Has anyone ever stopped to think about Easter? It's the holiest of the Christian holidays, yet most Catholics I know think Christmas is. It's a day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and has become Hallmarked as a holiday about bunnies and chocolate eggs. How does a religion allow it's most important day to be mocked like this?
Now I'm not trying to ruin anyones holiday, because I truly love Easter. For me it's always been a special time of happiness. It seems more times than not, we have a day much like today. The sun is shining, birds are chirping and much like it's intended meaning, it feels as though spring is reborn. I do however have a little issue about a holiday based around a man being resurrected. It's a little creepy, regardless of whether or not you believe it's the son of God. Religion has always been somewhat about allowing oneself to believe what can never be proven, but the whole resurrection thing to me, is a little much to swallow. I'm all for the lamb dinner and family get togethers, but coming back from the dead. I'll leave that up to George Romero.
Somewhere along the line, there were some serious liberties taken with this holiday. First off, Lent isn't mentioned in the bible, neither is not eating meat on Friday. Moses fasted while at Mount Sinai and Jesus fasted and did say that his followers should fast when he was taken from them. So if taken literally from the bible, Christians should fast from about 3pm on Good Friday til sundown on Easter Sunday (when Jesus was resurrected). That's about it from what I remember reading. Different customs arose over the years and now observances have only a glimmer of what was actually stated in the Bible. Even stranger than the religious aspect is the inclusion of the Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs. Now this could be a sign of birth (or rebirth) since rabbits and eggs are signs of fertility and the giving of life, but it's a bit of a stretch to make them symbols for your most important holiday. More likely, it's just something to make kids happy, so they won't mind sitting through some tedious mass. Even more atrocious was the advent of plastic eggs. Usually these were filled with money. Now we're bribing our children to get into the high holy days. Hey, and Jewish kids have to find the hidden matzoh on Passover, so they are guilty too. It's all just become so commercial I wonder if even priests and rabbis understand it anymore.
Here's how I feel about all holidays, especially those deemed high holy days. If you feel the need to go with the crowd and throw on your Sunday-going-to-meeting clothes and sit and listen to someone tell you how to think and pray, go for it. If you want to sit and reflect on your own, so be it. If you want to sit around with friends and family and share in a delicious meal, some fine beverages and decadent desserts, I'm with you. If you decide, like I am today, to do nothing but have memories of eating my mother's delicious leg of lamb, roasted garlic and buttery potatoes and my father's fine wine selections, while talking with good friends and family, well that's OK too. These days are all about doing what feels right. If that is with a group or by yourself, it doesn't matter. I'd like to think that Jesus was the kind of guy who marched to a different beat, so I'm fine with doing what feels right.
Today, I'm going to pet our rabbit, but skip the chocolate eggs. I think I'm going to tip a glass to everyone I know today. Hoping that this spring brings health and happiness and a renewed hope. I'm going to reflect on the gloom of winter and envision the shine of spring. So regardless of your religious beliefs or disbelief's, I am wishing everyone a very happy Easter.
Now I'm not trying to ruin anyones holiday, because I truly love Easter. For me it's always been a special time of happiness. It seems more times than not, we have a day much like today. The sun is shining, birds are chirping and much like it's intended meaning, it feels as though spring is reborn. I do however have a little issue about a holiday based around a man being resurrected. It's a little creepy, regardless of whether or not you believe it's the son of God. Religion has always been somewhat about allowing oneself to believe what can never be proven, but the whole resurrection thing to me, is a little much to swallow. I'm all for the lamb dinner and family get togethers, but coming back from the dead. I'll leave that up to George Romero.
Somewhere along the line, there were some serious liberties taken with this holiday. First off, Lent isn't mentioned in the bible, neither is not eating meat on Friday. Moses fasted while at Mount Sinai and Jesus fasted and did say that his followers should fast when he was taken from them. So if taken literally from the bible, Christians should fast from about 3pm on Good Friday til sundown on Easter Sunday (when Jesus was resurrected). That's about it from what I remember reading. Different customs arose over the years and now observances have only a glimmer of what was actually stated in the Bible. Even stranger than the religious aspect is the inclusion of the Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs. Now this could be a sign of birth (or rebirth) since rabbits and eggs are signs of fertility and the giving of life, but it's a bit of a stretch to make them symbols for your most important holiday. More likely, it's just something to make kids happy, so they won't mind sitting through some tedious mass. Even more atrocious was the advent of plastic eggs. Usually these were filled with money. Now we're bribing our children to get into the high holy days. Hey, and Jewish kids have to find the hidden matzoh on Passover, so they are guilty too. It's all just become so commercial I wonder if even priests and rabbis understand it anymore.
Here's how I feel about all holidays, especially those deemed high holy days. If you feel the need to go with the crowd and throw on your Sunday-going-to-meeting clothes and sit and listen to someone tell you how to think and pray, go for it. If you want to sit and reflect on your own, so be it. If you want to sit around with friends and family and share in a delicious meal, some fine beverages and decadent desserts, I'm with you. If you decide, like I am today, to do nothing but have memories of eating my mother's delicious leg of lamb, roasted garlic and buttery potatoes and my father's fine wine selections, while talking with good friends and family, well that's OK too. These days are all about doing what feels right. If that is with a group or by yourself, it doesn't matter. I'd like to think that Jesus was the kind of guy who marched to a different beat, so I'm fine with doing what feels right.
Today, I'm going to pet our rabbit, but skip the chocolate eggs. I think I'm going to tip a glass to everyone I know today. Hoping that this spring brings health and happiness and a renewed hope. I'm going to reflect on the gloom of winter and envision the shine of spring. So regardless of your religious beliefs or disbelief's, I am wishing everyone a very happy Easter.
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