The important part of easter

I put to the many christans here, what is the most important part of the easter holiday?
When christ was Crucified and sacrificed himself so that we may be forgiven for your sins?
When he rose again showing that a well lived live means the promise of eternal life after death?
Or his Ascension to heaven, showing use that afterlife will be spent in the prescence of the divine?

Personally I believe the ressurection part is the most important. For even if we go back to deeper pagan routes of our celebration it is the promise of new life. be it metaphysical or the coming of spring after the northen winter. In Australias case I'll say green appearing after the summer bushfires. Even if you do not believe in an afterlife, life does go on even if it isn't for you.

Please do not use this thread to assign blame to anyone if you find Good Friday the most important. Who allowed him to die or caused him to die or who wanted him to die is not important. That he died is, be he man who was divine or the divine who was man. Post your thoughts.

Ummm, I like eating fish on Friday and eating chocolate on Sunday, low I know.

I like your re-birth theory though, just not the biblical side of it.

I don't know what is more important. It all equally is. Easter is supposed to celebrate this phase in the life of Jesus and what it means for all Christians. When I was younger, I always assumed that the Sunday - the resurrection - was the most important part, because that is when the day of Easter actually is. And that's also the happiest day for most Christians, when Jesus rose again. Good Friday is typically spent as a more sombre day, while the Easter Sunday is spent in happiness and celebration.

What I find to be wrong about the Easter holiday (and Christmas, as well) is that the true meaning of it is lost in commercialism. Whether you are a Christian or not, if you choose to celebrate Easter, at least acknowledge the heritage of the holiday. Too many people relate chocolate to Easter, and presents to Christmas, without thinking of the real meanings of these holidays. Or they see it as no more than an excuse to have a day off work. I'm not saying that if you're not Christian you should go to church for Easter and all that - just if you choose to celebrate it, learn the origin of the holiday at least.

On a side note, why is Good Friday called Good Friday? In the words of my brother, "I bet Jesus didn't think it was so good!" But seriously, why is it called that?

What are you talking about its the eggs and the excuse to celebrate that count.

Originally Posted by fireball

I put to the many christans here, what is the most important part of the easter holiday?
When christ was Crucified and sacrificed himself so that we may be forgiven for your sins?
1. When he rose again showing that a well lived live means the promise of eternal life after death?
2. Or his Ascension to heaven, showing use that afterlife will be spent in the prescence of the divine?

Personally I believe the ressurection part is the most important. For even if we go back to deeper pagan routes of our celebration it is the promise of new life. be it metaphysical or the coming of spring after the northen winter. In Australias case I'll say green appearing after the summer bushfires. Even if you do not believe in an afterlife, life does go on even if it isn't for you.

Just a few things before I give my answer:

1. A well lived life means nothing without Christ as your savior. Only with Christ as your Lord and savior is the promise of eternal life given.

2. Only if you have accepted Christ.

*nit picking="off"*

I believe it to be equal as it was all part of God's plan for the redemption of man kind. That is what should be celebrated.

Originally Posted by mind-friend`

What are you talking about its the eggs and the excuse to celebrate that count.

The eggs themselves are symbolic, it just seems that most western branches of Christians seem to have forgotten what they symbolize.
According to the Greek Orthodox Church, a few days after the Ressurection of Jesus, two women met by a market stall, with one of them holding a basket of eggs.

The women wit the basket of eggs claimed to the other that she should rejoice, as Jesus has risen.
The other woman responded by saying "If Jesus has risen, may your eggs turn red," and they did.

Orthodox Christians celebrate by dying eggs red (and sometimes other colours for fun) and smash them against other coloured eggs.
The unbroken egg is good luck.

Today, people wrap up chocolate eggs in coloured paper and sell them off as mere commercial products, and neglect to remember any significance the eggs played.

The same thing happens with Valentine's day, where a priest called Valentine, commited suicide, as he felt love for a women when he should be devoted to God and celebacy, and loved the woman a card, proclaiming his love - people forget that too.

i dont care what the eggs symbolise, sure they are not what easter is really about, but if easter were about jesus then i wouldnt celebrate it.

Personally I think it is all important I mean first off he died for our sins which is really important. He rose again which is also really important. Lastly when he made his way to heaven to be with God which also happens to be really important. So there. They are all important because without them we wouldn't be granted eternal life after death.

Orthodox Christians celebrate by dying eggs red (and sometimes other colours for fun) and smash them against other coloured eggs.
The unbroken egg is good luck.

I got to celebrate my first Orthodox Easter last year and it was great fun .

i dont care what the eggs symbolise, sure they are not what easter is really about, but if easter were about jesus then i wouldnt celebrate it.

Okay, did I read this wrong? Are you saying that Easter isn't about Jesus? Of course Easter is about Jesus!

Easter? Pfft. That's just another holiday meant to cover up Pagan traditions.

Astarte, the godess of Fertility, had a fesitval around this time. Eggs and Hares were symbols of her and of fertility and new life. Like all the other ones, we adopted the traditions.

"Eastre's symbols were the hare and the egg. Both represent fertility and, consequently, rebirth. Since rabbits are more common in most lands than hares, over time the rabbit has been substituted -- not without merit, since rabbits are notorious for their fertility. Thus was born the "Easter Rabbit" tradition."

http://landscaping.about.com/cs/pest...ter_rabbit.htm

Jesus making Red Eggs? Come on. Almost every holiday Tradition of the Christians is a rip off. Praise Astarte.

Now, for the important part? Bah, praise Jesus.

While that is true MI, many important Christian holidays are on or around the time of Pagan holidays becasue of the fact that the holidays was a time when so many people felt spirtiualy active or feverant, so when Christanity came into being 2000 years ago, many Christians placed their holidays on or close to holidays celebrated by older faiths. Sorry if I sound like I'm pointing out the obvious here.

As for Easter, let people celebrate it with the easter egg hunts, baskets, and what not. It's just that people must remember what Easter is all about; the ressurection of Jesus Christ.

But the rebirth of the pagan holiday coincides with the Resurrection and new life in Christ of Christianity. Besides, no one celebrates the holiday (in America) because of its pagan roots. Its American meaning is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ - not eggs, the easter bunny, or spring.

Much like Christmas. It used to be a pagan holiday in another country, but we celebrate it for a totally different reason - the birth of Christ.

i dont care what the eggs symbolise, sure they are not what easter is really about, but if easter were about jesus then i wouldnt celebrate it.

Then celebrate it in another country, or don't celebrate it here.

Easter and every other holidays, to me, is just another day of rest from work and/or school. There's nothing else special about them to me, and they are the same old days as any other days, except maybe you can stay at home for the entire day.

Originally Posted by Steve The Queen

Almost every holiday Tradition of the Christians is a rip off. Praise Astarte...

Technically, it's not a rip-off. If you celebrate Easter on the same day as some other holiday, you're still celebrating Easter.
When you celebrate your birthday, are you celebrating the millions of other people's birthdays who were born on the same day?


I believe that the Ressurection is actually what Easter is about, though the entire crucifixion, death, and return are important, and fittingly celebrated as well.

Technically it is. I am not saying the rip off is bad, or should be celebrated in it's pure form, it's just taken from something else. Christians are just unoriginal I guess.

I fear you missed the last line of my post, all of you. It's supposed to be celebrated for the resurection of Christ, like I said. We just do it when the pagans did it. Yay for secretly placing holidays during pagan festivals so not to get persectuted?

Originally Posted by mind-friend`

i dont care what the eggs symbolise, sure they are not what easter is really about, but if easter were about jesus then i wouldnt celebrate it.

Then you probably shouldn't celebrate it.

Easter was a pagan holiday. It's just the Romans (now Catholics) decided to make it into a religious holiday (same thing goes for Christmas)

I agree. We celebrate Easter because how Jesus died for our sins, and forgave us. It's true. Easter was evil when it was first created by the Pagans (so was Christmas), but if your intensions are right, by celebrating the day that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Then I can't possibility see it as a bad holiday.