Judeo-Christian Holidays This Week

[Gryffindorian]

reenactments of the Passion

The way they do this in the Philippines maked me run for the nearest air conditioned church.

Are you talking about those folks who will have themselves nailed to crosses and/or the ones who beat themselves bloody?

It was interesting when I was growing up in that country. We actually had a few men in the community who took "vows" to do the Passion during Holy Week. (Of course, none of them got nailed to the cross.) One man carried a heavy wooden cross over his shoulder every year from his village all the way to the town church, which was a good walk. Others were actually reenacting the Passion--Jesus Christ carrying a cross with a few Roman centurions on his side.

 

[Vulcan Princess]

I celebrate Easter; it's my favorite holiday of the year. I don't do candy eggs and the Easter bunny, though. I keep it strictly religious.

Eggs and rabbits (hares, originally) ARE religious. Easter is a pagan festival to celebrate the coming of spring. Eggs and rabbits are fertility symbols. Early Christians coincided their celebration of the resurrection with the pagan festival, thereby displacing it.

Fine, eggs and rabbits may have originally had religious connotations, but the eggs and rabbits sold/promoted in the United States currently are secular. Plus, it's kind of rude to laugh at someone's expression of religion.

 

[tomalak301]

I'm a Catholic and will probably go to Good Friday services. Then I'm definately going to Easter Sunday, but I was thinking about doing the Vigil instead. It may be long, but it's a great mass.

 

[Gryffindorian]

FWIW, although Christmas and Easter both have religious meanings in the Christian community, they're a combination of Christian and pagan traditions. It's not surprising to see non-religious or non-Christian people celebrate those holidays.

 

[Vulcan Princess]

FWIW, although Christmas and Easter both have religious meanings in the Christian community, they're a combination of Christian and pagan traditions. It's not surprising to see non-religious or non-Christian people celebrate those holidays.

I'm not saying non-religious or non-Christian people shouldn't celebrate the holidays. Whatever works for them. I'm just saying I didn't like being laughed at, and that the candy and rabbits don't work for me.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I'm Lutheran. My church has services on Thursday and Friday but I have to work. On Easter I will do what I usually do, go to my dad's church - they sing the Hallelujah Chorus during their Easter services. I wish we did that! I love me some Handel, and our church typically draws huge crowds at Easter (our Easter service is at a huge concert arena downtown) so I think we could make it sound great! Ah well, at least I get to sing it somehow. Trouble is I practice using a recording by the London Philharmonic so I always end up singing it with an English accent.

 

[Gryffindorian]

FWIW, although Christmas and Easter both have religious meanings in the Christian community, they're a combination of Christian and pagan traditions. It's not surprising to see non-religious or non-Christian people celebrate those holidays.

I'm not saying non-religious or non-Christian people shouldn't celebrate the holidays. Whatever works for them. I'm just saying I didn't like being laughed at, and that the candy and rabbits don't work for me.

I agree with you. People's beliefs (or lack thereof) should be respected by others.

 

[T'Girl]

I get Friday and Monday off work, but I don't celebrate anything, except having some free time off work.

What is this strange "time off work" you speak of?

 

[iguana_tonante]

Do you call the Saturday before Easter the Black Sabbath? Is it common knowledge? I never heard that before in Italy. That's awesome!

OMG!!! Did I really say Black Sabbath?!?

Anyway, we referred to it as Sabado de Gloria.

Here in Italy, I've only heard it called Sabato Santo, Holy Saturday (just like Good Friday is simply called Venerdì Santo, Holy Friday).

I celebrate Easter; it's my favorite holiday of the year. I don't do candy eggs and the Easter bunny, though. I keep it strictly religious.

Eggs and rabbits (hares, originally) ARE religious. Easter is a pagan festival to celebrate the coming of spring. Eggs and rabbits are fertility symbols. Early Christians coincided their celebration of the resurrection with the pagan festival, thereby displacing it.

Fine, eggs and rabbits may have originally had religious connotations, but the eggs and rabbits sold/promoted in the United States currently are secular. Plus, it's kind of rude to laugh at someone's expression of religion.

I don't think he was laughing at your expression of religion, but at your lack of understanding of the original meaning of the symbols associated with the festivity. Which, while unsurprising, is still pretty funny.

 

[RJDiogenes]

So is nobody going to Easter Island?

 

[StarryEyed]

Eggs and rabbits (hares, originally) ARE religious. Easter is a pagan festival to celebrate the coming of spring. Eggs and rabbits are fertility symbols. Early Christians coincided their celebration of the resurrection with the pagan festival, thereby displacing it.

Fine, eggs and rabbits may have originally had religious connotations, but the eggs and rabbits sold/promoted in the United States currently are secular. Plus, it's kind of rude to laugh at someone's expression of religion.

I don't think he was laughing at your expression of religion, but at your lack of understanding of the original meaning of the symbols associated with the festivity. Which, while unsurprising, is still pretty funny.

EGGsactly!

Sorry Vulcan Princess; I didn't mean to belittle your beliefs. I do like to point out the connection between eggs/bunnies and the original pagan Easter because I think it's rude for one religion to deliberately coincide its most important celebrations (Easter, Christmas) with those of another religion with the goal of displacing them. I think it's good for people to understand where Easter eggs/bunnies and Christmas trees come from. It's that thing about those who fail to learn from history being doomed to repeat it.

 

[RoJoHen]

If you've seen South Park, you know where the Easter Bunny came from.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I think it's rude for one religion to deliberately coincide its most important celebrations (Easter, Christmas) with those of another religion with the goal of displacing them.

Well, that's as may be, but it's not the fault of Christians today. No one should be held accountable for so-called "rude" things that happened centuries ago.

 

[StarryEyed]

I think it's rude for one religion to deliberately coincide its most important celebrations (Easter, Christmas) with those of another religion with the goal of displacing them.

Well, that's as may be, but it's not the fault of Christians today. No one should be held accountable for so-called "rude" things that happened centuries ago.

I'm not blaming anyone, I just think people should know. Easter is NOT exclusively about Christianity. There could have been a uniquely Christian celebration of the resurrection but that isn't the way it turned out. Early Christians in power chose to steal a pagan spring/fertility celebration so now you are forced to share eggs and bunnies with your gruesome execution symbol (the cross).

Once again, I apologize to Vulcan Princess and anyone else who took my initial post as a belittlement of Christians celebrating their resurrection beliefs but I think people should know that there is another thing to be celebrated on this day and it has everything to do with eggs/bunnies.

 

[Vulcan Princess]

Apology accepted, StarryEyed. I hope you have a great Easter, however you choose to celebrate it, and whatever you choose to celebrate.

 

[scottydog]

So is nobody going to Easter Island?

Not me. I just got back from Shutter Island and it was no fun. No islands for me for a long time.

 

[RJDiogenes]

^^ That's what Jack said. You just wait.

 

[Gryffindorian]

Lots going on this week. I just realized the Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Churches are both celebrating Easter on the same day this year (although they use different calendars).

Christians Gather in Jerusalem and Rome

Good Friday in the Philippines

 

[RJDiogenes]

I use the History Channel "This Day In History" Calendar.

 

[scottydog]

My main challenge is judging how much chocolate I can eat in mass quantities without getting sick.