As much as I love the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, etc. I always have a hard time around the holidays. It’s almost like I want to celebrate and enjoy the silliness of Easter baskets, fun toys, and my personal favorite – envelopes with money – but at the same time I am left wondering do these fun things distract away from more than add to the real reason for the holiday.Don’t get me wrong, I had a blast growing up in North Carolina painting Easter Eggs at my Aunt Karen’s house, and I still understood the true meaning of Easter – my parents made sure of that! But as I continue to get older, the more it seems that either parents aren’t emphasizing the true meaning of holidays anymore and/or our Christian culture has de-emphasized the meanings.
When I was a kid, in 1979, the definition of Easter seemed to be – the holiday celebrating Jesus’ victory over death symbolized by the Easter bunny’s victory over my parents by allowing me to receive and eat as much chocolate as I wanted.
However, now, in 2009, I feel like the definition of Easter is - the Easter bunny died three days ago, but came back to give us Cadbury eggs to celebrate while we wear pastel colors and eat ham (or whatever meat or vegetable you want to place here).
Whether we love wearing pastel colors, eating chocolate, or both, I feel like we need to be careful in what we teach our kids or communicate to those around us the meaning of Easter is. It just seems to me that on many occasions, we can find ourselves having so much fun with things that aren't that important we leave out the things that are. Trust me, I love having fun! I just want us to have fun while keeping focused...
Am I totally off base here? What do you think? Does the Easter bunny take away from or add to the true story of Easter? Has Christian culture allowed for the secular views of each holiday to completely take over? Is that ok? Is it bad? Should we be made to give our candy back this year? Would love to hear what you all think!
4 comments:
I completely understand what you are saying, but one day, when you are a parent, you will see how quickly so many people in your child's life find ways to take fun out of their lives. (especially school and learning) My point is, no one knows as well as I do the importance of teaching my children the meaning of Easter and the glorious gift that it is. Their whole life depends on that message. However, if you could see the look on my 5 year old's face tonight as he gets ready for the bunny to come, you'd know this too is okay. You just have to make sure you teach them the truth. And really throughout life, isn't that what we're doing, keeping God first through all our easter bunnies, santas, jobs, relationships, money, etc?!
I agree with both of you. I am a parent and love to instill the wonder of the holidays with my son, but I also agree that America as a culture has just gotten way to commercialized and that's what gets me. When I was a kid, Christmas stuff wasn't in the stores until after Thanksgiving and Easter stuff wasn't in the stores until the month before. I've been seeing Easter stuff in the stores since right after Christmas. That's ridiculous. So I do play Santa and the Easter Bunny for my son, but I also focus on the real reason why we celebrate. There are so many ways to do both without taking the fun out of it for the little ones. Just remember not to get so consumed with what 'they' are telling you and you'll be fine.
Thanks Deborah and Anita. I totally understand what you're saying Deborah, and I think you're right, the world and church often times try to take the fun away from the kids. as you can tell from my wife's pic with the Easter bunny, i want to keep it fun. I just want to try and create a balance.
Anita i think there totally is a way to do both. I'm glad you are with your kid!
The truth is none of us probably ever place the correct emphasis on what Christ our Lord and Savior has done for us. Yes, there are many who observe holidays without remembering the "reason for the season." However, I believe that our daily living for Christ is what true worship means and not what we do or do not do on a given holiday. With that being said, I am reminded Genesis 50:19 when Joseph reminded his brothers, "Am I in the place of God? You (secular world) intended it to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." While it may appear the secular has taken over, would our government allow us to make such a grand statement for our Savior as commercialism does, without even knowing it. Using the great tool of internet, I searched Easter tradition. With all the other things I found, I found Jesus, for with any holiday observance, comes the question of "why." As you look for answers to why, they you will find Jesus. Jesus is the reason and God will use everything to teach the world about him. On another occasion, the prophet in Isaiah 55:11 says that, "... So is My word that goes out from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, But will accomplish what I desire, And achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Let us not be fooled, God is on his throne, and as a Christian I look for God is all his creation around me, and I worship Him. I will take every opportunity even if it be holidays, to share life with others and the "reason I have for every season."
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