Is it because I'm a presbyterian or because I'm a kill joy (are these synonymous?) but I just don't get into religious holy days. Easter doesn't do much for me, nor Christmas. Yes, I know they are a great opportunity for gospel preaching etc etc, but I'd love a long weekend about now.
As a family we don't do much to celebrate easter. No special parties or anything. Andrew had a few hours off yesterday afternoon, but it's been a busy week and there's church again tomorrow. We keep on with our normal family bible readings (Matthew at the moment), but won't be up to the cricifixion/resurrection chapters for another week or two. Oh well. We do go to church an extra time, so I guess that's something.
If your family makes Easter a significant time, I think that's fantastic. I really do. Celebrating is an excellent thing to do. We don't.
Don't get too focused on doing...rather perhaps it is a time to reflect?
ReplyDeleteChristmas and Easter, don't float my boat much either (heck not much does). I remember Easter being a much bigger deal in the church I grew up in, and to be frank it led to weird superstition/practice about what you could and could not do over the Easter weekend. It involved "Morbid Thursday night" services... and the Resurrection kind of got missed (and this isn't in a Catholic setting...maybe "Bapto-Catholic"). I think there's no holy-days... just a need to get on living with an empty tomb.
ReplyDeleteOne of my nineteenth-century friends encouraged me with the following words regarding the controversy over the keeping of Easter (between the Eastern/Western churches):
ReplyDelete"the truth all the while being, as we are firmly persuaded, that [the apostles] John and Peter and Paul did not keep Easter on *any* day, any more than we do." William Cunningham, _Theological Lectures_ [delivered 1843, published 1878] p.488.
I'm much more into Good Friday and Resurrection Day than Christmas because for me it's the whole point of Jesus' coming to Earth. And for the secular world, the focus on chocolate rather than presents of all shapes, sizes and "ingredients" makes the commercialism more self-limiting.
ReplyDeleteIt also helps that alcohol is less of a "thing" at this time of year. I find that interesting in itself considering the Cup would have contained alcoholic wine.
I celebrate by going to Easterfest. :-)
Oh, and speaking of Eastern / Western timing, it fell on the same date this year.