Why we didn't celebrate Easter.....

so this year we did no egg dyeing, no chocolate bunnies, no baskets. (although my mother-in-law couldn't stand it and brought us a family basket last night, what are you gonna do, right?)
My kids asked me why we didn't celebrate Easter this year and here is the reason, it goes back to a little post about Xmas I did awhile ago.

We are not a religous family, we don't go to church, we do however have values.

Values that we, as a family, feel passionately about.

One of them is the keeping up with the Joneses philosophy.

In short the commercialism and consumerism of well, everything.

I say poll a child and see what the answer is when you ask them:

"What happens on Easter, Xmas, etc...?"

I'll bet that at least 75% would say something to the effect of "we get stuff"

And the other 25%, hopefully, will tell you their family values on the holidays.

(which are religous holidays)

and us not being religous, well where does that leave us?

that leaves us as hypocrites,right?

because really we are just celebrating getting stuff.

There was no real meaning behind the holiday for us.

and in light of the fact of this.....

Feb. 25, 2007 — New scientific evidence, including DNA analysis conducted at one of the world's foremost molecular genetics laboratories, as well as studies by leading scholars, suggests a 2,000-year-old Jerusalem tomb could have once held the remains of Jesus of Nazareth and his family.
The findings also suggest that Jesus and Mary Magdalene might have produced a son named Judah.
The DNA findings, alongside statistical conclusions made about the artifacts — originally excavated in 1980 — open a potentially significant chapter in Biblical archaeological history.

I mean really, even if I did hold a little bit of my Christian upbringing, what do I make of this?

I could argue the fact , as I'm sure many Christians will and have. I can even think of a few rebuttals myself, but the fact is I stopped believing in Christianity awhile ago.

My "religion" if you want to call it that,

has a lot to do with Mother Nature,

and giving back what you take, kharma, and all that.

Would that classify me as a wiccan?

who knows, I don't like labels, it is, what it is.

So in truth I told my kids pretty much what I've told you,

that Easter is celebrated as a religous holiday.

Since we are not religous, then we will not celebrate.

So what did I do when my daughter asked me if we could dye eggs and hide them all over the house, so she could get up and find them?

(with her sweet, beautiful, expectant face looking at me)

I looked up the origins of Easter to try and give myself an out. I mean after all, since I do believe in Mother Nature, couldn't we really in fact celebrate the arrival of spring and new birth, which is what the rabbit and the eggs actually symbolize? Yes, I could have given myself that out, because it would have been a harmless ritual. No buying anything, satisfies the value of commercialism and consumerism that we have. Celebrating the spring, satisfies the belief of Earth and Nature. But no, I had to give up on the idea and be adamant damnit, No Easter!

You know what, they really didn't miss it.

Maybe it was the fact that their grandma gave them a basket and that was enough,

or maybe it was the fact that they understood deep down

that they didn't need chocolate and hidden eggs to have a great day.

We got up, they cleaned their rooms.

I made them brunch :) while they had a water balloon fight with their dad.

And now as I write, they are out riding bikes

and finding friends to hang out with.

None the worse for not having celebrated a "traditional holiday."

BY THE WAY: here is the link for the video they did on finding Christ's tomb.

I have to admit that I haven't watched it yet, so hopefully it is good. I'll be watching it later today. Have an awesome Sunday everybody.