Jesus is coming...

[CJFusco]

... hide the eggs!

What strange holiday traditions we have here in the Western world.

[dhoward]

...look busy!

[Jim Sims]

".. hide the eggs!

What strange holiday traditions we have here in the Western world."

Study some history, anthropology, and comparative religion ( i.e. read books) and they won't seem so strange.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

we talked this morning, he and I.

net net: he's not a happy camper.

[sammyg2]

Easter has become a complication of two different holidays; the resurrection of the savior, and the pagan holiday that represents the re-birth of nature in spring (easter bunny, eggs).

My family goes to easter service but doesn't do the easter egg thing, if someone else wants to be a pagan that's their business.

[island911]

My wife and I werer just talking about this... It's funny how Christianity seems to have usurped so many Pagen 'holidays.' It seems that Christianity is closer to that, then say Judaism, from which it sprung. --Where's DJmath -Dan on this?

[TerryH]

Look who I ran into early this morning.....



copied/stolen from a previous post here on pelican

[Flatbutt1]

Originally Posted by island911

My wife and I werer just talking about this... It's funny how Christianity seems to have usurped so many Pagen 'holidays.' It seems that Christianity is closer to that, then say Judaism, from which it sprung. --Where's DJmath -Dan on this?

It was easier to wean us off of our heathen rituals that way. I have a friend whose wife is adamant about not letting the kids partake in heathen festivals like egg hunts. BUT she dresses them up every halloween.

[djmcmath]

Easter is a nutty holiday, and the Christian religion has definitely stolen a lot of the fun bits of ancient pagan ritualism. The eggs and bunnies started out, for sure, as a sign of fertility in ancient Canaanite rituals. It's no surprise that Easter's timing is based not on a modern date but on a particular phase of moon and astronomical sequencing -- how do you suppose the early folk knew when to plant their crops? So they said, "Let's plant crops, then have a big holiday!" These days, we've made it all family safe and skipped the orgies, but the feasting and fertility symbols have survived. (Well, not all of them -- Asherah Poles have gone away.)

I was raised in a devout Christian family that painted Easter eggs and ate chocolate bunnies. My Dad's philosophy is that the eggs are harmless, and they taste good. We're not having orgies, and we're not worshiping pagan deities, so it's ok. Right?

My wife, of course, is Jewish. This weekend, we celebrated Purim, which is an entirely different sort of holiday. It's a celebration of Esther's victory over Haman, wherein the entire population of Jewish people were saved from destruction. Thus, we celebrate by fasting (like all the Jews did), then feasting (like all the Jews did), and giving small gifts. My wife made pumpkin muffins for me to take to work to fulfill that requirement. Oh, and one more detail: long about the 5th century AD, some Jews were reveling and partying and singing a song about "Blessed be Mordecai" (Esther's in loco parentis) and "Cursed be Haman" (the evil villain who wanted all the Jews dead), and people were so drunk that they mixed up the chorus. So some rabbi decreed that people should get so drunk that they couldn't tell the difference between the two expressions, in Hebrew. Nutty.

Completed Jews, or Messianic Jews, or whatever you want to call those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, but remain observant of Torah and Mosaic Law, celebrate the Resurrection (Christian Easter) in the fall, iirc. It's got another name entirely, and they don't do eggs and bunnies at all. Seems like they fast, then feast, then get very drunk, while dancing the hora and singing in Hebrew. Fun stuff.

[Sapporo Guy]

That is one rude picture!

I actually said "ohhhh" out loud.

Is there anything wrong with fertility rituals

[stuartj]

Originally Posted by Shaun 84 Targa

we talked this morning, he and I.

net net: he's not a happy camper.

I'll bet. Prick of a way to spend Easter.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Easter shmeaster. I'm just glad there were a lot fewer people on the roads today. Made for a nice day to get a ride in.

[IROC]

I was at the in-laws this weekend and their neighbors across the street are from Sweden. I was talking to the wife and she was amazed at all the fuss about Easter. She said it is not much of a deal in Sweden and actually thought the whole thing is kind of silly (even the religious side of it).

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by djmcmath

.........So some rabbi decreed that people should get so drunk that they couldn't tell the difference between the two expressions, in Hebrew. Nutty.

Maybe I should give this Jewish thing a second look?

[livi]

Originally Posted by IROC

I was at the in-laws this weekend and their neighbors across the street are from Sweden. I was talking to the wife and she was amazed at all the fuss about Easter. She said it is not much of a deal in Sweden and actually thought the whole thing is kind of silly (even the religious side of it).

Well, yes, the religious part of Easter is a non issue for most parts in Sweden. The kids dress up as witches and us (more or less) adults eat a lot of eggs and pickled herring - all washed down with healthy doses of Vodka and Danish/German beer.

All in all a good time.

[Jim Richards]

adults eat a lot of eggs and pickled herring - all washed down with healthy doses of Vodka and Danish/German beer.

You guys must have a serious flatulence problem the next day. Break out the gas masks!

[kang]

I hate to burst bubbles, but I must tell you: The easter bunny doesn’t actually exist. Sure, I know there is evidence, hidden eggs and all, but really, it doesn’t exist. I can’t prove it, but I can provide reasonable doubt. There are other, more reasonable explanations for how those hidden eggs got there than from an imaginary friend called the easter bunny.

[TerryH]

Originally Posted by kang

I hate to burst bubbles, but I must tell you: The easter bunny doesn’t actually exist. Sure, I know there is evidence, hidden eggs and all, but really, it doesn’t exist. I can’t prove it, but I can provide reasonable doubt. There are other, more reasonable explanations for how those hidden eggs got there than from an imaginary friend called the easter bunny.

You really know how to rain on our parade. Next you'll tell us there's no Santa Claus or tooth fairy or wizard of oz or gumby and pokey.

[M.D. Holloway]

There ya go ruining a perfectly good holiday with religion!

[craigster59]

I'm still trying to figure out why they call it "Good Friday"..