EASTER - Religious Festival or Chocolate Binge?

neonlyte

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In my local supermarket the aisles are bulging with chocolate delights of all shapes and sizes. Every colour and flavour assaults the eyes. Easter Turkeys, Stollen, and other confectionery swap the counters.

I used to love Easter - most Easters I'd travel, France or Italy, visit the great Cathedrals draped in purple, listen to the choirs and organists practice. I'm not overtly religious but I found a sense of purpose to be in those places at that time. Tomorrow I'm going to the great Cathedral at Belem, on the outskirts of Lisbon. Not sure what I'll find - I hope it isn't chocolate.
 
neonlyte said:
In my local supermarket the aisles are bulging with chocolate delights of all shapes and sizes. Every colour and flavour assaults the eyes. Easter Turkeys, Stollen, and other confectionery swap the counters.

I used to love Easter - most Easters I'd travel, France or Italy, visit the great Cathedrals draped in purple, listen to the choirs and organists practice. I'm not overtly religious but I found a sense of purpose to be in those places at that time. Tomorrow I'm going to the great Cathedral at Belem, on the outskirts of Lisbon. Not sure what I'll find - I hope it isn't chocolate.

Originally, it WAS a religious festival....a Babylonian one, that is. :D ;)
 
Chocolate binge. I give up chocolate for Lent every year for charity and I'm currently counting down the days.

The Earl
 
Spring, the Moon and Bunnies!

This time of year has so many interesting markers for me....

Starts with Ash Wed. when I see a lot of people with little black targets on their foreheads--wonder in terror for a moment if Charles Manson has started a new cult--then, with a sigh of relief remember, "Oh, yes, ash Wed."

Then there's the giant, wooden cross on the lawn of the nunnery that runs a local Catholic school--they put it up every year. A little disturbing. And the lovely purple drapery that goes over the cross outside the Lutheran church.

There's the appearence of bunnies--stuffed, decorative and chocolate. And the chocolate marshmallow eggs that my father loves (and I can't fathom). And lots of pretty pastel flowers.

And that's about as far as Easter goes in my life as I was raised on the other side of the Judeo-Christian sheets. To me, this time of year means Matzo-brie for breakfast and macaroons for dessert. YUM!

3113's Easter:

http://a444.g.akamai.net/7/444/703/20010810214902/www.marthastewart.com/images/content/recipe/cooki_00256_t.jpg

All in all, however, I'm with Sev. It's a Pagan holiday that worships the spring equinox, the moon and bunnies :cool:
 
3113 said:
All in all, however, I'm with Sev. It's a Pagan holiday that worships the spring equinox, the moon and bunnies :cool:

That was the end of last month. I remember Ostara clearly - twas the date of my first date with my new Lady.

The Earl
 
neonlyte said:
In my local supermarket the aisles are bulging with chocolate delights of all shapes and sizes. Every colour and flavour assaults the eyes. Easter Turkeys, Stollen, and other confectionery swap the counters.

I used to love Easter - most Easters I'd travel, France or Italy, visit the great Cathedrals draped in purple, listen to the choirs and organists practice. I'm not overtly religious but I found a sense of purpose to be in those places at that time. Tomorrow I'm going to the great Cathedral at Belem, on the outskirts of Lisbon. Not sure what I'll find - I hope it isn't chocolate.

I personally do not like chocolate and never have, nor am I prone to religion, but this line does make me wonder and cry for something more: "visit the great Cathedrals draped in purple, listen to the choirs and organists practice ...."

I would love to hear and see more
 
CharleyH said:
I personally do not like chocolate and never have, nor am I prone to religion, but this line does make me wonder and cry for something more: "visit the great Cathedrals draped in purple, listen to the choirs and organists practice ...."

I would love to hear and see more


Charley - I'm stunned.

This certainly isn't an area of concern I would have believed to have come from you.

I mean honestly - you really don't like chocolate?

;)
 
Easter has great meaning for me, and the chocolate,chocolate, gimmee chocolate mentality around it all really gets me down.

For many years as a teen I would go to a catholic retreat centre for the Easter period and we'd follow those last days of christ. The last supper, the garden of gethsemane, good friday and the passion and the most maginificent Easter celebrations I've ever seen.

You really appreciate the great joy of Easter day when you spent good friday hiding all the symbols of God and his love and then watched your saviour, your one true hope, die.

I remember on year vividly, I believe it was my first ever Easter retreat, and as we did the midnight mass we were outside in the pitch black, watching as the women and the disciples discovered Jesus was no longer in the tomb, he was alive. And they ran out into the crowd of us. "He's alive." They shouted with real Joy and glee, hugging and kissing everyone around until all of us were laughing and yelling, hugging and kissing.

"He's alive!"

Then into the chapel, decorated with posters and daffodils and green leafy branches and all the symbols back. I cannot tell you thre joy that filled my heart every year on Easter day. Real Joy, that's what Easter is all about to me.
 
English Lady said:
Easter has great meaning for me, and the chocolate,chocolate, gimmee chocolate mentality around it all really gets me down.

For many years as a teen I would go to a catholic retreat centre for the Easter period and we'd follow those last days of christ. The last supper, the garden of gethsemane, good friday and the passion and the most maginificent Easter celebrations I've ever seen.

You really appreciate the great joy of Easter day when you spent good friday hiding all the symbols of God and his love and then watched your saviour, your one true hope, die.

I remember on year vividly, I believe it was my first ever Easter retreat, and as we did the midnight mass we were outside in the pitch black, watching as the women and the disciples discovered Jesus was no longer in the tomb, he was alive. And they ran out into the crowd of us. "He's alive." They shouted with real Joy and glee, hugging and kissing everyone around until all of us were laughing and yelling, hugging and kissing.

"He's alive!"

Then into the chapel, decorated with posters and daffodils and green leafy branches and all the symbols back. I cannot tell you thre joy that filled my heart every year on Easter day. Real Joy, that's what Easter is all about to me.

Nicely put EL

For me I cannot really mesh with the overall religious connotations, I'm simply not a believer in the conventional sense. What I do admire is the conviction of those who do take joy from celebrating Easter as a religious festival.

Two Easters ago I visited the town of Lamego in northern Portugal. It's a place I've not visited for years and I'd fully intended to return this year - before someone stole my car! Easter in Lamego was almost medieval - a real almost spine chilling connection with paganistic roots embroiled in Christianity. The silence only broken by the staffs of clergy as the escorted the cortiege holding the Body of Christ through the streets to the Cathedral, and the congregation kneeling as one with the passing of the bier. It was earthy, real and tangible.

And it was something along these lines that I found on my trips through Europe, not so much the staged Cathedral ceremony but the preparation, the good will and good intent, I think there is as much to learn from the intention to celebrate as there is from the celebration itself.

Anyway, I'm writing because it is raining and the wind is blowing and I'm really only a fair weather pilgrim, so I've postponed my trip until the morrow.
 
English Lady said:
Easter has great meaning for me, and the chocolate,chocolate, gimmee chocolate mentality around it all really gets me down.

For many years as a teen I would go to a catholic retreat centre for the Easter period and we'd follow those last days of christ. The last supper, the garden of gethsemane, good friday and the passion and the most maginificent Easter celebrations I've ever seen.

You really appreciate the great joy of Easter day when you spent good friday hiding all the symbols of God and his love and then watched your saviour, your one true hope, die.

I remember on year vividly, I believe it was my first ever Easter retreat, and as we did the midnight mass we were outside in the pitch black, watching as the women and the disciples discovered Jesus was no longer in the tomb, he was alive. And they ran out into the crowd of us. "He's alive." They shouted with real Joy and glee, hugging and kissing everyone around until all of us were laughing and yelling, hugging and kissing.

"He's alive!"

Then into the chapel, decorated with posters and daffodils and green leafy branches and all the symbols back. I cannot tell you thre joy that filled my heart every year on Easter day. Real Joy, that's what Easter is all about to me.

This, I have such great respect for. I'm always glad to find people whom take that from their religion.

The Earl
 
Thanks to a very dear friend of mine, I now know the TRUE origins of Easter.

I believe it's Pagan...
 
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neonlyte said:
Nicely put EL

For me I cannot really mesh with the overall religious connotations, I'm simply not a believer in the conventional sense. What I do admire is the conviction of those who do take joy from celebrating Easter as a religious festival.

Two Easters ago I visited the town of Lamego in northern Portugal. It's a place I've not visited for years and I'd fully intended to return this year - before someone stole my car! Easter in Lamego was almost medieval - a real almost spine chilling connection with paganistic roots embroiled in Christianity. The silence only broken by the staffs of clergy as the escorted the cortiege holding the Body of Christ through the streets to the Cathedral, and the congregation kneeling as one with the passing of the bier. It was earthy, real and tangible.

And it was something along these lines that I found on my trips through Europe, not so much the staged Cathedral ceremony but the preparation, the good will and good intent, I think there is as much to learn from the intention to celebrate as there is from the celebration itself.

Anyway, I'm writing because it is raining and the wind is blowing and I'm really only a fair weather pilgrim, so I've postponed my trip until the morrow.


That sounds like an amazing experience!

Earl -I'm kinda embarassed by how little I celebrated Easter before my catholic retreat experience,I'm just glad I had the experiences and can build on that every Easter.
 
Easter is the first three day weekend of the year for me. That's all I need. :D
 
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