Poll: What does Easter mean to you?
- Thread starter Torrasque
- Start date
I'm not a christian, but it's a holiday here, so I'm free from school anyway. It has no religious significance to me, but a holiday is nice.
First off: My university doesn't give me Friday off. I didn't even know that people got a holiday for Easter till just now. For me, it means 1 day of good, home cooked food. Not stupid campus dining. Ugh....
In order to celebrate the day captain James Tiberius Kirk recruited the space-dragons to save Hogwarts from the Blue Meanies (that's what Easter is, right? I can never remember), I go to work. That's right, I don't get easter off from work. And I don't really care. At least I get paid extra and it's a legitimate excuse not to visit my mother, who expects me to visit every fucking Christian holiday even though they intentionally raised me secular.
I'd honestly completely forgotten this Easter business existed until the supermarket decorations with bunnies and eggs started making their appearance. I just absolutely cannot care and just see it as an inconvenience. Fortunately, there are also Muslim supermarkets, so I'm not bothered by the "shit being closed" part of Christian holidays.
So, yeah, Easter means nothing to me. Your poll needs more options.
I'd honestly completely forgotten this Easter business existed until the supermarket decorations with bunnies and eggs started making their appearance. I just absolutely cannot care and just see it as an inconvenience. Fortunately, there are also Muslim supermarkets, so I'm not bothered by the "shit being closed" part of Christian holidays.
So, yeah, Easter means nothing to me. Your poll needs more options.
Ah Easter, the worshipping of the god Eostre and the renewal of spring....
er...I mean...something involving jesus.....
lol, but no really all christian holidays are based off old pagan traditions. Sadly my family won't accept basic history, due to their blind religious devotion (like most christians celebrating the holiday).
But I do buy a chocolate bunny (because nobody get me anything :C ). At least one. Thats me made-up holiday tradition. AND NOT HOLLOW. Whoever makes the hollow chocolate bunnies can go jump off a cliff.
er...I mean...something involving jesus.....
lol, but no really all christian holidays are based off old pagan traditions. Sadly my family won't accept basic history, due to their blind religious devotion (like most christians celebrating the holiday).
But I do buy a chocolate bunny (because nobody get me anything :C ). At least one. Thats me made-up holiday tradition. AND NOT HOLLOW. Whoever makes the hollow chocolate bunnies can go jump off a cliff.
I'm sure I'm not the only one to say this, but Easter is all about the Cadbury Creme Egg. Candy is murder on my stomach. It very nearly makes me sick there's just so much sugar. But once a year, I cease to give even the shadow of a fuck and buy me some Cadbury Eggs. That is Easter to me.
Time off school with a side of chocolate. The relief I feel when the last class before holidays is over is amazing.
It means taking some time off to browse for variations on Zombie Jesus on DeviantART, being stuck with my grandmother who religiously watches the Zeffirelli Jesus flick and who overcooks Every Roast Ever, watching the tots go haywire because of excess sugar in their system and listening to one of the family's many, many moochers whine on about how their life sucks and how Gran-Gran would be super awesome if she could lend them a thousand bucks so they can pay rent (read: go on a booze fest).
I love my family, but...
Let's just say the maternal side has two huge saprophytes in its midst.
I love my family, but...
Let's just say the maternal side has two huge saprophytes in its midst.
Long story relatively short:
The first humans sin (shown through the figurative language of Genesis as "eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil") and screw up the world. God, not wanting to give up on us, guides a chosen people (first a couple, then a family, a tribe, nation, kingdom) until it is time to send the Messiah. For us men and for our salvation, Jesus, the second person of the Holy Trinity, came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
He lives a quiet life until his adulthood, when he begins his ministry. Jesus gathers his disciples (12 were chosen to be closer. His Apostles) and travels the area, teaching, standing up to hypocritical pharisees, and performing miracles. He loses many followers when he tells them they must eat his flesh and drink his blood, but the Apostles stay.
By the end of his ministry, the Jewish authorities want him dead. He gathered with the twelve in an upper room (traditionally, the home of Mark the Evangelist). Jesus washes their feet (a task normally given to slaves). With this act, he is showing them how to live once he is gone: serving others. In addition, ritual washing was important to the Jewish people. The priests would wash their hands and feet before approaching the altar, so this could be interpreted as a priestly act.
They move onto the Passover meal. It proceeds normally at first. However, Jesus changes the ritual before it is over. Breaking and blessing the bread, he gave it to the Apostles, saying "This is my Body". In a similar way, he took the cup, blessed it, and gave it to them, saying "This is my Blood." He instructs them to repeat the act in memory of him.
After the meal, he went to pray in a garden. The power trio of Apostles: Peter, James (the greater), and John were to keep watch, but they kept sleeping. Judas, one of the apostles, betrayed Jesus and brought the authorities to arrest him. Peter struck at one of the guards with his sword, but Jesus rebuked him and healed the guard.
Jesus was tried and found guilty of blasphemy. For our sake, he was tortured and sentenced to death through a brutal execution: crucifixion. He suffered death and was buried. A few women wished to prepare his body for burial, but they didn't have time. It was almost the Sabbath, and no work could be done. They returned on Sunday and found an empty tomb. He had risen!
Over the next few weeks, he appeared to his disciples. Preparing them for what was to come and promising they would be guided by "the Paraclete". Jesus ascended into heaven. The apostles were frightened and didn't know what to do, but the Holy Spirit gave them the grace they needed to go preaching about the Christ. That was the first day of his Church, which is still around today.
Last night was Holy Thursday, the Mass celebrating the Last Supper. That Mass...the celebration of the first Mass...begins the Easter Triduum. Today, the only day with no Mass, will be Veneration of the Cross. Tomorrow night, the Easter Vigil. I, along with many others, will celebrate the Lord's sacrifice and resurrection with sacraments he instituted nearly 2000 years ago.
You ask what Easter means? It means that despite our fallen state, God did not abandon us. He suffered a brutal death for us. He defeated death for us. He built a Church through which we are given incredible graces.
It's love.
He lives a quiet life until his adulthood, when he begins his ministry. Jesus gathers his disciples (12 were chosen to be closer. His Apostles) and travels the area, teaching, standing up to hypocritical pharisees, and performing miracles. He loses many followers when he tells them they must eat his flesh and drink his blood, but the Apostles stay.
By the end of his ministry, the Jewish authorities want him dead. He gathered with the twelve in an upper room (traditionally, the home of Mark the Evangelist). Jesus washes their feet (a task normally given to slaves). With this act, he is showing them how to live once he is gone: serving others. In addition, ritual washing was important to the Jewish people. The priests would wash their hands and feet before approaching the altar, so this could be interpreted as a priestly act.
They move onto the Passover meal. It proceeds normally at first. However, Jesus changes the ritual before it is over. Breaking and blessing the bread, he gave it to the Apostles, saying "This is my Body". In a similar way, he took the cup, blessed it, and gave it to them, saying "This is my Blood." He instructs them to repeat the act in memory of him.
After the meal, he went to pray in a garden. The power trio of Apostles: Peter, James (the greater), and John were to keep watch, but they kept sleeping. Judas, one of the apostles, betrayed Jesus and brought the authorities to arrest him. Peter struck at one of the guards with his sword, but Jesus rebuked him and healed the guard.
Jesus was tried and found guilty of blasphemy. For our sake, he was tortured and sentenced to death through a brutal execution: crucifixion. He suffered death and was buried. A few women wished to prepare his body for burial, but they didn't have time. It was almost the Sabbath, and no work could be done. They returned on Sunday and found an empty tomb. He had risen!
Over the next few weeks, he appeared to his disciples. Preparing them for what was to come and promising they would be guided by "the Paraclete". Jesus ascended into heaven. The apostles were frightened and didn't know what to do, but the Holy Spirit gave them the grace they needed to go preaching about the Christ. That was the first day of his Church, which is still around today.
Last night was Holy Thursday, the Mass celebrating the Last Supper. That Mass...the celebration of the first Mass...begins the Easter Triduum. Today, the only day with no Mass, will be Veneration of the Cross. Tomorrow night, the Easter Vigil. I, along with many others, will celebrate the Lord's sacrifice and resurrection with sacraments he instituted nearly 2000 years ago.
You ask what Easter means? It means that despite our fallen state, God did not abandon us. He suffered a brutal death for us. He defeated death for us. He built a Church through which we are given incredible graces.
It's love.
Damn you, you know I can't drink carbonated beverages! *sob sob*Sunrider84 said:
OP: Holiday for me. I dressed up as as "påskkärring" (it's a Scandinavian thing) as a kid and went to Easter mass like a good little Catholic, but nowadays it's just a holiday. I am going to my sister's on Monday for Easter "fika" (English needs a word for this) but that's about it.
I am also eating copious amounts of sweets but that isn't holiday related =P NOMNOMNOM
You're putting me in quite a quandary here. Part of me feels a large amount of pity (in a non offensive way, of course) for you, seeing as you're missing out on THE BEST BEVERAGE EVER.trollnystan said:
And a very small part of me feels a smug sense of superiority. =D
But then again, is there any non-smug sense of superiority? I must ponder this further. I'll get back to you on that.
