Any other Christians annoyed at what society has turned Easter into?

[Opol]

I’m resigned that the same has been done to Christmas. But for me that is “only” the birth of Christ.

As a Roman Catholic, Easter is of far more importance to me. For me, God’s love for humanity meant he sacrificed his only son. Jesus’ resurrection is literally the embodiment of the victory of light over darkness, good over evil etc.

I don’t wish to gate keep but seeing it reduced to Easter baskets and chocolate rabbits is unpleasant to witness. I’m more annoyed at society making everything hollow and superficial via consumerism and over consumption.

I LOVE Easter eggs so cheers for that Jesus.
I am also thankful I haven’t been brainwashed by any religion so I can enjoy Easter for what it means to me and my kids - which is Easter eggs and time together as a family.

I Vote YABU for being annoyed about it. You do you, and don't worry about what anyone else is doing.

I have seen some posts on social media this morning that IMO are abit OTT on the gifts front, but certainly nothing to get annoyed about or feel guilty that we haven't done the same.

How many kids now know about the Easter story and what the egg symbolises?

I'm pretty sure the egg has always been a pretty obvious symbol of new life in multiple cultures and probably since before Jesus.

I agree, its great
I would rather celebrate Spring and Fertility and New beginnings than some bloke being tortured to death

My daughter who believes in Jesus as the son of God (though none of the rest of us do and she's only 9) sees the hollow Easter eggs as a symbol of the emptiness of the tomb when it was opened. There are ways to find meaning within the day. We have talked about Spring and new life and how the theme of resurrection links to that.

Eostre

The 'Easter Bunny' is the hare, traditional pagan symbol of spring, which on images of the wheel of the year usually stands for Ostara. The painting of eggs also come from this tradition, and are a symbol of fertility.

I like to welcome spring by planting out my herb pots and by simply enjoying the return of lighter, longer days. This year I'm replanting all the lavender in our patch, and am currently renovating our hanging baskets ready for reinstating them once the last frosts are past. Sometimes I coincide this with a lovely out of doors fire pit for Beltane. To me, the power of nature and presence of a universal energy carries more resonance than the idea of an omnipresent, judgemental God, but these things are merely personal to the individual.

Also not averse to a bit of chocolate ...

I wonder (and this is just thinking out loud), if anyone would give a flying fuck about Easter if the eggs and bank hols were taken away. Similar with Christmas and presents. I am speaking from a purely atheist pov of course but I really do wonder.

I'm more offended by religious institutions abusing others.

I wasn’t a very good catholic. I refused to renounce the Devil at my confirmation, I had to be dragged into the church kicking and screaming like Damien. I hated religion as a child. I believed in God whole heartedly, I just didn’t like the church, the nuns at my school were evil personified, the priests were vile. They just wanted money all the time.

None of my children are christened which a lot of people can’t understand.

I'm annoyed that Christians try to gate keep Easter. Eostre/Ostara was a festival before Christianity. Celebrating with a feast/eggs/Hare to symbolise new life and the spring equinox was an ancient tradition before Christianity took it over as their own.

Well there are some people who are fed up that a religion has taken over their spring festival.
I think you need to chill and keep an open mind.
You do you, and let others do them. They are not stopping you.
I agree that commercialisation feels a bit of a pain ... but this is how people make their livings and we cannot begrudge them that.

If you don’t want to do eggs and bunnies, don’t do them. But Christians themselves have been celebrating Christian festivals, including Easter, with food, decorations, non-Christian symbols, parties and gifts all over Europe for many hundreds of years. If it annoys you, so what? Nobody’s stopping you from marking Easter in whatever way you choose.

This too.

@Opol How ironic when Christians stole both of them from pagans 🤣

Horrifically murdered?
He was a convicted criminal, executed as per, no?

*The thing that gets me is weddings on Good Friday and Holy Saturday, they give me the ick (there’s been a glut this year). I know it doesn’t matter to the couple, but I struggle to get enthusiastic and excited for them.). It’s just grim and makes me feel physically sick, I’ve declined a wedding invite on Good Friday in the past. But I also know I’m in the minority.

This is nuts!

Does it make you physically sick when people who follow other faiths (or none) marry on Good Friday or just Christians?

I’m not a Christian (anymore!) but I get what you’re saying, OP. There is something depressing about the way the shops lurch from one consumerist field day to another - as soon as the red roses and chocs are out of the way in February, it’s wall to wall Easter eggs and bunnies.

I just tune it out. My Easter is the same as it was growing up in the 1980s in an Irish Catholic family, just without church! A nice dinner, a relaxing weekend, chocolate eggs to break Lent (which I still observe out of habit) and a celebration of the the start of Spring.

You can still celebrate it your way. You can’t really expect a changing, more secular society to celebrate with you, though.

Neoliberalism is the new religion and it appropriates everything for financial and personal gain. Christianity appropriated the spring festival for its own gain. It’s the way of the world.

Well that's incorrect because it's taught in school still.

Just because you believe in the supernatural does not mean you get to decide how other families celebrate a public holiday.

I get exactly what you mean OP. I am not religious (though raised Roman Catholic). It's all feeling increasingly hollow to me, both Christmas and Easter.

Maybe it's time for me and my family to start our own spring traditions.

At my church they give tge children creme eggs at the end of mass and the altar servers get an Easter egg each. It is possible to be a Catholic and also enjoy Easter eggs, egg hunts etc. One doesn't cancel out the other.

It’s a significant and indeed beautiful ritual and time of year. Thank you for taking the time to look it up and post.

As a pagan, may I offer my respect for your Christian Easter, a time of reflection, prayer and celebration. I hope your Easter is peaceful x

I understand what you mean. I think we can all celebrate how we want but our consumerist society has become so disconnected from any meaning beyond buying stuff.

I was raised Christian and I'm atheist now, but I was just shocked at some of the crap in Sainsbury's yesterday. Seed crucifixes to put around the garden. Wtf?