| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 401.2 | | TRACTR::QUAYLE | i.e. Ann | Thu Apr 16 1992 10:52 | 15 |
| If I had it to do over, and thank goodness I don't, I'd do at least two
things differently with my children at holidays. At Christmas we'd
use an actual sock instead of the (seems bigger every year) cute
stocking, and we'd celebrate the egg and chocolate bunny "holiday" on
Saturday, saving Easter Sunday for a true Holy Day.
I don't think the hoopla around Easter is a resurgence or glorification
of paganism, I think it's just standard (to 20th century USA
culture, that is) consumerism/capitalism. Still, as Paul points out,
the result is lessened focus on our Savior, particularly the atonement and
resurrection.
aq
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| 401.3 | traditions can make good memories | TRACTR::QUAYLE | i.e. Ann | Thu Apr 16 1992 10:58 | 14 |
| Another thought: my children have some very happy memories of the
coloring and hiding eggs, setting out baskets, and the Easter tree
(actually a large branch or bunch of pussy willows in a vase), and each
year we try to add at least one bought or homemade ornament to it, but I
hope I've positioned it to them more as a family tradition in celebration
of spring than as the main focus of Easter.
I'm thinking of bagging the tree this year because my family now
consists of my youngest daughter (who rather dislikes me), myself
and two cats, one of whom would undoubtedly turn the tree into a
stressor. We'll see though.
aq
|
| 401.4 | A Christ-centered Easter | CAPNET::RONDINA | | Thu Apr 16 1992 11:59 | 21 |
| Ann,
You evoked some family traditions I grew up with as a boy. Palm
Sunday I received a palm made into a tiny cross and wore it on my
lapel, representing Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Holy
Thursday and Good Friday were holy days wherein we fasted, attended
Easter vigil/prarer services (which usually when around the clock).
Clerygymen re-enacted the Last Supper, even to the washing of the
feet. Special Easter candles were used, icons draped in black.
Friday no sound was allowed between noon and 3pm, Christ's hours on
the cross. No music, TV, etc. was allowed on these very holy days.
Easter Sunday was filled with joyous celebration, not of Spring, but of
the resurrection of Christ. All of the above was so very Christ-
centered.
Contrast all of the above with eggs, baskets, bunnies, etc. and you
can see why the current celebration of Easter leaves me cold.
Just my thoughts,
Paul
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| 401.5 | One Small Fact about Easter | CGHUB::WREDE | | Fri Apr 17 1992 08:41 | 9 |
| Fact:
Easter Sunday is the most attended Church service by members of the
church. Statics show that this Sunday has a higher percentage of
attendance than any other Sunday. Christmas Sunday running a close
second.
Lee
|
| 401.6 | | XCUSME::QUAYLE | i.e. Ann | Fri Apr 17 1992 09:00 | 2 |
| Good, since I bought plenty of extra programs! :)
|
| 401.7 | | ROCK::LEIGH | Moderator | Fri Apr 24 1992 15:47 | 2 |
| FYI: I moved the replies that are discussing the
resurrection to note 297, the resurrection note.
|
| 401.8 | Easter- a Druid Holyday | AKOCOA::RONDINA | | Thu Mar 31 1994 08:09 | 34 |
| It's Easter time again, and I can't help being repulsed by the
commercialism that crops up. So, just a reminder of what Easter is
about:
Easter Name of the Druid Goddess of the Moon (and fertility)
(actually it was Oestre.)
Bunny Her symbol
Baskets Were filled with straw as a replica of rabbit's nests
Sunrise Druid practice to encourage/celebrate the sun's longer
Ceremonies stay in the sky
Ham Started by the British as a slam against the Jews for
their role in Christ's death
Clothes Started by Roman emperor for his court
Eggs Near eastern symbol for life and fertility
Egg Trees Latest American fad
From the above you can see how all the symbols around Easter are so
truly Christian. We do not observe any of these pagan symbols in my
house, rather the kids of events in Christ's life surrounding
Resurrection Day (which by some accounts was on a Saturday morning).
Since here in the Northern Hemisphere Easter is more a celebration of
Spring, I often wonder what people in other climates do.
Paul (who knows he's beating the drum on this topic, but, somebody's
gotta do it)
|
| 401.9 | more on Easter | FRETZ::HEISER | another day in DECrestaurant | Thu Mar 31 1994 11:13 | 38 |
| Paul, thanks for entering that. I'd also like to add a couple from
some research I've read on the subject:
Easter Lily - also associated with fertility and reproduction. "The
fragrant, waxy white flower we call the Easter lily is not a spring
flower or an American flower at all. A lily growing on islands near
Japan was taken to Bermuda and then traveled to the United States to
become our most special Easter plant. Flower growers have learned how
to make it bloom in time." - Edna Barth, "Lilies, Rabbits, and Painted
Eggs : Story of the Easter Symbols", New York: The Seabury Press, 1970.
More on the Lily - "Having become symbolic of the season, churches
[sic] worldwide decorate their altars with these beautiful flowers, and
innumerable thousands of them are given away to women at Easter as
gifts. Few, however, realize the ancient significance of such gifts!
The so-called 'Easter lily' has long been revered by pagans of various
lands as a holy symbol associated with the reproductive organs. It was
considered a phallic symbol! One might easily surmise what was being
suggested by sending a gift of such nature in ancient times." Russel
K. Tardo, "Rabbits, Eggs, and Other Easter Errors", by Faithful Word
Publications, Arabi, Louisiana.
Hot cross bun - often associated with Good Friday, but its real
significance pertains to Easter. It goes back to the ancient pagan
custom of worshipping the Queen of Heaven with offerings of cakes
marked with her image. It is said that the Egyptians made buns with 2
horns on them to offer to the moon goddess, and that the Greeks changed
the symbol to a cross so the bun could be more easily divided.
Anglo-Saxons marked theirs with a cross to honor the goddess of light.
Jeremiah refers to these in Jeremiah 7:18, 44:17-19,25. The Queen of
Heaven is Ishtar (Easter).
The wearing of new clothes and hats and the so-called Easter parade
originated in heathenism.
Easter fires are a leftover from spring rites.
Mike
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