Share Your World: Easter Monday 2023
Personally, I’m Jewish. Not religiously, but ethnically and as a matter of personal taste. Garry used to be a Lutheran, but these days, I’m not sure what he is. I’m pretty sure he’s not sure either.
We used to celebrate with a nice meal — usually ham — and the baskets of sweets, heavy on the chocolate. Except no one ate the sweets and I had the only granddaughter who didn’t (doesn’t) like chocolate. For other medical reasons, I began to avoid most red meat and especially salty, fatty meat — like ham. At some point during the past few years, we stopped doing anything about Easter. There was no discussion or controversy. It just happened.
Here are today’s questions:
Do you celebrate the Easter holiday and if not, do you have an alternative?
There was a time when I used to make a seder since the last supper was a seder. Jesus was Jewish, in case everyone has forgotten. The seder was fun, even though it was also a lot of work. After a while, since I was still working full time, I gave up. I got tired. Appreciation was nice, but assistance would have worked better for me.
Do you exchange gifts or have a traditional meal?
We eat a normal meal. Mostly, the only difference? A plethora of jelly beans and Cadbury chocolate eggs.
How many Easter Eggs (or alternative) did your receive/give?
None.
Was Easter a Bank Holiday in your country or did you have to work this weekend?
I’m retired. My son had to work.
Gratitude
I’m glad the Easter lily is blooming as well as two orchids and my Christmas cactus. I may not be celebrating, but my flowers are happy.
Share this:
Categories: #SYW, Anecdote, Seasons, Share My World, Spring
THE YEAR ROLLS ON 
SERENDIPITY - SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 
We celebrate both Good Friday and Easter. I distributed some choco bunnies and we gorge on deliciously filled small chocolate eggs for weeks already (shame on us, but it’s difficult to pass by all those wonderful offerings).
Now, what is a seder?
We had wild Alaskan salmon, linguine, and a huge bowl of mixed salad leaves. Plus a very festive bottle of Italian wine…
LikeLike
A seder is a special meal and service for -Passover (Pesach in Hebrew). It’s the celebration of the Jewish release from Egypt and the (very) long trek (40 years although it’s such a small area, I don’t see HOW you could take that long without going in a circle) to Israel. It is to Jews what Christmas and maybe Easter too is to Christians.
It falls during Easter (using the Jewish calendar) because Easter occurred during Passover and the last supper WAS a Seder. It’s special meal that includes an at-home service. This is NOT something for which you go to a synagogue unless you are alone and need other people. You can’t have a seder alone. You need at least two and preferably four or five people. There’s a fair amount of singing, drinking (wine), eating, games, gift giving, and so on. Nothing with yeast is eaten or even allowed in an orthodox household, but for the non-orthodox, we eat matzoh but don’t go through the extensive cleansing to get rid of anything that isn’t “Kosher for Passover.”
You can look this up online. Judaism is a very old religion and the story of Passover or Pesach is long and complicated.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for joining in Marilyn. We don’t celebrate Easter though our neighbour was kind to give us gifts…….. special biscuits for Hubby and a Rolo Easter Egg for me. We shared both. I used to do a special meal similar to Christmas, especially if we had visitors. Now, it’s just a normal day that happens to be a Sunday. We had fish, peas and potatoes. I know what you mean about a helping hand. I would have as many as 14 to my Christmas table in the past, and not one offered to help with the washing up.
LikeLike
We have settled down to Jelly Beans and Cadbury eggs.
I used to do all of that and one day, I said “NOPE.” Everyone wants the fun part and no one wants to share in the work. I got tired of being the only dope in the crowd who did the work while everyone else partied. I was often too tired to enjoy the party.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can understand that
LikeLike
Most women can. It’s part of “the job.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello
I
Please let me know your thoughts on this matter
On Mon, Apr 10, 2023 at 10:10 PM SERENDIPITY: SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE
LikeLike
I’m not sure what thoughts I could have about “I” except to ask “who are you”?
LikeLike
Hi Marilyn, our Easters have changed too, now that the boys are older and have decided they are not religious. I took them to Sunday School during their formative years so they could learn and decide their own way forward about religion. Neither Terence nor I believe in the manmade structures of the church. I did host breakfast for my two sisters and their families as well as mom and dad on Friday and we had a wonderful dinner hubby and I cooked on Sunday evening but that was the extent of it.
LikeLike
We did the same thing for Kaitlin. I’m a total non-believer although Garry believes, but I’m not sure he believes (anymore) in churches. Church mattered to him a lot when he was a kid, but the kind of church he remembers seems to have vanished.
We asked Kaitlin — I think she was maybe 7 or 8 — what Easter was and she said it was about colored eggs and baskets full of candy. Garry and I looked at each other and started hauling her to church. Whether she would believe or not didn’t matter, but I felt she needed at least a place to start. It could as easily have been a synagogue, but there aren’t any in this town, probably because I may be one of a few Jews who are married to non-Jews and mostly, we shut up about it. These days, that seems to be the wisest choice.
I don’t think Kaitlin has much in the way of religious beliefs — if any. She has other things she believes in and she has a bottom-line belief in “doing the right thing.” These days, that IS a big deal.
LikeLike