Chocolate bunnies, packages of fake grass and egg dyeing kits are familiar signs of the approach of Easter Sunday in the United States.
Celebrated by many Christian denominations as the commemoration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection, Easter has also come to be associated with such activities as egg hunts, gift giving and family gatherings.
Easter is also a notable force in the U.S. economy.
According to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) 2010 Easter Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, “…holiday celebrants will spend slightly more this year with the average person expected to shell out $118.60, up from $116.59 last year. Total spending is expected to reach $13.03 billion.”
Some, like junior math major Christine Taylor, think that the commercialization of Easter serves to diminish its religious significance.
“Just like the secularization of Christmas, I believe it cheapens the deep and powerful message of the holiday,” she said, “but since Christians go along with the fun and are not offended, the world continues to have its influence.”
Senior photography major Philip Clark said he does not think Easter is a relevant holiday.
“I haven’t really had anything to do with Easter since I was a little kid,” he said. “The whole eggs and bunnies thing, and what that has to do with Jesus and being reborn, never really made sense. If you research it, a lot of the things that are Easter-related are pagan traditions that got carried over into Christianity.”
Associate Pastor of First United Methodist Church-Commerce (FUMC-Commerce) Aleze Fulbright agrees that many non-religious symbols have come to be part of celebrating Easter in the U.S.
“As Easter time rolls around, we see the stores adorned with the bunnies, eggs, chicks, the pastels and pretty dresses,” she said. “In our conditioned minds, we relate these symbols to that of Easter. Unfortunately, we do a disservice to the sacredness of Easter if we get stuck on all of these secular signs.”
Fulbright said she strives to teach the meaning behind the celebration of Easter.
“As a Pastor, I strive to teach the full story, not only the Resurrection,” she said. “Easter for the most part is the celebration of Jesus Christ’s Resurrection. And so in my teaching, I strive to relay the point of God loving humanity so much that God sent Jesus, the Christ, for us.”
In fact, Fulbright said the true message of Easter is something to be celebrated all year.
“Easter is not about all of the frills that commercialism has conditioned us to believe,” Fulbright said. “Once we understand the message, and once the ‘signs’ are gone in the stores, we can continue to celebrate every day as Easter people.”