Is Easter a nothing celebration? Light hearted.

I love Easter Sunday, we will go to Mass with our son and daughter in law who will be staying with us then drink champagne in the garden and enjoy a roast turkey.

No chocolate.

I am not really superstitious but my Gran always said you should never do a laundry wash on Good Friday as it will bring you bad luck! So ridiculous but as I loaded the machine this morning, I didn't switch it on remembering those words.

I cannot imagine that any religious holiday can mean much to anyone who is not a member of the particular religion that celebrates it.

As a Christian both Christmas, Easter and Whit have enormous significance for me.

I honestly do not know why non-believers celebrate these days.

It is fine by me if they do and equally fine if they don't.

I respect other religions, but don't celebrate their festivals.

Easter eggs should first be given and eaten on Easter Sunday, as Lent does not end until midnight on Easter Saturday.

There is no religious reason for an Easter egg being of chocolate, so if you are worried about obesity, give a small non-edible gift instead.

Some very interesting posts, thank you all very much. It’s my birthday tomorrow so perhaps I can stick a candle in a hot cross bun instead. Wishing you all a happy weekend.

I may not be able to go to Mass on Easter Sunday, due to Lunch etc but will go this evening for the Stations of the Cross.

Easter is both a sad and joyful time. Today there's sadness for those of us who think of Jesus' suffering on the cross, then Sunday is a day to rejoice in His resurrection.

Easter eggs, eggs signifying new life are a part of the Easter celebrations but as you say grandtante they don't have to be made of chocolate and a non-edible gift is always an alternative.

There is a lovely easter programme on gbnews right now (236) an oasis of calm

There is no religious reason for an Easter egg being of chocolate, so if you are worried about obesity, give a small non-edible gift instead

Eggs, bunnies, chicks etc are pagan traditions anyway, symbols of spring and new life.

Not religious but always celebrate the arrival of Spring ,look forward to May my favourite month and the colour that arrives with it(probably got to the south this month) and the end of a long winter .Kids are a bit old for egg hunts now but there will be eggs for all even Mr Paddy ,though he's already filched two of the spares ,the ones I buy in case unepected visitors arrive .Making an Easter cake today and having all the family on Sunday for dinner.A first since covid .

I’m an atheist but have fond memories of childhood Easters, Palm Sunday, church parades, fish supper on Good Friday, a new dress for Easter Sunday and church. We had little money but there was such a spirit of community in those mean streets.

I still feel it’s a special time of growth and renewal and we have our own rituals now.

Every year on the Wednesday before Easter we buy hot x buns from our local independent family run baker and eat them toasted and buttered in the evening. Good Friday is still fish for tea. Easter Sunday is lunch with family. Eggs are given on Easter Sunday, though nowadays I just buy an egg each for Mr. B and I. Easter Monday is a quiet day watching whatever is happening on the Marina and probably eating the delicious Kennedys chocolate eggs.

Grandetante as children we were told the "egg" represented the stone that was rolled away from the tomb on that first easter(catholic upbringing ) we painted ours as I'm sure most grannies here would have and rolled them down a local hill.

I think it's a shame to say Easter is bah humbug when it's such an important date in the Christian calendar. Even if you are not Christian it's a bit disrespectful

It’s not celebrated by us as a religious weekend, but I can remember when working, the joy of a long weekend.
If I’m covid free, we’ll have family here Sunday for a bbq, first time we’ve all been together since the last one in 2021, family is a reason to celebrate for us.

Have been to a Good Friday service this morning, and will go to another service on Easter Day.

I’m not a ‘Holier than Thou’ religious person, but to me it’s just not about Easter eggs and hot cross buns.

Easter is a far more enjoyable festival to me than Christmas, less hype, spring coming, and when I was still at work, a guaranteed four days off in succession, unlike Christmas.

sodapop

I think it's a shame to say Easter is bah humbug when it's such an important date in the Christian calendar. Even if you are not Christian it's a bit disrespectful

Hear, hear!

I am saddened that there are people whose education or background has not given them even the most rudimentary understanding of the Easter story or is traditions.
(PS Easter eggs on Easter Sunday Honeysuckleberries - or as close as you can get, if you are still wondering)

Easter is the most important date in the Christian calendar, more important than Christmas to be honest.
It’s certainly not “bah humbug” to Christians.
The giving of eggs is traditionally on Easter Sunday to represent new life, light etc, and the end of Lent, but is also tied up with many other festivals from the past.
Thankfully, it’s not as frantic (yet) as Christmas has become, though I’m sure many commercial enterprises will try hard to make it so. I love Christmas time in its truest sense, but Easter is extra special.

My family has never done anything really at Easter except an Easter egg when I was small Same for my own children Now my family is so scattered over the world there’s no thought of getting together or anything like that even if we wanted to

So it’s never been more than a spring start
I wish I could believe in all the religious stories I do try but obviously don’t try hard enough

Christians have nabbed Easter for their celebration of new life in a different context - but we can all celebrate in our own ways.

Eggs, bunnies, chicks etc are pagan traditions anyway, symbols of spring and new life.

When Christianity reached our shores, the pagan festival of Saturnalia became linked with Christmas while Easter absorbed the traditions of Eostre.

Totally agree marydoll. Thank you

Easter has been celebrated as a time of new life and renewal since pagan times. The egg is symbol of new life, not of a tomb stone. I can see why the Christian religion chose to change it into one of their festivals, particularly to celebrate their belief about resurrection.

Same with Christmas - it was originally a midwinter festival but I can see why Christians wanted it for their own.

Celebrate Easter either as a new life or as a Christian date - but let's not pretend that the day is just a Christian festival.

"In AD 595, Pope Gregory sent a mission of 40 monks led by a Benedictine called Augustine, prior of St Andrew’s monastery in Rome (and later the first Archbishop of Canterbury), to England with instructions to convert the pagan inhabitants to Christianity. Augustine was advised to allow the outward forms of the old, heathen festivals and beliefs to remain intact, but wherever possible to superimpose Christian ceremonies and philosophy on them."

Of course like so many other 'important' dates in the christian calendar, it is based almost entirely on much earlier, pagan festivities.

The celebration of the new life of Spring goes back much, much longer than two thousand years, and often involved the death of the old 'king' and then his re-birth usually in the shape of a new younger version. At one time, the old king would actually be killed having had a wonderful year of having everything the society could give him. New one selected and it started all over again. As time went on, the old kings; decided they would like to live through this period, so their 'deaths' became just pretend.

Early christianity were very good at adapting older religious believes and practices, and thereby not upsetting local populations too much.

Easter eggs, are very much added to part of this, although it is easy to say they represent something. Can do that about anything when required.

My best easter memories are back inthe early 1960's when I was spent the four days on the Aldermaston, anti-nuclear bomb CND marches.

Our local Youth CND would meet up early that morning, dressed appropriately, and with some changes of cloths in bag and our sleeping bags. Get a coach down to the arranged start point.

Thousands upon thousands of us, all ages, from all over the country. The organisation was incredible (I can appreciate it more now than I did then, when I just accepted it). Each group was given a colour tag (for your area) and a number. Cannot remember our number but we were Magenta!!!

Bags, and sleeping bags all loaded on lorries, these took them to where we would be staying overnight - in churches, schools, sports centres, village halls, etc. One year, when Reading town council prevented us using any of their facilities, in hug marquees, and many of us put up by local people in their homes.

One year, in an attempt to keep a control on numbers, all groups coming from the east of the England, started off in Finchingfield in Essex, and going through Essex and East London on those first three days.

Easter Monday was the day we came through London for a final meeting in Trafalgar Square - although, often we would not all fit in there. Even all these years later, I can remember the kindness we were often met with, with people handing us fruits and other foods, two children standing with their parents carrying posters with their names on and saying 'Thank You Marchers'.

So much hope we had then, and genuinely believed that if we managed to avoid nuclear holocaust, then life would get better and better. So glad I had no gift of foresight, to see what a horrible place this world has become.

I love Easter - to me it signifies new life and hope. I love the flowers, the birds and insects and the longer days. Throw in a chocolate egg and a hot cross bun and what's not to like?

My best Easter memories are back in the early 1960's when I spent the four days on the Aldermaston, anti-nuclear bomb CND marches. Me too - only a bit later. I remember spending the night on someone's lino kitchen floor right by the cooker.

My Dad was horrified and kept lecturing me about it being political and full of lefties - if I had not been intending to go anyway, his disapproval sealed the deal!

They are important dates Franbern
Not 'important' as if querying whether or not they are.

I'm not a devout Christian before you ask.
It's a matter of semantics.

Luckygirl3

*My best Easter memories are back in the early 1960's when I spent the four days on the Aldermaston, anti-nuclear bomb CND marches.* Me too - only a bit later. I remember spending the night on someone's lino kitchen floor right by the cooker.

My Dad was horrified and kept lecturing me about it being political and full of lefties - if I had not been intending to go anyway, his disapproval sealed the deal!

That seems like a Christian thing to have done, Luckygirl

Bruce Kent was a very active member of CND
Rowan Williams attended CND rallies (he was arrested)