As another holiday arrives, all local supermarkets and convenience stores have their shelves filled with Easter-themed goods. Pastel colored chocolates, stuffed figures of the charismatic bunny, and eggs waiting to be painted are found each step one takes down the aisle. Suddenly, spring manifests itself in bright festivity. However, one may wonder if most people even know the Christian origins of the holiday Easter.
While some families decide to see the holiday as a reason to have a cookout with their relatives or set up an egg hunt for their kids, others celebrate this as an important religious holiday. Christians believe that Jesus Christ (the Messiah) was resurrected from the dead on Easter after being killed. The Bible says, “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen!’” (holybible.com). Christians celebrate this resurrection on Easter Sunday.
According to an educational website, after being arrested and charged with treason for claiming to be the King of the Jews, Jesus Christ was tortured and then murdered (study.com). Historians estimate that Jesus was forced to carry a 300-pound cross as He walked 600 meters before His final moments on Earth (quora.com). But why was this man different from any other? How did he become the founder of Christian faith? Many believe His burden to be the heaviest weight ever carried and that it symbolizes the weight of earthly sin. In addition, according to a Christian ministry website, Christians believe that Christ was sent from Heaven into the womb of a virgin, a first century Jewish woman, Mary of Nazareth, who then birthed Jesus – in order to practice miracles and provide heavenly salvation. He is believed to be the bridge between the Creator Himself and the world (youversion.com).
In the present day, it seems that most people – even Christians – lack awareness about why Easter is celebrated. At the same time, companies continue to profit from goods sold at this time – such as chocolates and stuffed bunnies – which do not reflect the religious significance of the holiday. According to the National Retail Federation, the average American consumer is expected to spend approximately 180 dollars per person on Easter-related goods this year – mostly due to popular trends – which makes the country’s grand spending total 22.4 billion dollars (retailbrew.com).
Senior Lelan Marroney could not agree more. He said, “The Easter bunny takes away the focus from Christ and places it onto something that is worldly. Christianity has been monetized in many different ways, either through Mega Churches or products, as people are willing to exploit the holiday to make a quick buck off of traditions.”To some who are religious, this commercialization of the holiday seems sacreligious.
On the other hand, other Christians might openly disagree. Junior James Esper said, “Even though most people have lost sight of what the holiday is about, it is still a fun tradition [to have chocolate and egg hunts], especially for kids. Everyone is trying to make money after all, so it’s not that big of an issue that companies profit off of Easter as they are not defaming its meaning.”
Most people don’t seem to think about the religious significance of this holiday. But, however people decide to spend their Easter, hopefully there is a celebration of new life, hope, forgiveness, and love.