Walter Hinteler wrote:

Chai wrote:
yes.
everything is better in europe hawkeye.

I don't really think that keeping those Christian holidays is better - I've always ask (actually, such even made my "suspicious" in school when I wrote about it in a school paper) why e.g. non-Christians are forced to regard laws and by-laws re Good Friday (and we had/have two or three more such days).

Europe is pretty much non Christian now, it has nothing to do with respecting peers. It is about respecting the tradition, the heritage. I think it is a good thing.

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Quote:

You're right, of course, that the exact date of his birth isn't known. In fact, the Catholic church, (I believe back in the 1400's) set the date as December 25th, for the express purpose of having a particular date on which to honor his birth.

The December 25th date is purely astrological, as is easter. They're based on celestial events, not religious ones. The ancient greeks, egyptians, norse texts, druids, and literally hundreds of pre-christian religions all use the dec 25th date or its equivalent.

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Stray Cat wrote:

Quote:
Interesting that the only date Christians are commanded to remember is not of Jesus' birth, which we do not know, nor his resurrection, but of his death.

I don't think your statement is accurate, neologist. You make it sound as though we basically ignore the birth of Christ, and only observe the event of his death. That just isn't the case.

You're right, of course, that the exact date of his birth isn't known. In fact, the Catholic church, (I believe back in the 1400's) set the date as December 25th, for the express purpose of having a particular date on which to honor his birth.

I did not mean to imply that Jesus' birth and resurrection have been or should have been ignored, but to note that the only command we have received in this regard is to observe the event of his sacrifice, for without the sacrifice, there could be no redemption.

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Quote:

Happy Crossmas!
Why Easter stubbornly resists the commercialism that swallowed Christmas.
By James Martin
Posted Thursday, March 20, 2008, at 6:54 AM ET
Also in Slate: Andrew Santella asked if it's OK to "modernize" the Stations of the Cross. Larry Hurtado investigated how early Christians wrestled with the idea of resurrection.

Sending out hundreds of Easter cards this year? Attending way too many Easter parties? Doing some last-minute shopping for gifts to place under your Easter tree? Getting tired of those endless Easter-themed specials on television?

I didn't think so.

http://www.slate.com/id/2186633/

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momo HAPPY
momo go to easter..
but when the bunny?
MOMO confused..

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Re: Neglected Easter

Chai wrote:

If you are a christian, Easter is a more important religious holiday than Christmas by far.

However, this day comes and goes with very little attention attached to it, besides a special Sunday service.

So...what's the deal?

Easter is about chocolate bunnies and colorful eggs. Christmas is an orgy of culturally mandated materialistic indulgence excused from guilt because "we're doing it for the children" (oh and a few of our friends and family and ourselves, but that's ok).

There's no connection between the two holidays. So who's this Jesus person you keep talking about?

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What, chocolate bunnies? That are Easter hares!

We get them in chocolate since 1880 - and they are known to lay eggs since 17th century.
Bunnies at Easter are presents for children, to be brought later to the animal shelter.

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curtis73 wrote:

I personally believe in god, but I'm not a christian. I still celebrate christmas and easter because christ was a pretty cool guy with a lot to teach. Plus, its a great way to get candy and gifts out of your relatives

I like your attitude!

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momo2425 wrote:

momo HAPPY
momo go to easter..
but when the bunny?
MOMO confused..

MOMO nuttier than average fruitcake.

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Neglected Easter

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