Is Easter Still Relevant?

duga · 04-05-2010, 02:22 PM

I honestly don't worry about celebrating holidays and what it means in terms of religion. Does anyone ever wonder why so many holidays from so many different religions share similar dates? Almost every major religion has a holiday on or around December 25th. Many also have a holiday around Easter. December 25th is known not to be Jesus's actual birthday, so why celebrate it then? Because it is the end of the Winter Solstice. Easter is around the beginning of Spring.

This is all due to syncretism - the melding of beliefs to ease the transition from the old to new. When missions and kings were busy converting everyone to Christianity, they did it aggressively, but they also knew that they couldn't just slap a brand new set of traditions on the people. So, they kept all the old holidays from the previous religion, renamed them, and tweaked the reason for celebrating it all to ease the transition into Christianity. Instead of worshiping the sun god on December 25th (who brings more sunlight and longer days with him), people worship the son of God.

All our holidays have a history dating back even to prehistory. So, I celebrate these holidays because I am a human and like to celebrate human history and accomplishment, not because I am religious.

FETCHER. · 04-05-2010, 02:41 PM

No. I didn't even get a ****ing egg!

ElephantSack · 04-05-2010, 05:42 PM

Easter is still very relevant and highly celebrated in certain parts of the world. But not so much in the States. And I live in the Bible Belt. Sure, Easter Mass and Easter Sermons are big gatherings, but really no different from the average Sunday church gathering.

I will admit, though, that some of the local churches that are Hell-bent (pun intended) on advertising with giant light-up marquees come up with some funny slogans to throw up there at Easter time. One of them being: "The Easter Bunny didn't die for your sins... Jesus did."

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

~~bungalow~~ · 04-05-2010, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBig3KilledMyRainDog

I don't even understand the question. How isn't it relevent?

it's easter time, an important christian holiday. someone had to make a condescending thread.

~~bungalow~~ · 04-05-2010, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vanilla

Personally for Christianity I believe it is, but it's become so over-marketed etc that it has lost it's meaning. If you don't celebrate Jesus rising from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion then why is it relevant to others?

It's always bothered me really, and I'd like to hear what others think on the matter. Feel free to give me a good reason why non-Christians/Catholics etc should celebrate it too?

and why would you need a good reason that catholics celebrate easter? they celebrate it for the same reason all other christians do.

Neapolitan · 04-05-2010, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bungalow

it's easter time, an important christian holiday. someone had to make a condescending thread.

I don't think Vanilla is being condescending here, from reading what she posted she it's important holiday to her.

Freebase Dali · 04-05-2010, 09:43 PM

I used to like Easter egg hunting when I was a kid. We didn't have plastic eggs filled with candy, and toys and all that crap... We had boiled chicken eggs that were painted. Being that I have always loved eggs, this was like Christmas for my stomach. So I brutalized my way into as many boiled egg finds as possible. By the time the hunt was over, I would gaze down at my bounty and smile knowingly. That night, I had eaten boiled eggs for lunch, dinner, and the remaining in bed. No less than 30 of them altogether. In a day. I felt like a king.
I guess those were the times I figured you can't overdose on eggs, and from that point on, when I'd fry eggs, I would fry no less than 4 or 5 at a time.
I haven't checked my cholesterol or anything like that yet... but I'm pretty sure I'm probably about to die now.

**Scarlett O'Hara** · 04-05-2010, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neapolitan

I don't think Vanilla is being condescending here, from reading what she posted she it's important holiday to her.

Correct, I am Christian.

Cheese · 04-06-2010, 01:11 AM

I find, as a person who has no time for nor interest in alll the churchy le femme bollocks, that Easter is the most boring of all the holidays bestowed upon us working class...............not one bloody thing happens here over that weekend

**Janszoon** · 04-06-2010, 05:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vanilla

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neapolitan

I don't think Vanilla is being condescending here, from reading what she posted she it's important holiday to her.

Correct, I am Christian.

And, as we all know, Christians are incapable of being condescending.

04-05-2010, 02:22 PM	#31 (permalink)
duga MB quadrant's JM Vincent Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 3,762	I honestly don't worry about celebrating holidays and what it means in terms of religion. Does anyone ever wonder why so many holidays from so many different religions share similar dates? Almost every major religion has a holiday on or around December 25th. Many also have a holiday around Easter. December 25th is known not to be Jesus's actual birthday, so why celebrate it then? Because it is the end of the Winter Solstice. Easter is around the beginning of Spring. This is all due to syncretism - the melding of beliefs to ease the transition from the old to new. When missions and kings were busy converting everyone to Christianity, they did it aggressively, but they also knew that they couldn't just slap a brand new set of traditions on the people. So, they kept all the old holidays from the previous religion, renamed them, and tweaked the reason for celebrating it all to ease the transition into Christianity. Instead of worshiping the sun god on December 25th (who brings more sunlight and longer days with him), people worship the son of God. All our holidays have a history dating back even to prehistory. So, I celebrate these holidays because I am a human and like to celebrate human history and accomplishment, not because I am religious. __________________ Confusion will be my epitaph...

04-05-2010, 05:42 PM	#33 (permalink)
ElephantSack Man vs. Wild Turkey Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: ATX Posts: 948	Easter is still very relevant and highly celebrated in certain parts of the world. But not so much in the States. And I live in the Bible Belt. Sure, Easter Mass and Easter Sermons are big gatherings, but really no different from the average Sunday church gathering. I will admit, though, that some of the local churches that are Hell-bent (pun intended) on advertising with giant light-up marquees come up with some funny slogans to throw up there at Easter time. One of them being: "The Easter Bunny didn't die for your sins... Jesus did." BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! __________________ OF THE SUN

04-05-2010, 09:43 PM	#37 (permalink)
Freebase Dali Partying on the inside Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 5,584	I used to like Easter egg hunting when I was a kid. We didn't have plastic eggs filled with candy, and toys and all that crap... We had boiled chicken eggs that were painted. Being that I have always loved eggs, this was like Christmas for my stomach. So I brutalized my way into as many boiled egg finds as possible. By the time the hunt was over, I would gaze down at my bounty and smile knowingly. That night, I had eaten boiled eggs for lunch, dinner, and the remaining in bed. No less than 30 of them altogether. In a day. I felt like a king. I guess those were the times I figured you can't overdose on eggs, and from that point on, when I'd fry eggs, I would fry no less than 4 or 5 at a time. I haven't checked my cholesterol or anything like that yet... but I'm pretty sure I'm probably about to die now.

04-06-2010, 01:11 AM	#39 (permalink)
Cheese Shadow on the wall Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: New Zealand Posts: 823	I find, as a person who has no time for nor interest in alll the churchy le femme bollocks, that Easter is the most boring of all the holidays bestowed upon us working class...............not one bloody thing happens here over that weekend