Is Easter Becoming too Commercialized?

We all have our favorite time of the year; it might be summer, spring, fall, or even winter. The holidays are a time for celebrations, decorating and heartwarming love. The holidays are just a joyous time of the year, and they are also a time for family, friends, and great food, and let ‘s not forget a break from work. But the holiday season such as Thanksgiving and Christmas and the family tradition brings out the holiday spirit.

Christmas is already commercialized.  The stores have started decorating in October now and have Christmas in July sales.  Easter, it seems, is beginning to follow suit.  The stores begin placing displays right after Valentine’s Day in February. 

Easter should be recognized as a Holy Day, and the resurrection should be celebrated.  Easter is a religious holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his death by crucifixion about 2,000 years ago. For Christians, Easter is a day of religious services and the gathering of family. In many churches, Easter comes after a season of prayer, abstinence, and fasting called Lent. This is observed in memory of the 40 days’ fast of Christ in the desert. In Eastern Orthodox, churches Lent is 50 days. In Western Christen religions, Lent is observed for six weeks and four days.  

Instead, we have stores open selling all kinds of items.  It turns out we need a lot of different things to celebrate Easter.  We need a new fancy outfit that will complement a bonnet for the ladies.  As for candy, we can munch on chocolate rabbits, jellybeans of all flavors, and eggs with cream, caramel, and our favorite candy bar flavor.

They even have ready-made Easter eggs for hanging on a tree.  Some of these eggs can be quite expensive, but most are quite affordable.  They can make an excellent addition to your Easter decorations. 

Looking through the advertisements in the Sunday paper, stores have plenty of sales going on to coax customers into the store.  Dresses and suits, Easter baskets, candy, electronics, DVD’s, furniture, and even big-screen televisions are all on sale.  The highest-priced basket was thirty dollars, but inside was a DVD, popcorn, candy, and a gift card.  There was not one egg insight in the whole basket.  What happened to the simple basket of yesterday?  The basket with a chocolate bunny, some eggs, jellybeans, and maybe a stuffed rabbit and some of that green grass.  Simplicity is often the best solution, but these days the baskets keep getting more expensive with each passing year. 

In the Christian religion, Easter has become a grand celebration in honor of the resurrection of Christ. Easter falls on the first Sunday following the first full moon after a specific time and varies on how the day is followed throughout. Each denomination of the faith varies on the celebration day, hosting various outings and activities.  

While all of these things are nice to have to celebrate Easter, everyone should also take time to remember what the holiday is really about.  They should remember What it signifies and Who it represents.