Cellar Scribblings

[Jeff Wrangler]

It will be such a different Eucharist to Thursday night which was very solemn and at the end we stripped the church of all the ornaments then left without talking.

We do that, too. I find it a very moving service.

To me Easter is far more important than Christmas.

It's supposed to be.

Does it ever seem strange to you to have Easter in the autumn?

[CellarDweller]

Hiya BetterMost friends.

It's Friday, it's Pay Day!!!

Going to be a busy weekend for me.  Tonight is a friend's bday in NYC, tomorrow is a show in Yonkers, and then Sunday is a brunch to celebrate a christening.

Come Monday I'll be exhausted.   

Don't know what I'll do with my Sunday nights, Walking Dead is over until October.   

[brianr]

Does it ever seem strange to you to have Easter in the autumn?

I have never known it at any other time 
I only realised as an adult that much of the symbolism (eggs, bunnies and even the fire of sunrise) is to do with Spring.
In Sydney it is always still warm even when Easter is late April. Here in Dunedin the colours are appearing on the trees but Easter this year was really a late summer. It has turned cool the last 2 days with snow on the range 60 km away when I went up there yesterday.

[CellarDweller]

Christians celebrate Easter to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some aspects of modern Easter celebrations, however, pre-date Christianity.

According to the Venerable Bede, Easter derives its name from Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring. A month corresponding to April had been named "Eostremonat," or Eostre's month, leading to "Easter" becoming applied to the Christian holiday that usually took place within it. Prior to that, the holiday had been called Pasch (Passover), which remains its name in most non-English languages.

In Medieval Europe, eggs were forbidden during Lent. Eggs laid during that time were often boiled or otherwise preserved. Eggs were thus a mainstay of Easter meals, and a prized Easter gift for children and servants.

In addition, eggs have been viewed as symbols of new life and fertility through the ages. It is believed that for this reason many ancient cultures, including the Ancient Egyptians, Persians, and Romans, used eggs during their spring festivals.

Many traditions and practices have formed around Easter eggs. The coloring of eggs is a established art, and eggs are often dyed, painted, and otherwise decorated. Eggs were also used in various holiday games: parents would hide eggs for children to find, and children would roll eggs down hills. These practices live on in Easter egg hunts and egg rolls. The most famous egg roll takes place on the White House lawn every year.

Hares and rabbits have long been symbols of fertility. The inclusion of the hare into Easter customs appears to have originated in Germany, where tales were told of an "Easter hare" who laid eggs for children to find. German immigrants to America -- particularly Pennsylvania -- brought the tradition with them and spread it to a wider public. They also baked cakes for Easter in the shape of hares, and may have pioneered the practice of making chocolate bunnies and eggs.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Just what is an Easter egg role anyway? I know they do it at the White House every year, but what's the point? Is it a race? Do you win a prize for rolling your egg across the finish line before anyone else, or what? 

I wonder how come the atheists have never tried to stop the Easter egg role on the White House lawn? Isn't that mixing church and state? 

[CellarDweller]

I believe it's a race, and I'm assuming that no one stops it as Jesus never rolled an egg anywhere.

 

[Jeff Wrangler]

I believe it's a race, and I'm assuming that no one stops it as Jesus never rolled an egg anywhere.

 

Easter: A day of celebration followed by a week of egg salad. 

[Katie77]

I've been reading your posts here Brian and Jeff, about Easter and have found them informative.....

Can you answer a question for me, that has bugged me for a long time......why is it that we always celebrate the birthd of Christ on the same date.....25th December........yet the date we celebrate his death varies from year to year.....??

Also had a smile at your question Jeff about those of us down under celebrating Easter in Autumn.....remember, we celebrate Christmas usually on hot sweltering days, usually finishing off with a swim in the pool or at the beach......lol

[brianr]

This is just off the top of my head.
We really do not know the date of Christ's birth. In fact if the shepherds were out in the field watching the sheep it probably was not mid-winter.
Christianity just took over a pagan mid-winter feast for Christmas. Why December 25 and not 21/22 I do not know.
We do, however, know that the crucifixion was at the time of the Jewish Passover and that he had to be executed before sundown as Saturday was a very holy day for the Jews.
The Jews determined their religious festivals by the phases of the moon and so Christianity followed this custom. Rather a nusiance in my opinion, I would much rather have the same weekend each year but cannot see that ever happening.

And yes, us people downunder grew up with putting cotton wool on Christmas trees and round windows and sending cards of snowy scenes at Christmas, then eating roast dinners and hot plum pudding in the middle of the day in summer, so I guess some strange spring customs in autumn did not phase us.

My sister's best friend, Astrida,  emigrated from Germany as a teenager after world war 2. As the eldest in the family she insists on maintaining the German customs at Christmas so her brothers and their extended families go to her house for a German  Christmas eve as that is when Germans have their big celebration. They then go to their various spouse families for Australian meals on Christmas day, often seafood and salads.
It is quite common for us to have a traditional Christmas meal in July (mid-winter). Usually called Yuletide meals and many hotels especially in the colder mountain towns have special weekend functions. My sister and her friends often make a party but this horrifies Astrida snd she absolutely refuses to be part of it.

[Kelda]

Hiya BetterMost friends.

Love this image! (And I assumed it was a work desk)

Thats cool about grumpy cats owners giving some of the money to local animal shelters.