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.

The eggs symbolise the regeneration of life that happens in Spring. Christians borrowed it.

No less believable, to be fair.

To a certain extent, OP, Christians brought this upon themselves by superimposing their Christian festivals over the top of pre-existing winter and spring pagan festivals. If they wanted their Christian festivals to remain pure and uncorrupted by all these unchristian trappings, they should have decided to hold them at a different time.

I go to church at Christmas and Easter but I also enjoy the food and the chocolate and the decorations and all the rest of it. I think you can enjoy one part of it, or the other part of it, or both, or neither.

Whether you are religious or not I think these seasonal festivals are an important way to mark the passing of time. We all need something to look forward to every now and then; the year would be a bit monotonous without them.

Happy Easter to you.

Beautiful! Bright blessings to you and yours, @SerafinasGoose

I wish there could be a secular festival, probably on a fixed date; they could have a competition to to find a nice non religious name. Then all the proud atheists, and the anti Christians, and the New Pagans (👨‍🎤) and the people who churn out the usual ahistorical substitute Easter myths could have a good rousing drink and gluttony fest . Winterval was such a good idea, pity it was dropped.

Then we believers could just get on with worship.

Was Samhain not something like that? It was based on the seasons rather than religion? (Sorry if I'm wrong!)

My Catholic DH, children and in-laws are happy to celebrate both the true meaning of Easter and eat chocolate.

However I appreciate that I live in Scotland where Easter craziness hasn't taken hold yet and assume you live in England OP.

Then we believers could just get on with worship.

Who’s stopping you? The Easter Egg munchers?

It's called Halloween.

@Opol a bit rich to complain about ‘stuff’ and ‘things’ when Catholic Churches are rammed to the rafters with statues and gold and all kinds of expensive things, the church is worth 23 BILLION quid!

That's a very conservative estimate. It's much much more than that.

But refuse to compensate their abuse victims

*However I appreciate that I live in Scotland where Easter craziness hasn't taken hold yet and assume you live in England OP.

What Easter craziness do we not have here? The shops are/were full of eggs, chocolate bunnies and other Easter paraphernalia. Besides the Easter lunch thing? I don’t know anyone who does that though I’m sure there are some.

Ultimately, I have no problem with people celebrating Easter (or Christmas for that matter) in whatever way is meaningful for them.

What DOES become tiresome is this thing every single year of complaints that people are forgetting about Jesus etc... when both Easter and Christmas are festivals that long pre-date Christianity in the first place.

For me, Easter is a time to celebrate Spring, the days becoming lighter, longer, and emerging from winter/darkness etc. Christmas, for me, is about more than one day - it is a nice cosy period in the darkest of winter where I get to brighten up my home and life with some cheer.

However other people wish to celebrate (or not) is entirely up to them; if it is what you like and it is meaningful to you then that's the important thing. Just don't push your religion onto everyone else when you, yourself, are disregarding the ACTUAL origins of what you are claiming to be "yours".

I’d say far more than 23 million, that’s a drop in the ocean. I’ve been to the Vatican and seen the gold ceilings. Vile place stuffed full of stolen artefacts.

Then all the proud atheists, and the anti Christians, and the New Pagans (👨‍🎤) and the people who churn out the usual ahistorical substitute Easter myths could have a good rousing drink and gluttony fest

whst myths would those be. !

I meant billion!

Typo, I meant billion not million.

I was brought up RC but not practicing any more and I actually agree with you! I love a celebration and making a fuss of things but I saw easter tree decorations the other day and it seems like a lot more stuff to buy for it now - bunting, table decs, AstroTurf bunnies, easter eggs etc

I do like egg hunts/ seeing the lambs and chicks / family gatherings though. I also love a chocolate bunny so I'm guilty of indulging in the commercial side of things too.

But, like other posters have said people can join in as much or as little as they like and it's nice excuse for a get together!

Yes but that's in a October.

Maybe we should bring back Beltane, but it's a long time from the Winter Soltice until May!

@HoldingTheDoor as I say in my post, I acknowledge it’s a me thing not other people. I’ve spent my entire adulthood prior to children really enveloping myself in the spirituality of the season. I express my faith through attending church throughout Lent and everyday during Holy Week. Spending 5 or so hours in church on Maundy Thursday for the watch and then spending time in meditation and not speaking to anyone until after church on Good Friday (including DH, who I sleep next to). On Good Friday I’d be in church for 3 plus hours, reverence the cross, etc. Before the big party (with champagne) at the late night vigil with lighting of the Pascal candle on Easter Eve (first service of Easter). That’s how I expressed my faith. Now I’m elbow deep in nappies and “mummy mummy”. Yes, Christianity hijacked pagan festivals. Yes, other people don’t believe what I do, even Christians. The wedding I declined was a Christian couple who wanted to celebrate the joy of Easter as part of their wedding. They didn’t put the same significance on Good Friday as I did. They believe in abstaining until marriage, I don’t. Everyone is different.

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.

that is what Easter means to you. For most people your believe system is a pretty wild story, but not much else. Life and let live ;-)

Feeling physically sick because other people dare to do things differently from you and marry on a day that you wouldn’t is quite literally bonkers and doesn’t sound at all healthy. If you don’t want to attend because it clashes with your beliefs and faith related events that’s fine and understandable but I can’t imagine wanting to vomit over it.

But Easter is a pagan festival! It was the celebration of spring and the goddess Eostre. That's the origins of the bunny etc because Eostre's symbol was rabbits and hares if I remember correctly. Giving eggs was part of this pagan tradition.

All of that was taken over by the Christian church with the resurrection of Jesus etc. Christians were fairly pragmatic and happily overtook traditional celebrations to fit their narrative.

So how about pagan's complaining about Christians changing the meaning of their spring celebration and filling it full of ridiculous resurrection stories blah blah blah?

Presume you'd conveniently forgotten this or never realised.

(Atheist here).

As a staunch Atheist, I totally share the OP's concern about consumerism and over consumption.

In that respect we're all on the 'path to hell' 😓