That saying "Happy Easter" is out of place?

I like this one that I saw for the first time this past December

Easter is the name of a well established bank holiday weekend. People say Happy Easter any time from the Friday. Just take it like that. If anyone gives you a religious card or greeting it would be fine to tell them you don’t want it.

Excellent post @ButThisIsMyHappyFace

I would worry if they said have a rotten Easter! Chill

My Muslim friends wish me a happy Eid, my Jewish friends wish me a happy Hanukkah and I wish them a happy Easter/ Christmas. It’s nice to celebrate everyone’s religion!

I’m an actual practising Orthodox Jew (I wear a headscarf, my DH prays 3x a day, we are strictly kosher and observe Shabbat strictly) and I have to say I’m not remotely surprised people are confused by you. You are a Jewish family who celebrates Christian festivals! Who can blame people for thinking a “happy Easter” is appropriate when you feed your kids Easter eggs?! Get both feet in one camp or another, or stop finding things to be offended by.

Fwiw, I don’t mind people wishing me a happy Xmas or whatever because I’m strong enough in who and what I am not to take offence at a naive but well-intentioned comment. I save my ire for the people who dislike my difference and act in bad faith.

I'm an atheist, but sometimes say 'Happy Easter'. I guess Easter in my head is just a kind of pleasant, generic spring festival. A nice way-marker on the journey from winter to summer. (And, very importantly, a bank holiday!)

I'm generally a bit doubtful about claims that this thing or that is "really" pagan, since they're often hugely exaggerated and ignore the scarcity of written sources about pre-Christian Britain. However, the word 'Easter' really does have pre-Christian origins, albeit murky ones. I think roundabout now is just a natural time in the northern hemisphere to want to throw a party.

The people who said 'Happy Easter' to you may not have known you were observant Jews who would prefer a reference to Passover. Also, it can feel awkward if you don't know someone well and what their beliefs and preferences are to use a specific greeting (e.g. Happy Passover/Eid Mubarak/Happy Diwali). Asking can feel like prying.

That said, there are plenty of committed Christians around who will still be celebrating Easter chiefly as a religious holiday, and go around Happy Eastering people with evangelical fervour. In which case, I dunno. Give them a biscuit and a pat on the head?

I love this one. I also get very happy when Hanukkah and Christmas overlap so that my friends and I are celebrating at the same time.

Are you saying OP finds the idea of being wished happy Easter bad because of something that happened in 1290? Surely no one is that odd?

I guess, since it was the OP’s friends who knew they didn’t celebrate, that the greeting was out of place. It would have been better for friends to wish the OP a Happy Passover and the OP in turn would say Happy Easter, knowing her friends celebrate Easter. That is the culturally sensitive thing to do. This scenario is different to just saying Happy Easter to people you don’t know or don’t know well.

And telling other Jews to fuck off to Israel shows such fellow feeling!

Perfect response.

Text friend back- Happy Belated Passover Seder!

A Jew whose family have been in England a very long time. Trying to imagine my grandparents being offended by ‘Happy Easter’, they wouldn’t be in a million years.

I'm not Jewish! There's every Abrahamic religion in my extended family though!

Of course you are

Sorry, just enquiries - Smozzleberry comments got deleted? Why? I was about to like the comment about the message not being offensive and it says 'deleted'???? Have the moderators gone mad? It was literally 'I am Orthodox Jewish. This is a Christian country, so clearly message is spreading joy and not offensive' and now it is deleted? Seriously?

Many people wouldn't know the ins and outs of any religion. As an atheist I would not have a clue about any Jewish festivals or their meaning or timing and very limited about Christianity.
At the start of the bank holiday weekend I might wish someone a happy Easter but only:

1. With the intention of wishing them an enjoyable long weekend.
2. To cover my arse in case they are religious christians and it might mean something deeper to them.

If they turned out to be another religion (I likely wouldnt know) I would assume they took it in the spirit of number 1.

I don't get worked up about any religion celebrating events, I think it's kind of them to send you Easter wishes.

P.S Happy Easter

I’m a Jew.

Christian persecution has been terrible...consider the explusion of Jews from England in 1290 just for starters at home. If you're in the UK. We haven't reckoned with that.

People generally have been terrible to each other so becoming informed but ALSO celebrating is what I hope to do.

It’s a bit awkward. Our corner shop is either muslim or Hindi owned. I think Muslim but not going to ask.

I was in there and thought should I say happy Easter. Decided against it but then thought is that rude?! It’s a minefield.

So YABU to be offended. People are put in impossible situations with this.

Chag sameach
Learn the greetings
There's no reason not to
Now this is antisemitic not to
Celebrate everything, life should be good!!!