Happy Easter, everyone

[skysmum]

A Very Happy and peaceful Easter to all. We are laying a new carpet after ive just spent two weeks decorating the stairs and landing , amongst spending it with family of course , enjoy.

[stace]

Mar 28, 2013 13:57:43 GMT BudgiesBuddy said:

Happy Easter everyone

But I have no idea what it is

Not being a religious person, I may or may not be the best to explain. But Easter is probably the most sacred time in the Christian calendar. More so than Christmas really. 

Easter Friday (known as Good Friday) is the day that Jesus (God's son in human form also called Jesus Christ or just Christ) died after being crucified on the cross by the Roman regime set up in those times in the Middle East - 2,000 odd years ago. Three days later, on Easter Sunday, he was resurrected (rose from the dead). People went to visit his tomb and he was gone. 

This idea of resurrection (and sacrifice which harks back to many early pre-Christian religions) is really the central and most important theme of all of Christianity. While the three monotheistic religions all share the same roots and share the same God in many ways, this is what sets Christianity apart from both the Jewish and Islamic faiths. This is why you will often hear Christians talking about Jesus dying for our sins. 

[Hezz]

Mar 28, 2013 9:40:15 GMT Hezz said:

I would just like to wish one and all a happy (and safe) Easter. Whether you be of Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, atheist, or other tribal belief, it can be a time to reflect on the meaning of life.

For many. many people it is simply an excuse to have four days off .................. I'd like to take it a little further and make it a time of reflection and appreciation. Enough said from me.

BB, I am not surprised, you are excused.

Commercialism has changed it from what was for many, a meaningful time, to one of blatant overconsumerism.

[BudgiesBuddy]

Mar 29, 2013 1:41:15 GMT stace said:

Mar 28, 2013 13:57:43 GMT BudgiesBuddy said:

Happy Easter everyone

But I have no idea what it is

Not being a religious person, I may or may not be the best to explain. But Easter is probably the most sacred time in the Christian calendar. More so than Christmas really. 

Easter Friday (known as Good Friday) is the day that Jesus (God's son in human form also called Jesus Christ or just Christ) died after being crucified on the cross by the Roman regime set up in those times in the Middle East - 2,000 odd years ago. Three days later, on Easter Sunday, he was resurrected (rose from the dead). People went to visit his tomb and he was gone. 

This idea of resurrection (and sacrifice which harks back to many early pre-Christian religions) is really the central and most important theme of all of Christianity. While the three monotheistic religions all share the same roots and share the same God in many ways, this is what sets Christianity apart from both the Jewish and Islamic faiths. This is why you will often hear Christians talking about Jesus dying for our sins. 

So it is a religious occasion.

What does it has to do with rabbits?

[BudgiesBuddy]

Mar 29, 2013 1:55:52 GMT Hezz said:

Mar 28, 2013 9:40:15 GMT Hezz said:

I would just like to wish one and all a happy (and safe) Easter. Whether you be of Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, atheist, or other tribal belief, it can be a time to reflect on the meaning of life.

For many. many people it is simply an excuse to have four days off .................. I'd like to take it a little further and make it a time of reflection and appreciation. Enough said from me.

BB, I am not surprised, you are excused.

Commercialism has changed it from what was for many, a meaningful time, to one of blatant overconsumerism.

I know about other faiths holidays. I surprised myself that I didn't know about Easter.

[stace]

Mar 29, 2013 7:44:59 GMT BudgiesBuddy said:

What does it has to do with rabbits?

The Easter Bunny and Easter eggs have nothing really to do with the Christian Easter celebration. However, as with many events in many religions that can be traced back to early heathen religions (polytheistic religions who believe in many gods, goddesses or spirits), the rabbit and eggs are all to do with fertility and the arrival of Spring, which were the most sacred events in those times. 

These old parts of early historic belief became blended with the new religion of Christianity. I believe the same is true of other religions where strong local beliefs were blended in with any new religion to keep a sense of tradition and familiarity for people.

[BudgiesBuddy]

So do churches engage in the religious stuff only on Easter or they too do the Easter Bunny and Easter eggs stuff?

[stace]

Mar 29, 2013 7:44:59 GMT BudgiesBuddy said:

So it is a religion occasion?

Very much so, and as I said, probably more sacred and important than Christmas. Easter commemorates the event that is at the very heart of the faith. It is not so obvious to an outsider as it is nowhere near as commercialised. 

[stace]

Mar 29, 2013 7:59:57 GMT BudgiesBuddy said:

So do churches engage in the religious stuff only on Easter or they too do the Easter Bunny and Easter eggs stuff?

The Easter egg thing is really just something we do for the kids. It's not anything to do with the church.

Families get together and often eat fish (to commemorate the Last Supper where Jesus gathered with his disciples for his last meal - you know the Leonardo Da Vinci fresco in Milan?). Hot cross buns are also a traditional food, along with all the chocolate bunnies and Easter eggs for the kids.

[stace]

Here the Easter Budgie



Boo is mounting a land attack to get at the hot cross bun. 

[Marianne Marlow]

Boo is so cheeky, I love him!!

[samwiseg]

Mar 28, 2013 12:32:19 GMT mizloco said:

Happy Easter. I thought budgies were the meaning of life

Sent from my HTC One X using proboards

Well, that and chocolate

[mizloco]

Watch out, watch out, there's a budgie about....

Sent from my HTC One X using proboards

[Hezz]

Bunnies and eggs were supposed to be portraying life going on ........eggs are obvious; bunnies maybe because of "breeding like rabbits"

But hot cross buns, easter eggs/bunnies, and chocolate, are not the meaning of Easter. They are the commercial side of what can have very real meaning to a lot of people. You don't have to believe to respect others who do ......... is there no-one who actually thinks about this?

While I am not a particularly religious person either, I feel this can be a time for EVERYONE to take stock and maybe appreciate what they do have. Instead of whinging about what they don't!

[samwiseg]

Mar 29, 2013 9:49:04 GMT Hezz said:

Bunnies and eggs were supposed to be portraying life going on ........eggs are obvious; bunnies maybe because of "breeding like rabbits"

But hot cross buns, easter eggs/bunnies, and chocolate, are not the meaning of Easter. They are the commercial side of what can have very real meaning to a lot of people. You don't have to believe to respect others who do ......... is there no-one who actually thinks about this?

While I am not a particularly religious person either, I feel this can be a time for EVERYONE to take stock and maybe appreciate what they do have. Instead of whinging about what they don't!

You are absolutely right Hezz, it should be a time to reflect. Everything gets so commercialised these days and why should we eat chocolate at Easter when you can have it all year round? (Joke)

No seriously, I can tell you that a couple of years ago we had a very minimal Christmas, no presents we could just about afford some sort of a Christmas dinner and I have got to say it was one of the most quiet Christmas's we have had albeit one of the best. Strange that its takes something like that to make you humble and more aware of others in a worse situation than yourself.

Perhaps instead of being commercial for a day we should consider what we can do for others.

So much so, this Easter I will be sponsoring a duck in a fete in our area! Laugh if you will! But as all the proceeds will go to saving an area in our town that the Council wish to build on that is actually a nice area shared by wildlife as well as the public I think it will be worth it.