As I’ve aged I find holidays more confusing… There are the true meaning of the holidays and then there are all the holiday traditions encouraged by years of marketing.

So here we are yet again about to celebrate Easter. A Christian holiday celebrating Christ and his resurrection, the true meaning of Easter and yet…
Happy Easter is all you hear, chocolate and bunnies are all we see… As I was told several times yesterday “Happy Easter” it made me wonder… What most people were celebrating, including myself!

I googled where the word Easter came from, here’s what I found…

“The exact origins of this religious feast day’s name are unknown. Some sources claim the word Easter is derived from Eostre, a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility. Other accounts trace Easter to the Latin term hebdomada alba, or white week, an ancient reference to Easter week and the white clothing donned by people who were baptized during that time.”
History.com
And honestly it want on and on…

As we all know, Christians celebrate Easter as the day Christ has risen…

Here’s what History.com has to say about the Christian aspect…

“Easter is really an entire season of the Christian church year, as opposed to a single-day observance. Lent, the 40-day period leading up to Easter Sunday, is a time of reflection and penance and represents the 40 days that Jesus spent alone in the wilderness before starting his ministry, a time in which Christians believe he survived various temptations by the devil. The day before Lent, known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, is a last hurrah of food and fun before the fasting begins. The week preceding Easter is called Holy Week and includes Maundy Thursday, which commemorates Jesus’ last supper with his disciples; Good Friday, which honors the day of his crucifixion; and Holy Saturday, which focuses on the transition between the crucifixion and resurrection. The 50-day period following Easter Sunday is called Eastertide and includes a celebration of Jesus’ ascension into heaven.”

And then there are the candies, (peeps, jelly beans and chocolate bunnies to be exact) baskets, eggs, the Easter Bunny himself and by the way over 90 million chocolate bunnies are made every year…
Holiday traditions…
Makes me wonder…

Happy Easter
Happy Spring
Happy Resurrection…

What does Easter mean to you?