I'm not talking about the weather...although we enjoyed a delightful 35 degree Spring day for egg hunting.
I am a big supporter of celebrating holidays and traditions however I like to understand why we are doing what we are doing. So, when my daughter asked me why we have the Easter Bunny...I had to look it up because I had no idea.
So, it turns out that no one really knows how bunnies and eggs got linked. But bunnies and eggs actually have very little to do with Easter (the Christian holiday celebrating the the resurrection of Christ). As with most traditions, they have Pagan roots and really celebrate the changing seasons. So...bunnies and eggs represent fertility. The beginning of Spring marks the beginning of new life...and thus symbols of fertility are used in celebration.
(there is a slight reason for eggs and Easter in Catholism...eggs were part of the Lent fasting)
Therefore, since our family is not Christian....why are we celebrating Easter during Christian's Holy Week? We should celebrate it on March 22nd...the first day of Spring. Would that be bad for my kids...that they are celebrating the true roots of Easter and not conforming to the rest of the US' holiday schedule? I don't know...is that big of a deal?
For more information on just about anything...check out wikipedia.org
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Hey there! I just found your blog through a play group member after we were talking about my blog. Nice to meet you!
Interestingly, I have the opposite problem but the same solution. We are Christians, and I want my kids to celebrate the religious holiday, but also celebrate Santa Claus, but to do so seperately. So, I'm going to try celebrating Santa the way they do it in Europe - on December 6th and the celebrate Christmas without Santa on the 25th (but still with a tree and presents). I'm sure I'll have to work out the details, but I've also wondered how it will be to celebrate the same thing as the rest of society, but on a different timeline.
I think its a great idea to celebrate the non-religious aspects of Easter at the solstice though...
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