Happy Easter Everyone, Is Easter A Holiday For You?

[Sunrising]

Are you on holiday today?

Do you follow any traditions at Easter?

Do you buy Hot Cross Buns and Chocolate Easter Eggs.

What is your opinion?

A. Today is a holiday for me, and I celebrate Easter.

B. I like to follow Easter traditions though today is not a holiday for me.

C. Something else.

[nightdrot]

Easter Sunday is my favorite holiday by a million miles. It is like Christmas only in far better weather and without the blaring in your face intensity.

To be sure, in our family growing up it was a huge holiday. My mother decorated the house. She had a little Easter village with Bunny figurines, she had a wreath on the front door with an Easter there - flowers and colored eggs and a couple of Bunny figures, and suchlike.

We would get up and look for the Easter baskets that the Bunny had hidden. These had always been hand made by my mother and were wrapped in colored celophane with a big chocolate bunny in the center - in the Bicentennial year of 1976, I still remember this, it was "Peter Patriot." The Bunny also brought us a few wrapped presents as well - and again these were all hidden all over the house and we hand to hunt for them.

Then we would go to church - which to be fair as little kids we were not all that keen on. Then to my mother's parent's house for brunch and --- guess what? ------ the Easter Bunny happened to have visited there and we got another smaller basket and a couple more presents.

Then after that to my Dad's parent's house where there was a huge dinner party - probably 60 or so people, friends and cousins - that would go fairly late into the evening.

On top of all that, in those days the public schools actually gave you an Easter break that ran from Good Friday through the whole week after Easter Sunday. So you got home late on Easter night but knowing that you had a whole week ahead of you to do whatever you want. The weather was finally - we lived in Michigan - turning warm after a long winter and as little kids we were out to run and play all day. When I was I high school, my friends and I would make day trips to local parks and such.

Suffice to say I have nothing but fond memories and my girlfriend and I do essentially the same things with our own children. Plus we have the extra advantage of living in the Washington, DC area so the weather is generally even better than it was in Michigan.

(We also added our own tradition of driving across the Chesapeake Bay bridge - and then back across - "breaking the seal on beach season" we call it - and then going to Annapolis to walk around and maybe take a bay cruise. Then we go to her parent's for a dinner party.)

As I say, it is all the fun of Christmas but without the blaring in your face television commercials, the lousy cold weather, and the garish colors. (I much prefer Easter pastels to Christmas primary colors.)

So as far as I am concerned we can dispense with all the other holidays. As to my kids, (ages, 9,8, and 6) I have to admit that seeing their excitement at any of the holidays warms my heart - but I still have to admit that when I think back, even to my own surprise, it is the Easters that I get the most sentimental about.

[Lliam]

Easter is always on Sunday and my company was closed on weekends, so we didn't get extra time off like on Christmas.

I was raised Catholic, so we went to church on the evening of Good Friday and again on Easter Morning. Everyone, especially the women and girls, wore their best Easter outfits.

My sister and I always looked forward to Easter baskets and candy.

We kept up the Easter tradition when I was grown by going out with the family to Easter brunch. That ended when my mom passed away.

My wife and I used to go out for Easter brunch but it started getting too expensive and crowded. Other than that, we don't have any Easter traditions anymore. It's not a big thing for us. But this year we are going to drive to an Indian buffet that she heard was really good.

Oh, and I like Easter candy - jelly beans, chocolate eggs with soft fillings, and especially those robin's eggs. :D

[Jersey2]

I bought robin eggs this year. Just that one candy. They were a favorite of mine back in the day and i saw them at the store.

[Lliam]

@Jersey2. And they are only around at Easter.

[beefcakebradybatson]

@Jersey2 Robin Seymour, Robin Leach and my high school buddy Robin Shoulders are boys;they didn't lay eggs.

[Alia_Czechgirl]

We celebrate Easter Monday here. And yes, there are many folk traditions and customs associated with it. The boys come to us girls in the morning for a carol - they have to recite one of the traditional poems and while doing so they whip us on the bottom with a whip made of willow. And we girls can pour water on them later after lunch. :-)))

[katiesmuff]

Not sure where you are but yesterday was Good Friday and tomorrow is Easter which is when we celebrate it.

[aaron13547]

Easter for me is about planting the garden, having the house cleaned from the winter hibernation, and starting of new beginnings.

Easter is based on the cycles of the full moon. Passover is supposedly when christ was crucified. Easter is 3 days later when he rose again.

Personally I see this as a metaphor for ego death. I dont believe a man dieing is what gave me the ability to be forgiven for my sins. But I do believe back 0 when it happened and everyone say how wrong it was it changed everything as we know it, we each had to take responsibility for ours actions even if personally we didn't crucify Christ we all let it happen... everyone took responsibility for it.

And thats the kind of idea that I think changed the world 2026 years ago. Today we just say Jesus saves and have faith in ourselves to do the right things because of that.

[OlderAndWiser]

This is Holy Week and the entire seven days are a time for meditation on the sacrifice of Jesus. The Easter Bunny and that nonsense is for kids; Jesus Christ is for adults.

[Sunrising]

I totally agree with you, but the kid stuff encourages even adults to remember Easter, when otherwise people that don't go to church might forget.

[exitseven]

Yes, that bunny will be coming to my house.

Lets go Joey, it is time for your nap.

[Xawyx-2]

I'm not religious, so I don't celebrate it.

[Xawyx-2]

Anyway, Happy Easter to you my friend.

[Sunrising]

I'm not religious but Easter is usually a holiday for me, though I have an open mind on the subject, and I do follow a few of the traditions.

[Xawyx-2]

You're agnostic?

[Sunrising]

I've never used that word to describe myself, though I support Christmas and Easter.

[Xawyx-2]

I see, well, I support New Years, and other secular holidays.

[LC75LC71]

Why are you always announcing things like 2 days early?

[Sunrising]

Today is Good Friday.

[LC75LC71]

Indeed.

[RandomGirl42]

Every day is a Holiday for me! And Happy Easter! 😊

[Jennz6]

Today is a great a great Holiday. Jesus Christ is risen and on the right side of God. I am truly blessed.

[BCRanger10]

Yes, I celebrate Easter. It is my favorite holiday.

[strateguy632]

I was surprised my protestant church doesn't celebrate it.

[Jersey2]

That’s crazy. It is the single most important Christian holiday.

[strateguy632]

@Jersey2 apparently you are wrong!

[Jersey2]

12 years of Catholic school here, I don’t think I am wrong Rabbi 🙂

I did check and yes, some Protestants, or as I tell my wife Heathens (she is Methodist), don’t celebrate Easter as some consider too Catholic, you know, the religion that Jesus Himself formed.

Others see it as too closely modeled after Pagan holidays. These include Jehovah's Witnesses‘ who believe that only 144,000 will go to heaven. If that is so, I am screwed for sure.

I will list some religions and reasons why they don’t celebrate Easter from AI, specifically Grok.

[Jersey2]

From AI:
- Jehovah's Witnesses
Reasons: They view Easter customs as non-biblical and tied to ancient pagan fertility rites. Instead, they commemorate Jesus’ death annually with the Lord’s Evening Meal (Memorial) on the date corresponding to the biblical Passover. They do not observe holidays they consider rooted in the worship of gods other than Jehovah or lacking direct Bible command.

- Quakers (Religious Society of Friends)
Reasons: They traditionally reject outward religious ceremonies and holidays altogether, including Easter and Christmas. They believe all days are equally holy and emphasize simplicity over rituals.

- Churches of Christ (restorationist group in the Stone-Campbell Movement)
Reasons: Many do not hold special Easter services or events because they aim to follow only New Testament practices. They see Easter as a later, man-made addition without scriptural authority for annual observance.

- Some Puritan-descended or strict Reformed/Presbyterian groups
Reasons: They criticize Easter as unbiblical or too tied to Catholic liturgy. This stems from the Puritan tradition that viewed many holidays as human inventions not commanded in Scripture.

- Armstrong Movement churches (some offshoots of the Worldwide Church of God) and certain Seventh-day Adventist branches or similar groups
Reasons: They often reject Easter due to perceived pagan associations or in preference for observing biblical feasts like Passover.

- Messianic Jewish congregations (some with Protestant influences)
Reasons: They may prefer to observe biblical holy days rather than Easter.

[kellytheman]

Maybe when I was younger and a kid getting an Easter basket and maybe go to church but no I don’t really celebrate Easter anymore. I honestly like Good Friday though.

[Jeff51]

It is but ask me what i do on Easter? Nothing...

[sage2021]

Easter isn't until Sunday the 5th.

[Sunrising]

Good Friday today is part of Easter and is celebrated by Christians in the USA, and Christian countries all around the World.

[XXblack88]

yes it's a holiday for me

[MrChinaski]

Any reason for hot buns is a good reason.

[Hispanic-Cool-Guy]

Nope. Its not biblical at all.

[beefcakebradybatson]

I'm going to be the Easter Brady !!!

[khyabaldwin3]

Happy early Easter