AIBU to find 'Easter trees' ridiculous?

[WaltzesWithSnobs]

I'm already annoyed at the general melding of traditional holiday themes, eg Easter crackers, Halloween wreaths etc. Yes it is precisely none of my business and people can decorate or pull crackers however they wish but I have lots of irrelevant opinions.

But Easter trees? Easter trees have tipped me over the edge into proper Grumpy Old Women territory. Now (an important distinction) if the 'tree' is the shrubbery type then that's fine. But NOT an evergreen tree. That's nonsense!!

Evergreen trees are very well suited to Christmas because they are a symbol of life and hope when most trees are empty and bare. Makes no sense then to use them for a springtime celebration. Easter time is time to celebrate new life; lambs chicks, flowers budding and trees growing new leaves. An evergreen tree does not symbolise these things.

YABU: it's just a decoration, fuck off and mind your own business
or
YANBU: Evergreen trees have no place in Easter decorations

Rant over. Thanks for reading. I'm off to have a herbal tea to calm down. 🍵

YABU.

@LemonRoses

Made worse that there should be no celebration, no decorations until after Good Friday. Lent is a time for fasting, solemnity and not a time for fairy lights. Easter Sunday is the time for jollies.

Completely agree with you.

Using your Christmas tree to hang eggs on is weird, it should be branches or pussy willow (or a handy houseplant I suppose).

We've always done it, we have Dutch family. In fact, they parcelled up and sent me my own set when I mentioned I didn't have any at university!

YABU.
Never seen an every green tree seems like you maybe are the only one.

See the traditional Easter trees twigs/ with egg decorations.

Evergreen*

I completely agree.

I’m afraid I think there’s a correlation between people who put Easter wreaths on their front door and people who don’t know what Lent is, or what it’s for anymore

The conflation of all these things is because people want to live seasonally, like the ritual of living seasonally, but without going to church any more they have nothing to anchor that in or understand why we have certain things at certain times of year. Add in the influence of American influencers, Instagram and Pinterest and you get a massive cultural shift taking place in a couple of years in what previously took decades.

You can celebrate Easter and not turn it in to a commercialised tat fest. Maybe start by educating yourself and children about what Lent and Easter are... (not you OP- I agree with you!)

If you don't want an Easter tree, don't have one. But don't judge other people for wanting to have one, especially given what a miserable year-and-a-bit this has been.

It doesn't have to be either/or.

Churches are decorated for the Easter service too. And at the one I go to, there's always as much focus on spring and flowers and lambs as there is about Jesus — it's a lovely service, all about new life. The children all enjoy the chocolate egg hunt around the church too. To me, decorating my home is just an extension of that really.

I quite like the idea of celebrating spring, but no not with a Christmas tree.

To be honest, though, although I'd say I'm Christian so I favour the church traditions, I'm all for anything that brings joy as we come into Spring and helps us appreciate the seasons and the world in general.

A good friend of mine sends me a Martenitsa each year and I wear it until I see a blossoming tree — I'm not Bulgarian, and don't believe in Grandma March, but think it's a nice ritual, and I enjoy joining in with it.

You can celebrate Easter and not turn it in to a commercialised tat fest. Maybe start by educating yourself and children about what Lent and Easter are... (not you OP- I agree with you!)

Easter coincide with spring start and traditions such as opening of the wells/springs etc on the continent. Let's be frank. Eggs, which are ginormous part of Easter have really nothing to do with Jesus's, do they. They do, however, symbolise new life and so are part of spring celebrations.

Good job on calling people's (millions and millions of people) traditions a tat fest.

It's nkrmal that people bring their traditions with them aand often local adopt some when they like them and the immigrants adopt local ones. Word is ever changing and having 1 little thing extra doesn't mean losing the previous traditions.

Basically 😁
Bloody immigrants. Bringing their pretty tat here😁 (joking)

And again. No need to buy tat. Blow the eggs out, wash, dry and colour. Tie them to a branch you found somewhere. Perfect fun before easter and very cheap😁

"Stealth boast of your view."

Haha, I've got an Easter tree, a view AND carrots 🥕

@eastertree

"Stealth boast of your view."

Haha, I've got an Easter tree, a view AND carrots 🥕

All you need is bunch of baby rabbits and a lamb in there😂 Perfection!

There's a couple of bunnies sat at the base of the Easter tree!

*preens

Oh can't be arsed either 😂

You probably have live ones behind the fence as well, don't you😁
You win easter decs😂

I’m afraid I think there’s a correlation between people who put Easter wreaths on their front door and people who don’t know what Lent is, or what it’s for anymore.

All of the Catholic churches round here are decorated in the run up to Easter. I'm pretty sure they know what Lent is because they give out chocolate eggs at the end of it.

Quite like the twigs with bejewelled or pastel eggs hanging off them variety.

You can celebrate Easter and not turn it in to a commercialised tat fest. Maybe start by educating yourself and children about what Lent and Easter are... (not you OP- I agree with you!)

I started putting up Easter branches to display the Easter decorations my children made each year at Sunday School...

I have literally never heard of this until I read this thread.

YANBU. Easter trees are batshit.

My mum always gathered a few twigs from the garden to make an Easter tree. She had little wooden Easter decorations, from Germany I think. I'm in my late 30's so this has been going on for many years. and I think has been more popular in European countries for a while. I always have one, as I like to keep the tradition going.

There are objections I can definitely get on board with in regards to the way various festivals are celebrated, but objecting to the type of tree that some people use to decorate their house seems a bit picky tbh. Sure, some pussy willow branches are more traditional I guess, but so what? I have to admit, I'm 49 and have never put up Easter decorations of any kind.

Evergreen trees are very well suited to Christmas because they are a symbol of life and hope when most trees are empty and bare.

Well it's Easter this weekend and I don't know about where you live, but the trees aren't exactly lush and verdant with leaves here yet! I mean... they're starting to come into leaf, just about.

I always decorate the house for Easter. My daughter was born around this time, it's the end of winter, i have more energy and it always feels like a happy family time. Even more reason to celebrate this year.

In fact, I love Easter more than Christmas. We always have a shin dig, but without the pressures that come with presents and fixed traditions like at Christmas. It's great!

@littlepattilou

I have literally never heard of this until I read this thread.

YANBU. Easter trees are batshit.

You're writing off a whole culture as batshit?

I’m afraid I think there’s a correlation between people who put Easter wreaths on their front door and people who don’t know what Lent is, or what it’s for anymore

I think there are a lot of people who are unable to conceive of customs and practices even slightly different from their narrow world view.

Nothing at all new about Easter catkin branches with painted eggs, wreaths and decorations in the UK or more widely.

I've met very few people OTOH who actually understand the more trad guidelines around Lent.