Easter lacked something this year – its good friend, Passover. Easter celebrations are over, the chocolate eggs have been discounted and Passover is still a month away.
As a little kid, I looked at the calendar, and always wondered how Passover fit in. No one in my house explained its role in Jewish tradition – except ABC-TV, which dutifully showed “The Ten Commandments” every pre-Easter Saturday.
For me, Passover and Easter were crossed fingers and friends with similar fates – they belonged together. Let’s face it – Jesus and his 12 buddies were celebrating Passover. They used their last meal together to celebrate a Jewish tradition while beginning another.
But I come not to bury Easter. It’s always been my favorite Christian holiday. I love the path of redemption and resurrection. It demands a sacrifice every year – abstain from something you enjoy for 40 days. And we all know who anathema sacrifice is to modern American life.
Aside from the deluge of candy, Easter doesn't fall prey to the crass commercialism that owns the last eight weeks of the year. I probably enjoy that more than anything - the break from the retail bullies, not the candy.
The Resurrection also fits pretty well with the start of spring. But I’m sure that’s just coincidence, like with the birth of Jesus and the winter solstice falling so closely together. Yes, coincidence … which as you’ve already guessed, I’ll have plenty of time to discuss in Hell.
I’ve always been disappointed that my favorite day on the Christian calendar requires a mathematician to decipher every year.
With all the ways Easter gets tossed around the calendar, the two will overlap again in 2009. As they should.
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