Easter greetings!

Happy Easter to one and all, and to all a happy Easter! it's that time of the year again when we stock up on overpriced chocolate, indulge in some hot cross buns, and relish the hugely long weekend with loved ones. The weather is even nice this year!

But a spate of discussions lately about the "real" meaning of Easter, and in particular a very interesting debate on the 7pm Project with the always interesting Father Bob about whether non-believers should get to have Easter off too, I can't help but examine my own thoughts on the issue. Which of course means writing them down here!!!

So first off, the question of the "true" or "real" meaning of Easter. We all know that in the Christian faith, Easter is marking the occasion when Jesus was crucified on the cross and his resurrection. Nobody would argue that this meaning is important to Christians. However, it is important to acknowledge that not everyone shares this faith, and therefore these meanings. And as surely as it is important that the meaning that Christians ascribe to Easter should be respected, so too should the meaning others give to it. Otherwise it becomes a fight over whose meaning of Easter is more worthy, more deserving, more 'right'. A terrible prospect indeed!

For centuries, Easter coincided with the Pagan tradition of celebrating the spring (or vernal) equinox. This is where the traditions of eggs comes from, as eggs symbolise fertility and new life, the essence of spring. The dates for Easter have varied over the centuries due to changing calendars being used (eg Julian, Gregorian etc) although always based on the Sunday following a particular (Paschal) full moon. I may sound heretical here, but I find the very fact that the date is determined by the church itself based on the moon's cycle as rather, well, pagan-like. As with Christmas, over time the traditions of the two celebrations practiced at the same time were brought together. I mention this not to diminish the meaning some people give to Easter, but to indicate that it has historically been interwoven with other traditions and celebrations. This very fact indicates that there are other meanings given to the Easter weekend that do not involve the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Which moves me onto the second point about whether non-Christians can rightfully claim to have the Easter holidays that those of religious faith do. My answer is absolutely yes. We are not a divided country where those of different faith are at odds with each other or completely removed from the realities of each others' lives. We are a secular society that promotes acceptance, diversity and respect. As with previous incarnations where Christian religious observances coincided with other celebrations within society, so too does Easter today. Good Friday and Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are public holidays. And as with all public holidays, they apply to everyone. How you choose to observe the day is up to you. The meaning you ascribe to it is up to you. They have retained the names from Christianity as this is historically how the Easter weekend was valued and understood.

There are many other public holidays that are not connected to religious observances (such as New Years Day and Labour Day), and there are many religious observances that are not connected to public holidays (such as Ramadan and Diwali, or even Palm Sunday). If public holidays were faith-based then the separation of different sections of our society would be beyond repair as each section becomes more and more insular and separate. And what of those of no faith? are they to have no holidays at all, as punishment for not believing? And can anyone explain to me what Easter Monday is actually about? There are no specific religious meanings, rituals or traditions for this day that I know of - so is it a religious holiday or is it an extra day tacked on to Easter? If it is just tacked on to Easter, does that mean everyone can enjoy it, or still only Christians given that it's called "Easter" Monday?

Public holidays are just that - they are public, they are for everyone. It is up to each person to do with that day what they please, to give it the meaning they wish, and to practice any observances they wish. It doesn't matter if people of no faith partake of hot cross buns or chocolate eggs, because they are giving Easter their own meaning (calorific though it may be!) perhaps of time with family, or with friends. Those who are of Christian faith give it their own meaning too, and observe a number of religious traditions and rituals that they feel gives meaning to Easter.

I'll use ANZAC day as my final example. It falls on Easter Monday this year, so an extra public holiday will be held on the Tuesday. This poses an interesting conundrum. Are they being given two separate public holidays so that they can be observed separately? or just so that we can all get our proper allocation of public holidays? What of those who wish to observe the significance of ANZAC day, can they do it on the actual day or do they have to wait until Tuesday so that the "Easter" Monday can be kept separate? What of those who despite a deep respect for ANZACs do not wish to partake of any specific observations or rituals on ANZAC day, are THEY any less deserving of the public holiday? My argument is simply this - whatever your religious persuasions, public holidays are given by the government so that EVERYONE can have the day off and enjoy it in whatever way is meaningful to them. Easter has been kept as a public holiday (or three!) due to the particular significance that this event holds to a significant number of the population, and the same with Christmas. Christians should count themselves lucky that they get a public holiday off to help them celebrate and concentrate on their meaning of the occasion. And that they have the time and space to celebrate it with loved ones, of faith or not, who also have the time off.

Enjoy the long break for Easter, and whatever meaning it has for you!