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 was Catholic. It was drilled into me my whole life at school how 'important' Easter was. As an adult, I find it complete bollocks and love that it now just means the kids get chocolate Easter eggs for breakfast

My dc know the eggs represent new life, and that it comes our pagan celtic ancestors celebrated the renewal and rebirth of spring.

I’m just pleased that the old celebrations of Easter have held strong, despite people with their fairytales of violent deaths and zombie men trying to appropriate it for a millennia. Consumerism isn’t a new problem, in fact as a child who was forced into attending church I remember Easter being a ‘mini Christmas’. Not only had a mountain of eggs, also had
money and toys. This was 30 odd years ago. Not saying it’s a good thing, but it’s not new.

Nothing is stopping me! I was merely addressing the OP, and offering a possible solution….

BTW, I’m interested in the ‘Pagan’ tradition. What does this mean? Is it any or all of the non Abrahamic religions? I guess it doesn’t include Hinduism, or Buddhism either; that just leaves the many, many diverse cults which the preChristian world offered. Cybele? Isis? Epona ( about whom slightly more is known than the single one line reference to Eostre/Ostara). The Druids may have worshipped trees, on which they occasionally hung sacrificial victims before disembowelling them; in fourth century Gaul the country dwellers still maintained sacred trees, though the government had discouraged human sacrifice.

Does voodoo count? How about the Norse Gods against whom St. Patrick struggled? Sulis (Romano British) seems to have been similar to Minerva, Cocidius to Mars, but the Irish war gods were quite distinct and often female…..

‘Pagan’ means country dweller, the town dwellers who had been converted to Christianity used it as a rather offhand way of referring to those who the missionaries had not reached. It has a slightly pejorative tinge ‘ rustic’ or ‘ bumpkin’.

YANBU to be annoyed with the crazy consumerism.

I woke up today to a facebook feed full of photos of absolute mountains of eggs and cuddly toys and plastic tack for kids.

It’s totally unnecessary pressure on parents and a hell of a lot of unnecessary waste. Just give a couple big eggs and that’s enough

No one is stopping you with your worshipping. Different events mean different things to different people - no one is right or wrong.
In our family Christmas and Easter are special - not for any religious reason but because we have time to spend with family and friends with time off work. No lesser important than someone spending their time at a church service.

Not that fussed about easter tbh. But people who celebrate Christmas but fail to teach their children about christ, annoy me. They should know the meaning of Easter too of course tbf. But Easter isn't... appropriated to quite the same extent by non believers as Christmas. Irregardless of your own beliefs, you should teach the child about Christ if you are celebrating a Christian holiday.

It's just another Hallmark day or commercial venture for business. The original concept has been swallowed by consumerism.

It was Christians that appropriated the pagan winter festival!

I don’t believe in God but this is a Christian country. We are in the hundred year afterglow of Christianity - it’s still nominally there, but increasingly denuded of any religious significance and church attendances are down every year. I can understand why Christians are dispirited by this. I’m dispirited by it too, as I fear that what rushes in to fill the spiritual vacuum will be worse.

But literally nobody is stopping the poor put upon Christians from marking the occasion in any way they see fit?

As a new Christian I dont mind, I have started to go to church more regularly and I’m finding my child who goes to a faith school is getting more involved. She gave up crisps for Lent, next year I will join her. As much as I don’t like the focus on chocolate eggs, it has certainly kept Easter on the calendar which is a good thing. People are always welcome to pop into a church for a more spiritual dimension and my church seems to be getting busier in general.

Of course not, but people can still be concerned about the dismantlement of the culture

Easter trees
Teaching kids the Easter bunny is 'real' like Santa
Easter bunny magically brings the eggs
Easter pjs
Easter gifts
Easter cards
Easter wreaths for your front door

That kind of craziness.

"Judge not lest ye be judged" springs to mind when reading your post.

So a Muslim, for example, getting married at Easter gives you the ick? Does the converse also give you the ick? If, for example, a non-Jew were to get married on the Jewish shabbat (I.e. Between sunset on Friday and sunset on Saturday) would you also get the ick or are Christian sensitivities the only ones that should be considered by people of a different or no faith?

Obviously it is your choice to accept or decline an invitation for any reason.

The egg symbolises new life, just like it did in the Zoroastrian tradition it originated from before Christians started using it https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowruz

Thank you! Brightest of blessings to you, yours, and all others no matter how (or whether) you celebrate.

It’s a cultural holiday. The majority of the population doesn’t consider themselves religiously Christian, although the majority would consider themselves culturally Christian. You do you with church and whatnot over Easter but don’t feel sad for the rest of us enjoying a break from work and chocolate.

I am RC, part of the lay ministry in my church and teach in a Catholic school.
How other people celebrate Easter is nothing to do with me. I will go to Mass and other services over the Triduum but that is my choice.
I am in my late 50s and have always had new clothes for Easter plus eggs. Nothing new in celebrating Easter with money and chocolate 🍫

I actually think it's important that everyone should be allowed to celebrate how they feel fit. If eating chocolate and spending time with family and loved ones is how you choose to do that, then so be it.

I think Christians who are happy and kind and loving are just as important as those in church praying.

'the culture ' is not being dismantled. People now have choice. And unfortunately for the churches, more people are choosing other viewpoints and beliefs. Churches and cultures don't have the right to anyone's loyalty. And if they feel they are being 'dismantled', the first place they should look is their own behaviour. There are lots of people with a belief in God who have run away from churches because of their utterly despicable behaviour.

I'm a Christian and people can celebrate this time of year as they see fit. The images on social media aren't a true representative of real life anyway. And of course retailers will push consumerism for any celebration, most stores online heavily push Easter and over the last few years Eid has gone the same way.

Maybe the non-religious among us should start celebrating the origin of the festival, the pre-Christian Eostre.

I do sympathise with you, but even the name of this Christian festival is pagan in origin. Spring festivals are popular the world over. In the absence of a non-Christian spring festival in Britain it can't be that surprising that the non-religious ended up co-opting the Christian festival for themselves. After all, it's the only spring festival that has fully survived to the present day. Christianity made sure of that.

Faith & religion are personal things.

Go & celebrate it in whatever way you Christians do & let others get on with their way of celebrating.

FWIW I don't bother with Easter, nor do I care for the commercial aspect of any of the important dates in any of the religious festivals, I just choose to let people enyjoy the things.

You're a long time dead after all.

2 things:

The Christianity jumped on pagan festivals is actually not quite accurate, just to say

"Xtians" is not a shortening that many Christians like, and some find very offensive, as if removes "Christ" from their identity and puts an X through him. Personally don't mind it (Greek alphabet X = Ch) but just to let you know some find it upsetting.