Oh, for Pete's Sake... Spring Egg Hunt?

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MUNSON, Ohio --

A Northeast Ohio community is taking the "Easter" out of the egg hunt.

As the White House prepares for its annual Easter Egg Roll -- a tradition dating back to 1878 -- some in the community of Munson Township are asking if it's okay in Washington, how could the word "Easter" offend someone in this small rural community?

Still, township trustees are opting to call this year's Easter weekend event "The Spring Egg Hunt." More

Ridiculous!

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Type: Discussion • Score: 7 • Views: 1,042 • Replies: 14

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@JPB,

We should definately keep the egg laying bunny in Easter. This is definately strange.

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Yah, it sounds ridiculous, but I actually grew up with some neighbors who were very religious, and very against the modern 'Easter' traditions. They considered them to be, quote, 'an affront to god.'

Cycloptichorn

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@Cycloptichorn,

I knew one with the exact same objection to swearing on a bible.

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@Cycloptichorn,

I see it more as a case of folks worrying about the town sponsoring a religious ceremony.

Quote:

From WikiThe egg is seen by followers of christianity as a symbol of resurrection: while being dormant it contains a new life sealed within it.[citation needed]

In the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, Easter eggs are dyed red to represent the blood of Christ, shed on the Cross, and the hard shell of the egg symbolized the sealed Tomb of Christ—the cracking of which symbolized his resurrection from the dead. Easter eggs are blessed by the priest at the end of the Paschal Vigil, and distributed to the faithful. Each household also brings an Easter basket to church, filled not only with Easter eggs but also with other Paschal foods such as paskha, kulich or Easter breads, and these are blessed by the priest as well.[citation needed]

During Paschaltide, in some traditions the Paschal greeting with the Easter egg is even extended to the deceased. On either the second Monday or Tuesday of Pascha, after a memorial service people bring blessed eggs to the cemetery and bring the joyous paschal greeting, "Christ has risen", to their beloved departed (see Radonitza).
[edit] Pious legends
Icon of St. Mary Magdalene holding a red easter egg with the words Christ is Risen.

While the origin of easter eggs can be explained in the symbolic terms described above, a pious legend among followers of Eastern Christianity says that Mary Magdalene was bringing cooked eggs to share with the other women at the tomb of Jesus, and the eggs in her basket miraculously turned brilliant red when she saw the risen Christ.The egg represents the boulder of the tomb of Jesus.[4]

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@JPB,

Government-sponsored religious activity is a no-no according to the Constitution, but some will never accept that. As a state employee working with children I participate in an Easter Egg Hunt every year. I know it's absurd, but it doesn't bother me. For Christians it's a way to celebrate. For non-Christians it's an opportunity for parents to explain the silliness of it all. I prefer to humor the Christian majority rather than consider their insensitivity to my beliefs as an affront.

What does bother me is that I often find myself in situations where I lead the pledge of allegiance with students. It's required by the state to say the pledge daily in public schools. Even though I do not believe we are "under God" I say it anyway, which makes me feel like a hypocrite, but I'm not willing to lose my job over it. Besides, I love my country. The last thing I need while working for a public school is to get accused of being some kind of world citizen or, God forbid, thinking for myself.

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@dogdog,

I try to live and let live. I don't have problems with something like an Easter egg hunt being sponsored by a community. It's not religious enough for some folks and not secular enough for others. That, to me, means it's got the right balance for a community event.

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Easter (the name at least) comes from a pagan tradition. So, for example, when Parliament won the English civil wars, and cut off the King's head, they stopped observing both Easter and Christmas, because of their pagan origins, and no certain evidence that these holidays corresponded to observances in the Christian calendar.

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@Setanta,

What I find interesting is the mainstreaming of it all.

By excising the religious element, it gets to look like a common, nonreligious event, like New Year's and, as such, can confuse folks and get 'em to think that such things are mainstream and universal when they really aren't, as they crowd out other celebrations.

Case in point. Friends of my Dad immigrated here from Russia over 20 years ago. They are Jewish, like we are. The first December they were here, they had a Christmas tree. Why? 'Cause it's American.

We explained to them, no, it's Christian. If you want one, then fine, but recognize it as the religious symbol it has become (yes, I am well aware that it comes from a pagan tradition but the vast majority of people who put up Christmas trees do so for a Christian celebration).

The following year and ever after? No Christmas tree.

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@jespah,

I kind of like the mainstreaming because it takes the religion out of ancient rituals that have a deep human meaning.

The spring rituals, the midwinter rituals, they all have some things in common because of the human relationship to the seasons.

It's pretty universal to want to bring some light and warmth to the cold and darkness; and then to celebrate the return of light and warmth after a long cold dark winter.

(Basically, humans like light and warmth and dislike dark and cold. Religion in a nutshell. Smile

)

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@JPB,

What does an egg hunt have to do with Easter?

Sounds to me like their decision makes a lot of sense.

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Egg hunts have nothing to do with christianity and are more related to the pagan beliefs evident prior to the advent of Christianity in England so I really dont have a problem dropping the christianity attachments.
Egg hunts relate directly to the fertility celebrations of pagan religiouse festivals.

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@jespah,

I don't do christmas trees because they're German, and ever'body knows the Germans is evil.

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@jespah,

I think your father's friends were right on this the first time round.

Most cultures have some festival of light around the time of the solstice. Americans like the Christmas tree, and lots and lots of strings of lights.

If I look around my neighbourhood, there are more trees and lights in/on the non-Christian homes than the Christian. I think the Christians are either over it or against it (if they're in the born-again crowd).

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"I was over in Australia during easter, which was intersting. Interesting to note they celebrate Easter the same way we do; commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus by telling our children a giant bunny rabbit, left chocolate eggs in the night.

Now, I wonder why we’re fucked up as a race, anybody? Anybody got any clues out there?

Where do you get this **** from you know? Why those two things you know? Why not ‘Goldfish left Lincoln Logs in your sock drawer’ you know? As long as we’re making **** up, go hog wild you know. At least a goldfish with a Lincoln Log on it's back goin' across your floor to your sock drawer has a miraculous conotation to it.

'Mummy, I woke today and there was a Lincoln Log in me sock drawer!'.

'That's the story of Jesus'.

Who comes up with this ****?! I’ve read the Bible. I can’t find the words ‘bunny’ or ‘chocolate’ anywhere in that ******* book".

-Bill Hicks

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Oh, for Pete's Sake... Spring Egg Hunt?

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