What is the modern day purpose of Easter?

Factoring out its religious significance which is now only observed by a small fraction of the population along with another fraction who attend the Easter Sunday service without much thought about it then never step inside a church for several months afterwards.

Easter always comes across to me as the poor relation of Christmas. There isn't that climax effect with Easter like there is with Christmas. The run up to Easter feels very ordinary to say the least. Good Friday through to Easter Monday is a time when most suburbanites seem to spend pottering about in the garden. We don't have Easter decorations like we have Christmas decorations. Good Friday and Easter Saturday don't feel anything like Christmas Eve. Easter isn't pervasive like Christmas is and only really displays itself in supermarkets in the form of chocolate eggs - which have usually been on sale since January.

Christmas is a massive secular celebration in Britain. Hence arguments about putting the Christ back into Christmas and conversely how people who follow non-Christian religions should embrace Christmas as a national rather than a religious celebration. Easter is one step up from the August bank holiday with chocolate eggs. Why is there such a disparity between Christmas and Easter from a secular perspective?

What is the modern day purpose of Easter other than chocolate eggs?

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Reply 1

ChaoticButterfly

Chocolate eater eggs.

So consumer capitalism. :idol:

Reply 2

greenapples2

in Britain it's all about consumerism, but in Poland where the majority is super religious Easter really does have a special run up as you due to all the traditions with we don't have in the UK

Reply 3

Desayama

I'm not religious but have grown up with Easter in a more Easter Bunny, chocolate egg way. I'd say Easter in the modern day is another reason for families to get together and realise the importance of their bond. But for the most part it's utilised massively by capitalism :s-smilie:

Just another excuse to generate money, like Christmas is becoming...

Reply 4

MrSuavetopia

Original post by Arran90

Well then if you factor that out, then of course all you're left with is another holiday that just appeals to casual consumerism.

That's literally it. Either people don't celebrate it/don't care about it all - at most, buying a chocolate egg 'because it's Easter', or people actually adhere to the religious ceremony/tradition behind it.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 5

CoolCavy

Volunteer Team

To have a much needed break from uni

Reply 6

opopyldog

Speak for yourself we have an Easter tree and a wreath with colourful eggs on it 😂 My family hold competitions and do loads of activities on Easter so I prefer it to Christmas in some ways. It’s neither religious nor is it chocolate egg focused. It’s more of a fun family event for us

Reply 7

username2345291

The only 'point' of it IS the religious meaning. By definition, Easter is religious. It can have no non-religious 'modern day purpose'.

It's the 'poor relation' of Christmas because this is when Jesus sacrificed himself for us (which, although is a celebration when he rises, is quite solemn), compared with Christmas which is when he was born (a joyous celebration).

The only reason it's still 'celebrated' is because non-Christians enjoy the Easter eggs and shops like the profit they get from it. Also we are still technically a Christian country according to the monarchy.

As a Christian, I don't like how it's just a mainstream excuse for chocolate/presents. I don't get given money on Eid, so why so non-Christians get chocolate at Easter and presents at Christmas? I know I'll sound miserable for saying it but it's true. Most of the people who celebrate these don't know the true meaning of them or go to Church. Even Easter eggs themselves originated for religious reasons.

Reply 8

username2345291

Original post by mpaprika

in Britain it's all about consumerism, but in Poland where the majority is super religious Easter really does have a special run up as you due to all the traditions with we don't have in the UK

Agreed - although we do still have the special run up if you actually are a practising Christian - within Churches, there is a lot of preparation between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Most people just don't see it because they aren't Christians.

Reply 9

Arran90

Is Easter actually more significant and prominent celebration for Christians than Christmas is?

Christmas is the birthday of Jesus (which anybody can theoretically celebrate in the same way as the birthday of Isaac Newton or Elvis Presley) but the Easter events of the crucifiction and resurrection of Jesus is the bedrock on which Christianity is built and only holds significance for Christians.

Reply 10

username2345291

Original post by Arran90

Is Easter actually more significant and prominent celebration for Christians than Christmas is?

Yes, Easter is probably 10x more important for us. Christmas is important just because it's Jesus' human birth, but Easter is when God sacrificed His only Son to save us and give us eternal life in Heaven.

Amongst Christians (and I refer to practising Christians), we celebrate Easter much more and have lots of special masses and celebrations and preparation. The only reason Christmas is such a massive celebration now-a-days is because non-Christians enjoy the meals and presents. And shops profit massively from it so they encourage it. If we had presents for Easter instead of Christmas, Easter would be the popular one. Most people who have Easter eggs and Christmas presents probably don't even know the meaning of them.

Original post by Arran90

Christmas is the birthday of Jesus (which anybody can theoretically celebrate in the same way as the birthday of Isaac Newton or Elvis Presley) but the Easter events of the crucifiction and resurrection of Jesus is the bedrock on which Christianity is built and only holds significance for Christians.

It's important to realise that when non-Christians celebrate Christmas, they aren't celebrating Jesus' birth. They're celebrating the commerical idea of 'Christmas' with snow, presents, meals, family, etc.
Precisely, which is why Easter is so much more important.
Both only hold significance for Christians. They are both Christian events. It's simply that non-Christians decide to celebrate the commercial sides of them because they benefit from it. Christmas, with it's true meaning, is only significant for Christians too.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 11

Arran90

Christmas and Easter are the only Christian events that have a secular dimension to them.

St. Valentine's Day in its secular form is a perversion and an American import loosely based on the Roman festival of Lupercalia. Halloween is not a Christian celebration. Neither is New Years Day. St. George's, St. David's, and St. Andrew's Days are low profile events and not even public holidays. St. Patrick's Day is celebrated more widely but really has been hijacked by Guinness.

Reply 12

Tootles

Original post by Arran90

Only if you live in the world that Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is set in. Lupercal was more more about purging than sexuality or love. St Valentine was a priest who was executed for celebrating Christian weddings in Rome - the association with romantic love is there right from the beginning. The greeting card companies turned that round from marking the day of a saint's martyrdom to marking what he was martyred for. It's still a perversion though, ultimately.

Reply 13

Just my opinion

Go into any church this morning and you will see the a importance of Easter in the Christian calendar. ☺️🙏

Reply 14

Drewski

Why does it need a purpose?

Reply 15

Obolinda

Volunteer Team

Original post by bfm.mcdermott

As a Christian, I don't like how it's just a mainstream excuse for chocolate/presents. I don't get given money on Eid, so why so non-Christians get chocolate at Easter and presents at Christmas? I know I'll sound miserable for saying it but it's true. Most of the people who celebrate these don't know the true meaning of them or go to Church. Even Easter eggs themselves originated for religious reasons.

If you go to a Muslim country, non Muslims will get involved with Islamic festivities. I don't understand why it bothers you so much, you're still free to recognise the religious significance of it. It's not like Christians don't get involved with the consumerism part of it.

So if we are in Christian country as you said, of course Christian celebrations will become public holidays.

Reply 16

Arran90

Original post by bfm.mcdermott

I have wondered why Easter has not ended up as a secular celebration comparable in terms of size and prominence to Christmas in Britain. Is it anything to do with the time of year that Christmas and Easter are celebrated and the expected weather? Is it anything to do with Christmas being a joyful celebration and Easter a sombre celebration from a Christian perspective and the effects are translated across into the secular perspective? Is it because Easter is a genuinely Christian celebration whereas Christmas is a rehash of Saturnalia which was a decadent celebration similar to Christmas from a secular perspective? There was a time when Christmas was banned in England by the Puritans as being a decadent Popish celebration but there is no evidence that Easter was ever banned.

Christmas is very strongly viewed as a national celebration which everybody should participate in or else they are perceived as a grinch, a social outcast, or un-British. However, the same is not said about Easter which there are few social penalties for completely ignoring. Since 9/11 there have been ill feelings towards Muslims and how they don't celebrate Christmas but the same ill feelings are not directed towards Muslims when it comes to them not celebrating Easter.

The roast turkey Christmas dinner is one of the cornerstones of Christmas but it's probably safe to say that less than half of all families in Britain have a roast lamb Easter dinner nowadays, and salmon consumption on Good Friday is no higher than on any other Friday of the year. Christmas is a celebration characterised by the heavy consumption of alcohol (in Britain) but Easter isn't. Schools and workplaces put on Christmas parties but rarely do they put on Easter parties.

Even the Easter Bunny is far less significant a figure than Father Christmas is.

Reply 17

username2345291

Original post by Arran90

Even the Easter Bunny is far less significant a figure than Father Christmas is.

This part is probably due to the tradition of presents at Christmas - people, especially children, will obviously prefer a celebration where they get loads of presents than just a chocolate egg. Also, people tend to do more for Christmas - e.g. meet up with distant family - which they also look forward to.
The fact that it's winter and the New Year shortly after also adds to it - the idea of a white Christmas (especially as shown on TV) makes the whole idea of Christmas seem special. Having New Year celebrations after also makes the time feel more special because it's a few weeks of constant celebrating.
Also, Christmas time was always important in England previously because of Midwinter and the Pagan celebrations that took place then before the country became Christian.

I think it could have done either way but it probably developed like this because in history, people would have been very joyous as Christmas, whereas Easter was more solemn - and if you aren't celebrating the religious meaning, then of course you'd choose to celebrate the happier time (Easter is actually very happy when Jesus rises but it's not as joyful and there is the time of almost-mourning beforehand).
The fact that shops make such a big deal of Christmas has really made the difference recently.

Reply 18

Kinyonga

Christmas is a bigger celebration than Easter partly since it coincides with midwinter, Yule and the New Year. Plus, whereas Father Christmas has now become a world-wide symbol due to his significance as Saint Nicholas and then the spread of American culture, the Easter bunny's form varies between countries - in France, for example, you have bells who deliver chocolate eggs (and mice instead of a tooth fairy). Also I think that while historically Easter was marked and observed, it was not such much celebrated. One rejoices in a birth, but a death hints at sadness and solemnity, and the resurrection brings about a sacred joy. It's about Christians' salvation, which many believe can only come about with the addition of good deeds and living in a Christ-like manner - so not a time for hedonistic pleasures.
But that's not to say Easter isn't celebrated nowadays in ways similar to Christmas; my schools had Easter festivities, and we've always decorated the house with painted or glass eggs, fluffy chicks, and flowers.

Reply 19

Arran90

Original post by bfm.mcdermott

This part is probably due to the tradition of presents at Christmas - people, especially children, will obviously prefer a celebration where they get loads of presents than just a chocolate egg.

That is certainly plausible although one can cynically argue that consumerism has well and truly taken over Christmas if kids think its purpose is to receive game consoles. Christmas presents only really became part of British popular culture in the mid 19th century.

I can remember a discussion at a home education meeting where one parent mentioned that Christmas should be the event where kids receive presents to use indoors like game consoles and Easter should be the event where kids receive presents to use outdoors like bikes. Her family has adopted this approach and doesn't understand why it isn't more popular.

Also, people tend to do more for Christmas - e.g. meet up with distant family - which they also look forward to.

I have wondered why meeting up with the family is less popular at Easter than at Christmas.

Having New Year celebrations after also makes the time feel more special because it's a few weeks of constant celebrating.

The date of New Year has varied over time and locality. The early Roman calendar used 1 March. Other dates have also included Christmas Day, the winter solstice and the spring equinox - closer to Easter than Christmas. The Gregorian calendar helped to fix New Year on 1 January, although Britain did not officially adopt the Gregorian calendar until 1752 and the last date of New Year was 25 March.

Also, Christmas time was always important in England previously because of Midwinter and the Pagan celebrations that took place then before the country became Christian.

I have thought that many non-religious, and mildly Christian British folk, still think that they are Romans celebrating Saturnalia, hidden behind a thin Christian veneer, but Easter has the impression of being a foreign celebration that they haven't successfully managed to embrace or fit into their own calendar of events because of its strong ties with a religion which they do not or only half-heartedly follow.

The fact that shops make such a big deal of Christmas has really made the difference recently.

Shops make a big deal of any event where they can make money. Black Friday did not exist in Britain back in the 1990s but this American import is now firmly entrenched into British commercial culture.