Easter is a bigger Christian Holy Day than Christmas.

[alcuno]

Funny. I never hear any whining about keeping Easter out of the schools, government places, and department stores. Yet, it's become a non-stop annual whine-fest in the run-up to Christmas.

I'm a Catholic and can haven't quite figured out why the radical right is so obsessed with Christmas.

[unblock]

1. because it's all about politics, not about religion

christmas is celebrated much more widely, and viewed as a more significant holiday for family and social reasons, largely due to the distinctly NON-religious consumerism surrounding the holiday.

easter remains a primarily religious holiday, and therefore is not celebrate nearly as widely. well, of course, we all get a day off work around then (good friday), but for many, it's just a day off.


consequently, there's more political interest in christmas.

[HawkerHurricane]

2. You get Good Friday off?

I haven't had that day off since I left the Catholic School.

[alcuno]

5. I'm off for Rosh Hashanah (sp) and Yom Kipper.

In my school district, Good Friday is packed into Spring Break so the issue doesn't come up.

[unblock]

10. stock exchanges are closed good friday

so almost all of wall street has the day off.

[mark414]

3. yeah

besides, who celebrates someone's death?

oh yeah, THESE people: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=2824567&mesg_id=2824567

[SemperEadem]

17. I agree totally

it's about political control to force religion down the throats of those who don't profess the same beliefs.

They couldn't care less, really, that it's about the birth of the person they believe in--if they were REALLY that concerned about christmas, they'd be boycotting Walmart and other stores which are blatantly and commercially capitalizing on the secularization of a religious event.

Stores wouldn't be looking to the time between thanksgiving and christmas to meet their yearly earnings goals because the xtians would have effectively shut that ruse down years ago. Most of the xtians I know go so far into debt during this time of year, maxing out their credit cards and borrowing into their children's college funds--if they even have one--worshipping mammon, instead of God. The money changers laugh all the way to the bank, the xtians cry about being told "happy holidays" because they know they're wrong... the guilty make the most noise.

[whistle]

4. Yep Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ or Love...

...Easter is why Christians are Christians, because it is the hope of resurrection and being born again because Christ died on the cross for all of man's sins. That is my understanding anyway.

Then 600 years later along comes a Semite prophet Mohamed who studies this phenomena about the resurrected Christ and refutes that direction that the Christian movement has taken that Jesus was the Son of God and proclaims that Jesus although a great teacher of Love and charity, was just another prophet and not a God or the part of any trinity of deism. The prophet Mohamed said, there is only one God, Allah.

Thus began a conflict between the two religions that has lasted 1,500 years now. Does anyone think that George W. Bush can settle this matter once and for all? Who ever wins gets a whole lot of desert real estate with very little water, but lots and lots of oil. Has it been worth it?:shrug:

[BattyDem]

6. Because they don't like the fact that ...

non-Christians are included in the celebration and it's not about Christ for them. It's about family, giving, good will towards man, etc. It's become more of a celebration of the season, which is fine - why not include everyone who wants to be a part of it? It's not hurting anyone and no one is preventing Christians from celebrating the day as they choose. But like everything with the Fundies, it's not enough for them to have their religion unless they can either shove it down people's throats or use it as an excuse to exclude people. How DARE anyone acknowledge Hanukkah or Kwanza or Saturnalia or any other December holiday which other religions may celebrate?! December belongs to Christians! :eyes:

[Solly Mack]

7. I guess Happy Bunny Day is out then?

[alcuno]

8. I never hear anyone railing against the Easter Bunny.

Or Easter egg hunts.

[prodigal_green]

9. Celebrating Christmas in December was a marketing ploy

to get the Romans to go along with it. Hey look, we have a winter festival of lights too, only it is not the Saturnalia, it is to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Carry on with your pagan rituals...

Easter is the holiest part of the year in the Christian calendar. In fact, it is the only part of the Catholic year that I pay any attention to. For some reason, it has a lot more spiritual resonance with me.

According to RaptureReady.com (yes a real website), he was born in September or October.

[chicagiana]

14. Don't get me started ...

... don't even get me started on all the sun/halo iconography, Constantine's religion and why most Christians meet on Sunday instead of Saturday (Saturn (Sabbath)).

[Must_B_Free]

18. Dec 25 is a calendar holiday

so is easter - easter is associated with fertility - estros - that is why the pagan symbology is rabbits and chicks - things associated with fertility.

that why it fits with christ "rising back to life"

[prodigal_green]

19. If you read Me Talk Pretty One Day

by David Sedaris, you'll read the most hysterical story about his trying to describe the Easter tradition in his French class after moving to France. Apparently the French story is that the bell from the Vatican flies through the air and delivers candy and presents to little children. I laughed so hard I nearly cried.

I think the whole thing that Christians miss about our holidays, and even the whole Jesus story is that his cult was just one of many in the Egyptian Mystery tradition (that included a son-god, the idea of resurrection, etc). The fact that Jesus combined this tradition with politics made his particular cult catch on.

I still like the idea of Easter though, pagan connotations or not. Rebirth after a period of decay and darkness is something all Democrats should look forward too as well :toast:

[420inTN]

11. And the Easter Bunny is LIVID!

I hear that he's looking to sue Santa Claus for being a monopoly and anti-competitive actions.

[yellowdogintexas]

12. The other thing is Easter always falls on a Sunday

and truly isn't associated with gift exchanging,e tc.

[chicagiana]

13. Doens't matter ...

... most Christians couldn't distinguish their faith from their asshole.

Most Christians don't realize that Christmas used to be a big "party holiday" sporting druken intoxication.

Most Christians don't realize that MOST of the rights of both Christmas and Easter are pagan rituals perpetuated by the pagan (psuedo)converts to Christianity.

Why would I want to read these people's minds. They don't even understand their own faith.

[chicagiana]

15. As an Alvian i protest!!!!

I want Alvianism put into the schools to celebrate the gun-toting, drinking gospel of Alvis!!!!!

[qs04]

16. Do you hear any "whining" about All Saints Day?

I don't. Why do you think that is?

[prodigal_green]

20. You hear plenty about Halloween though.

Satan's Day. These people are idiots. Many Churches try to get trick-or-treating banned.

[Bridget Burke]

21. Because it's mainly a Catholic holiday.

As pointed out, All Hallows' Eve has its whiners.

The core of the Flaky Fundy movement is strongly Puritanical. They'd actually like to abolish all non-biblical holidays as Popish & Pagan. (Some of us like Popish & Pagan!) In the meantime, they'll use their "ownership" of Christmas to further their own ends.

[qs04]

23. No, not because it's Catholic.

But because having it in schools, government, etc. is not an issue -- it isn't there. Neither is Easter. This is what I was replying to:

"Funny. I never hear any whining about keeping Easter out of the schools, government places, and department stores. Yet, it's become a non-stop annual whine-fest in the run-up to Christmas."

[Walt Starr]

22. I've never seen anything related to Easter in teh schools

Not even when I was a child in school over thirty years ago!