How has Easter changed so much?

[PistachioTiramisu]

When I was a child (60s/70s) Good Friday was a day when you went early to buy Hot Cross Buns and this was the ONLY day you ate them. Otherwise, all the shops were closed, there were religious programmes on TV and a lot of people ate the traditional fish for dinner. Easter Saturday was a 'fun' day, buying nice food for Sunday. On Easter Sunday you probably were given a chocolate egg or two and had roast lamb for dinner. Again, there were religious programmes on TV. Easter Monday was a day for picnics, etc., but all the shops were still closed.

It seems a shame that the true meaning of Easter has more or less disappeared, having been overtaken by a mountain of chocolate in various shapes and forms, some people having Easter trees with decorations and other themed items. I saw one comment this morning (not on here) stating that 'Easter is for kids', echoing the nonsense that 'Christmas is for kids'. It is not - it's for everyone who wants to mark the event.

I’m mid 50s and we had hot cross buns on the lead up to Easter not just on Good Friday, although we always had them on Good Friday. The shops were open in the morning and closed at midday. We sometimes had fish and chips for tea. Saturday was a normal Saturday. Sunday boiled eggs with faces painted on for breakfast. Always a mountain of chocolate. I had between 8-10 chocolate eggs. Roast lamb for lunch. Bank holiday Monday was a day trip followed by a buffet tea with all the family.

We didn’t have Easter trees but I’ve done Easter trees for the last 21 years so it’s not that new. I don’t think Easter trees make it overly commercial. I like decorating for the seasons.

Easter trees are very traditional in Germany. We always had one when we were kids (I’m 50s now) because my mum had seen them on her German exchange when she was a teenager. So I’ve always known them, doesn’t seem weird to me.

It's what you make it! You can still do all of those things.

Had to remind my fairly Christian friend that tomorrow is a) Sunday and b) Easter so it's not just secular types who are dropping the ball.

We had far more chocolate as kids than kids seem to get now, probably because the eggs were bigger.

Commercialisation and secularisation are quite different though. I agree the commercialisation of basically every occasion is insane. I don’t agree that we can’t have a community in a more secular society though. Times change and new traditions take over. It doesn’t need to be bad.

That sounds lovely. I think more quiet and family focus would be nice.

Not sure this counts but I went to a very good very popular fish and chip restaurant last night and it was busier than I’ve ever known it. Maybe a coincidence or maybe folk still enjoy fish on Good Friday.

It went throughout the school, no nuns.
When I went to secondary school - a convent - there was nothing of this nature and there was so much joy.
But my primary school was full of these teachers and I have friends in other schools (same city) who went through something similar.

Easter does seem to have become more like Christmas in the sense of commercialism and expectations. When I was a child (here we go) back in the 60's it was much more of a religious event. All the shops were shut and hot cross buns were bought warm and fresh from the local bakers on Good Friday, but you had to join the queue before 12pm when they closed. On Friday you'd have fish for tea and on Sunday roast lamb. We'd decorate blown out hen eggs at school before we broke up and on Easter Sunday would be given chocolate eggs from parents and relatives. I don't remember anyone doing an Easter egg hunt maybe that was just my group of friends. Most of the programmes on TV were religious and in my village children weren't allowed out to play on the "holy" days. We weren't religious, it just wasn't the "done thing". So we amused ourselves in our gardens. Playing in the house back then was not encouraged if the weather was just above freezing outside!

Easter Saturday was a 'fun' day, buying nice food for Sunday.

This doesn’t sound that fun.

To me your refering to the Christian meaning of Easter. Not the true meaning of Easter.

A very small proportion of the UK will be going to a church tomorrow.

I had hot cross buns yesterday from the shop and very nice they were too.

BBC radio 2 was Easter themed all day.

I know people who still celebrate like that-you can too if you want.

@Dragonflytamer "To me your refering to the Christian meaning of Easter. Not the true meaning of Easter."

Do you mean that Easter is a pagan festival and not related to the Jewish Passover?

Honestly? I’m in my late fifties and mostly remember watching films on TV as a child, not religious programmes.

Hot cross buns were available at least a month before and we had plenty of chocolate eggs - which had treats inside them, not added to a separate part of the box. I am also absolutely certain that I’ve never had an Easter picnic.

People still queue for Fish and Chips on Good Friday

@Dragonflytamer A very small proportion of the UK will be going to a church tomorrow.

And what does your crystal ball say the "very small proportion" is exactly ?

And when you've had a look, can I borrow it for the Lottery numbers, taa.

I grew up Catholic in the 70s & 80s so Easter was fairly important in our family! Good Friday was fast & abstinence, no treats or meat, we always had omelettes for dinner as some of us hated fish! Church service at 3pm with kissing of the cross.
Holy Saturday was a quiet day at home playing with friends etc. We would watch whatever religious film was on TV over the weekend.
We got a few eggs, a new outfit for Easter Mass & my GPs always bought us new pants & socks as well as an egg. We would have a nice dinner on Easter Sunday & maybe paint some boiled eggs. DM was a midwife & often worked nightshift so it was quite low key. No shops open & it was a lazy time of eating chocolate & playing out. Bit boring in teen years though.
Parents still treat it as a religious festival with lots of church attendance. I buy my adult dc an egg & if not working (NHS) we will have a nice dinner. Working this year so will probably get a takeaway.

I am German and we had Easter trees when I was a kid in the seventies. We just decoreated ours, it's in front of the fireplace this year.

My mum hid eggs in little baskets and bunnies in the garden. We didn't get toys but I knew some of my cousins did.

I grew up next to a Catholic church, we weren't big church goers but it was part of Easter. My more religious aunt always attended Palm Sunday service and then dropped by to give us children a chocolate bunny.

I assume the idea to decorate for Easter is coming from mainland Europe thanks to the immigreants. It's not a sudden influencer idea.

Google Easter well in Frankonia. I lived there for 3 years, that is a beautiful tradition.

No, my family were not religious so never went to church. I am not promoting or suggesting that people should go to church or think about the religious aspect. My original point was to query WHY Easter has changed so much.

My childhood Easter in the 1960s was very similar to the OP's, my family were practising Christians.
I mean life was very different all year round in the 60s, we were very poor for one thing and we got a new dress twice a year at Christmas and Easter. Usually home made by my mother.
There wasn't tv because there wasn't much to watch on tv. Shops were never allowed to open on Sundays so Easter was no different.

I did carry on the tradition with my own DC who are now in their 20s but mainly for my parents benefit as we are not religeous.

Oh bllx. I remember when everything was closed on public holidays and very dull it was, too. I hope you don’t go shopping on Sundays, OP.

If you want to fast in Lent, then do so. And you should fast in Advent, too.

For the rest of us, it’s a Spring holiday and only the most perverse would call it anything other than Easter.

Faith should be a private matter, but for tomorrow: Christus surréxit! Surréxit vere, allelúja!

Except for the Orthodox Church, of course

I don't think there really is a "true" meaning of Easter. I think we should all just make the most of the long weekend and the chocolate eggs.

I think similar is the case eith Christmas Eve boxes wothpressies. People heard lots of us do prrsents on Christmas eve and thought "oh, why not!"

Less than 1 in 20 or something like that. The CofE claim 1 in 100 people go to one of their services but then you need to add in the other brands as well.

Not many people.

Me too. Hot cross buns are the only thing my 7 year old will eat for breakfast on school days.