By Morgan Culp
Bunny ears, chocolates, dying eggs and going to church are all things I remember doing as a child every time Easter came around. Now, I see how the holiday has become such a consumer-centered season that’s main purpose is to drive sales and buy goodies. Many people are unaware of what Easter actually means.
I think it is great that holidays bring families together to celebrate, but I also think people have started to rely on holidays too much. Many times Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter are the only times you see many of your family members, and I think that is something that should change.
If more people lived by the saying “treat every day like a holiday,” people would look forward to waking up each day instead of dreading the weekdays in excitement for the weekend or being miserable for the weeks leading up to a big vacation.
You shouldn’t need a holiday reminder to tell your family and friends that you love and appreciate them. I’m not discrediting holidays; I just think they have become something that people use as an excuse to only come around once a year or something that many family hosts—like my grandma—stress over when it should be an enjoyable time.
If you care about your family and are able to see them on more occasions than just holidays, you should.
Since my boyfriend got a job as an EMT/firefighter for Hernando county, we have missed out on a Thanksgiving together, and this upcoming Easter he is scheduled to work a 24-hour shift.
Last Thanksgiving, I was pretty upset we couldn’t spend the day together and with our families, but then I realized people have the power to make any day into a holiday. We ended up celebrating Thanksgiving a few days later, and when you’re surrounded by people you love and care about, you can celebrate anything and turn any day of the week into a holiday or party. The calendar date and specific holiday classifications mean nothing.
I think it is important to show the people you’re close to you love them on days that are not specifically holidays. If I’m out and about and see something that my mom, dad, sister or boyfriend might like and appreciate, I’ll pick it up for them and surprise them with something small that shows I care. I believe that random acts of kindness and generosity are little acts that go a long way.
I love that holidays give people a reason to celebrate, but my point is people can make whatever reason to celebrate whenever they want. If a picture pops up from a few years ago with someone you haven’t spoken to in a while, shoot them a text and use that moment to celebrate them. If you and your family are having dinner together, pretend it’s Thanksgiving and tell everyone why you’re thankful for them. You can look at this as using anything as an “excuse to party” (which is great—go ahead!) Or you can use it as an excuse to celebrate the people that are important to you.
As a Christian who celebrates Christian holidays it is also important to talk about “holiday Christians,” who my family and I have become on numerous occasions. It doesn’t matter which week you go to church if you are going, and you surely shouldn’t make it an event to only go to church on Christmas Eve and Easter to show your community that you are “good Christians.”
Easter is the celebration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection on the third day after his crucifixion. The holiday also stems from Pagan beliefs and celebrating spring and fertility.
I believe everyone’s personal religious beliefs are individual to each person and you should not have to prove anything to your community or peers, you do you.
So, if you chose to celebrate Easter this year, think about why you are celebrating, if falling victim to the consumerist holiday and the Easter Bunny is worth it for you and your family or kids, and how you can celebrate the people close to you on any ordinary day.
