[WARNING: tongue-in-cheek but potentially offensive religious commentary to follow]
I could do away with the whole Easter Bunny thing, actually. Nathaniel asked me last night how the whole bunny thing and the egg thing ever came out of the Jesus-and-the-crucifixion thing, and I could give him no good answer. I knew that eggs = fertility and people have been celebrating paganish things like seasons and spring and fertility for a long time, but how that translates into a 6-foot tall humanoid rabbit who leaves eggs I have no idea, let alone what it has to do with a not-quite dead Jewish guy who had great energy. Already my kids have a pretty twisted idea of religion based primarily on the world religions of history (my theory is, take what you like and leave the rest) plus, in Serena’s case, the whole idea of Magic, but even I couldn’t come up with plausibility for rabbits + eggs + chocolate = a holiday worth celebrating.
I am SO going to hell. I just know it.
So the whole E.B. thing and whatever part in it I am supposed to play (if any) is getting old. And why can’t Jesus bring the easter baskets?
Nathaniel and Serena got dark chocolate and a few nasty jellybeans and a book apiece; Eric got a tiny bowl of jellybeans which someone hid from him and then consumed without his knowledge.
*burp*
And now we are having the fun of going through all the stuff we suddenly have realized we don’t need. Anybody want 100 skeins of embroidery thread or some nice gold jewelry or a new pair of winter snow mittens in lavender?
March 23rd, 2008 at 6:13 pm
My daughter asked about the whole bunny and Jesus story connection too. I told her to ask her father because I don’t know anything about religion. Should have listened to his answer so I could have passed his knowledge on. If I get to the Pearly Gates I know that’s the question I’m going to have to answer. Oh well, there’s always next time around!
March 24th, 2008 at 2:10 am
So I tell you why: it is all about territory and how to train people. Four kids and eleven years later my mother is buying ALL of the chocolate and my husband is hiding it at 5 o’clock in the morning. It took a while, allright, but isn’t it great to have other people do obnoxious things for you?
And I did hear why the Easterbunny does all that … and I forgot. Guess it wasn’t worth remembering.
Just eat the chocolate. It’s for YOU.
Ahhh … rabbits … lots of offspring … same thing like eggs … the fertility wish.
March 24th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
My husband and I had a long drawn out
argumentconversation before Easter about the Easter bunny. When he was a kid, the Easter bunny “hid” the baskets around the house and he and his brother had to look for them. In my childhood, the bunny thumped the door with his big back foot and left the baskets on the porch. The idea of an enormous freaky looking rabbit coming into my house and hiding stuff just gives me the willies. Despite the fact that it’s all fake anyway. I mean, at least Santa Claus looks reasonably normal and not like a pedophile in a rabbit suit.I think Easter rivals Halloween for sheer overload of candy. My son got way too much and has been bouncing off the walls for the past 24 hours. Is it blasphemy to throw away chocolate?
And, BTW, if you’re serious about the gold jewelry, take it to a pawn shop. The price of gold is through the roof these days.
March 26th, 2008 at 12:57 am
OK so I’ll most likely join you in hell, A. Because God hates me and 2 because there is no god. At least you didn’t have to handle somebody else’s child puking blue candy-ish bile onto your kitchen floor. See? God Hates me.
Also did anyone mention how confusing bunny’s that chirp like chickens are to toddlers?? Or toys that poop candy eggs?? What would Jesus think? So many unanswered questions!
List your stuff on Craigslist, I just put some stuff up yesterday and I’ve already made 60 bucks! Woo hoo.
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:22 am
The connection is that, yes, the pagans were celebrating spring and the egg represented new life b/c things come alive in spring. Then the Christians came over and in an attempt to gain more sheep, they basically stole the holiday!!!!
Yes, I too am going to hell. I went to Catholic school for 8 years and much to my mother’s dismay, have not baptized my child! No, he has a Bobblehead Jesus and Bobblehead Jesus’ head falls off. When it does, my son holds the head on his finger and says, “hey, I wasn’t beheaded. I was crucified on the cross. My friend, John the Baptist, was beheaded!”
Also, he has a nun squeak toy that we call Sister Squeak!!!
In the 8th grade, Sister Mary told my class that He who sings, prays twice. Well, I may not sing well, but dammit, I’m going to heaven despite my heathen ramblings!