Your Easters: then & now.

@msolga,

Before Father Gallman, there was a guy named Father Mizcuyn. He was a total douche bag who like to beat little boys on the knuckles with that holy shillelagh they give to priests. Father Mizcuyn used to rail on about "how evil the separated bretheren (Sokols) were and we should all prepare to die for our church in its defense ). When I read "Angelas Ashes" and saw how McOurt's father was preaching the same **** about dying for our faith, it brought back all kinds of weird memories about death and the CAtholic Church's interest in it. We were soldiers of the Churh, yound martyrs, annointed to go forth in defense of our faith (and other bullshit that required you to die first. Very weird religions no?.

Thats why I think during the 1950's and the 1960's both Christmas and EAster became overly commercialized (IMHO) because our parents didnt want to have their own kids enrolled in all kinds of therapy because of religious induced trauma.

3 Replies

@saab,

Nice to see you here, saab!
Sounds like the melancholy Easter experience is a European tradition. I imagine, had I been caught singing on Good Friday <gasp> I would have been instantly blasted by a thunderbolt from the heavens! Wink

Quote:

Until in the 50th (?) as I really can´t remember it that clearly God Friday was a very sad day in Sweden, TV did not exist, radio only played "funeral music", all restaurants were closed also theatres, moviehouses etc.
I can remember one God Friday when it was bad weather and the family wanted to play games - children games - and the curtains were pulled in case someneighbours would see it!!!!

1 Reply

@msolga,

Quote:

("Why does this night differ from all other nights?") asked by the youngest child present.

On the last "Daily SHow" there was a small segment about the major religions and the reporter made this comment as a lead in.
Nobody laughed.
John STewart, without missing a beat said that "Everybody who would have gotten that line is busy at a seder tonight"

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@farmerman,

That's interesting, farmer. I'd not seen that as 2 + 2 = 4 before, and am now considering it. I don't think its the whole cause of commercialization, but I bet it's part of the mix.

My mother in particular was extremely religious, involved in supporting missionaries, taking me to novenas, and as a family we were involved in the rosary crusade, which I've talked about here on a2k before. My father wasn't as thoroughly religious as my mother. Anyway, when I was seventeen, I was recruited by the nuns for the sisterhood. Much to my surprise, they weren't all for the idea, and managed to distract me with a long vacation trip - and that worked, as I got a mad crush on some guy. So... there were counterbalancing tendencies even with rather dedicated parents.

1 Reply

@edgarblythe,

Quote:

It was all about eggs with us.

Probably still is, for many children, edgar. Easter being the time for nausea & upset stomachs as a result of eating far too much cheap chocolate! (Oh I remember this so well!!)

It's interesting that the US Easter holiday breaks are so different from ours, here (in Oz) ... here just about everyone gets the same days. It's an established long weekend, traditionally for heading off to some place in the country (for many) & experience the last real break before winter sets in. Which leaves those of us still in the city in blissful tranquility! A bit like a ghost town at the moment.

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@djjd62,

Quote:

Comedian Bill Hicks on Easter

"I was over in Australia during Easter, which was really interesting. You know, they celebrate Easter the exact same way we do, commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus by telling our children that a giant bunny rabbit... left chocolate eggs in the night. Now... I wonder why we're fucked up as a race. I've read the Bible. I can't find the word "bunny" or "chocolate" anywhere in the ******* book."

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As a child growing up in Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia, the only christians I knew were the few Italian catholics who did have not have religious subtlety as a common trait which tended to piss off the muslims who, basically didn't give a **** about christians (jews were another matter). As my family was, for all intents, atheist/agnostic, easter pretty much was just another sunday in the desert. But not the Italian/catholics who demanded that the arabs allow them to have sunrise mass (whatever they call it). This demand was taken by the muslims to be very poor, (perhaps even antagonistic) behavior. Several Italians had to be removed by Aramco (flown out in the middle of the night) to prevent them from being crucified. I never met a mormon or seventh day adventist in arabia.
When we moved to the USA I found out about easter, mormons, seventh day adventists and dyed eggs. And that's what easter means to me.

1 Reply

@farmerman,

farmer

I know, I know, I know ...!

We can laugh about the Father Mizcuyns now, but they weren't bloody funny at the time. Those guys gave little kids like me nightmares! I wonder if they were had tendencies before joining the "priest-hood" or if something happened to them as a result? Wink

Quote:

Thats why I think during the 1950's and the 1960's both Christmas and EAster became overly commercialized (IMHO) because our parents didnt want to have their own kids enrolled in all kinds of therapy because of religious induced trauma.

"Religious induced trauma". I love that description! Laughing

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@ossobuco,

Quote:

when I was seventeen, I was recruited by the nuns for the sisterhood. Much to my surprise, they weren't all for the idea, and managed to distract me with a long vacation trip - and that worked, as I got a mad crush on some guy.

Phew, osso!
Saved by hormones! Very Happy

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I was conceived at Easter. After the egg-rolling.

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@dyslexia,

Really interesting, dys. (I didn't know you grew up in Saudi Arabia. I wish you'd write more about that time in your life. ) So I guess your childhood experiences of Easter (& other weird & dangerous other religious goings on there) ensured you'd remain a life-long atheist/agnostic?

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(hint, hint ..)

I recall ehBeth said she might post a few photographs of happy Easters from her childhood here. I'm hoping this still might happen (in the interests of balance ... ) Wink

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@msolga,

Yes, this is a very sad thread. I never realized until I started following A2K,
how much sorrow religion has brought to so many lives.

1 Reply

@George,

Quote:

this is a very sad thread

Aw sorry about that, George.
I didn't expect, when I started this thread, that this would necessarily happen. I actually thought that my own childhood experiences of Easter & religion would be rather unusual compared to others!

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@msolga,

msolga wrote:

Easter here is traditionally a "get out of town" holiday, when hoards of people head off to the country for the last holiday before the winter sets in. All the freeways are now super busy & at the end of the break we'll be hearing mightmarish news reports (car accidents, fatalities, tempers flaring at the slowness of the traffic, etc ..).

They all came here, every last damn one of em. I have never seen so many people.

*hides*

1 Reply

@dadpad,

Well you should come here while they're up there, dadpad! It's very peaceful indeed in Melbourne! Wink

... and that's what you get for living in a "scenic paradise"! Wall to wall tourists ruining your holiday!

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@msolga,

It is strange, but I think it would be good if everything closed down for God Friday. Not so much out of religious reasons, but there would be one day a year where we had to entertain ourselves. No chance to take the kids to any amusement park, not put them in front of TV, no place to go out and dine with our friends.
A day where we out of boredom had to come up with ideas of our own. Invite people we like to see, read a book whatever.
Then the next day wake up full of energy knowing again life starts at its normal pace.

1 Reply

@saab,

saab, that's one of the things I love about Good Friday. Nothing to do. No stores open (other than a couple in designated tourist areas, and I'm not going there). I slept in with the dogs yesterday, puttered a bit, cooked a bit, relaxed and slept some more. A perfect day.

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@msolga,

msolga wrote:

(hint, hint ..)

I've sent a pm to hamburger. I've discovered that the only pic I have is a tiny one. I've suggested a couple of fun photos he might scan for us.

My favorite memory around Easter isn't about chocos, but about family. It was one of the times we would usually see hamburger's older brother. We'd all put on our best outfits (I always got a new spring hat, white gloves and shoes for Easter), go for a walk in one of the city parks, take some photos. It was quite nice.

I didn't like it so much when one of hamburger's friends from hamburg visited with his wife and daughter, but the family promenade part is definitely a fine memory.

1 Reply

@farmerman,

farmerman wrote:

Quote:
Before Father Gallman, there was a guy named Father Mizcuyn. He was a total douche bag who like to beat little boys on the knuckles with that holy shillelagh they give to priests. Father Mizcuyn used to rail on about "how evil the separated bretheren (Sokols) were and we should all prepare to die for our church in its defense ). When I read "Angelas Ashes" and saw how McOurt's father was preaching the same **** about dying for our faith, it brought back all kinds of weird memories about death and the CAtholic Church's interest in it. We were soldiers of the Churh, yound martyrs, annointed to go forth in defense of our faith (and other bullshit that required you to die first. Very weird religions no?.

Thats why I think during the 1950's and the 1960's both Christmas and EAster became overly commercialized (IMHO) because our parents didnt want to have their own kids enrolled in all kinds of therapy because of religious induced trauma.

When I was 6, I met a Catholic Priest who did not have a shillelagh,
but he had a Luger P-'08 and showed it around.
I remember his exact words: "This is a German Luger."
I was impressed with how sleek it was; very comfortable in your hand.
Years went by before I was able to get one of my own.
Holding it feels like a hand massage.

David

0 Replies

Your Easters: then & now.

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