So what is Easter all about?
It’s about Jesus going up to heaven, the Easter Bunny, and people sending Easter cards. So why do we send Easter cards? What do you write on the card, “Jesus went to heaven, how are you doin’?”
It’s a serious holiday, you don’t joke about Easter. There’s no Easter jokes.
Christmas is all happy. It’s the birth of Jesus, a bright star, three wise men with gifts, The happy couple smiling down at baby Jesus, and of course, Santa Claus.
But Easter is rather vague and a little strange.
The holiday starts with Good Friday, when Jesus gets whipped, nailed to a cross, and has spears poked into his ribs. If that’s Good Friday I’d hate to see Bad Friday.
But all turns out well, with some exciting drama thrown in. He lies in a cave for 3 days, wakes up, rolls away the stone and walks away. He spends a few days walking around talking to people.
But no one sees it’s Jesus. Maybe getting crucified and spending 3 days in a freezing cold cave might change your appearance. Two disciples walk and talk with him for miles and don’t know it’s him, and his friend, Mary Magdalene, looks right at him and thinks he’s the local gardener. This is in Luke 24:15,16.
But after that he gives his message, and says. “I’ll be back” and lifts into heaven.
That’s the Easter story, believe it or not.
The only ones who really benefit from Easter are Hallmark, chocolate egg companies and the ham industry. You have to eat ham at Easter, funny since Jesus was Jewish and was forbidden to eat ham. Oh well, the myth goes on.
And sunrise services on Easter Sunday, waking up at 5 a.m., stumbling to church or up a mountain — forget it. Sunday is my day of rest, and hangovers.
But everyone gets dressed up and drives to grandmother’s house for Easter dinner.
The family sits around the table together, that’s the whole point of any holiday. You don’t have to know the story, just pass the mash potatoes and laugh it up with the friends and relatives.
So what’s with the Easter Bunny? Where did he come from? A rabbit hopping around hiding colored eggs? A rabbit is a mammal so what’s he doing with eggs? That’s a bigger mystery than the Jesus story.
But having seen a stampede of kids running across a field screaming and picking up Easter eggs, I can see why it’s a big deal for kids.
I still remember when I was a kid coloring the eggs in a pan of vinegar. I can still smell the vinegar. Then going to bed waiting for the Easter Bunny, waking up looking for the eggs magically hidden in the living room.
After all the kidding around, it’s a good time to pray for all of us. God knows we need it.
Have a nice Easter.
Dennis Gregory writes a bi-monthly column for West Hawaii Today and welcomes your comments at makewavess@yahoo.com
