# Happy Easter!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-easter/18059
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [April 21, 2000, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-easter/18059 "2000-04-21T07:36:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Boogarrheal\_Catastrophe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogarrheal_Catastrophe)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2000, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-easter/18059/1 "2000-04-21T07:36:00Z")
[http://www.theonion.com/onion3614/eastercards\_3514.html](http://www.theonion.com/onion3614/eastercards_3514.html)
Let the people say amen!
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What game are YOU playing?
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### Author:  [@Danielinthewolvesden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danielinthewolvesden)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2000, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-easter/18059/2 "2000-04-21T08:22:00Z")
The Onion is a humor site. These are supposed to be “funny”.
How is this a “great debate”? MPSIMS maybe.
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### Author:  [@Boogarrheal\_Catastrophe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogarrheal_Catastrophe)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2000, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-easter/18059/3 "2000-04-21T08:40:00Z")
For your review:
> [@](#):
>
> … This is also the place for religious debates and (if you feel you must) witnessing.
So call it witnessing, if that will satisfy your itching need to make sure we all conform perfectly to protocol.
Seriously, though, don’t you think the link makes a point that provokes debate? Any way, I thought so. Silly me.
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What game are YOU playing?
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### Author:  [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2000, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-easter/18059/4 "2000-04-21T13:39:00Z")
OK, let’s define “witnessing”.
“Witnessing” is when you stand up and say, “I believe in such-and-such,” and then you try to persuade at least some of your audience that they should join you in your belief.
In what way are you witnessing here, **BC?** Is it your desire to share your personal Christian testimony with us?
Or did you wish to debate something concerning the satiric use of cartoon animals in religious greeting cards?
😕
## I’m with **Daniel~** –I don’t see a debate here yet.
“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!” - the White Queen
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### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2000, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-easter/18059/5 "2000-04-21T13:53:00Z")
OK, here’s a Great Debate: why is it called Good Friday, considering what Christians think happened? Wouldn’t “Lousy Friday” be more appropriate?
—“Auntie Christ”
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### Author:  [@Nurlman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nurlman)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2000, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-easter/18059/6 "2000-04-21T16:13:00Z")
Good question, Eve. It does kinda sound ironically morbid.
As a non-believer, I can only offer a guess, but how about this one:
It was “Good” because on that Friday, the prophecies that a savior would come and die to take away people’s sins were finally fulfilled.
Of course, it doesn’t explain how crucifixion on Friday and resurrection on Sunday amounts to “rising again on the third day,” but whatever.
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### Author:  [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2000, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-easter/18059/7 "2000-04-21T16:13:00Z")
I think it’s called “Good Friday” because what happened, although no fun for the guy it was happening to, allowed everyone afterwards to have the opportunity to live eternal life - therefore, it was a “good” day for mankind.
DISCLAIMER: I fully realize that this is an extremely abbreviated version of Christian beliefs, and it is not meant to either challenge or reinforce whatever you personally believe in. Thank you.
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### Author:  [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2000, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-easter/18059/8 "2000-04-21T16:23:00Z")
I’m pretty sure that “good” in this context means “holy,” or something similar.
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### Author:  [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2000, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-easter/18059/9 "2000-04-22T05:35:00Z")
Since I’m here, I may as well answer. It’s good in the sense of “right” or “just,” not good in the sense of “happy.”
You know, I really wish people would use titles that reflect the real subject of the thread, and I really wish people would give others some sort of hint of the content of links.
I’m very sorry I clicked on this thread and that link, especially today. ☹
I’m very sorry I clicked
* * *
Jodi
_Fiat Justitia_
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### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2000, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-easter/18059/10 "2000-04-21T18:07:00Z")
Well, actually, the OP does open up a debate: why has Easter been so cutie-fied?
Easter is the acknowledgement (as opposed to celebration) of an alleged event that may or may not have happened 2000 years ago and which was, by anyone’s standards, pretty gory, painful and depressing.
The bunnies and chickies and Easter eggs, of course, come from the original pagan celebration of the spring—the old Christians, being no fools, snuck their holiday in at a time when people were already celebrating (see also Xmas).
But why, after all these centuries, are the two holidays still confused?
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### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2000, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-easter/18059/11 "2000-04-21T18:08:00Z")
Oops again—actually, I meant Good Friday for the “gory” thing which may or may not have happened.
The “resurrection” was neither gory nor depressing—but you’ll also never convince me in a million years that it happened, so . . .
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### Author:  [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2000, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-easter/18059/12 "2000-04-21T21:22:00Z")
You raise a good point, Eve. You _might_ argue that the fun aspects of Easter and Christmas are a good way to attract children’s attention to the holidays before being channeled to the solemn observances. However, my point for some time has been that the fun aspects of holidays are valid in and of themselves, and their pre-Christian origins clears the way for to disconnect them from Christianity. So non-Christians need not bar themselves or their children from participating. (Any pagan religious significance is long forgotten to all but Wiccans).
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### Author:  [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2000, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-easter/18059/13 "2000-04-21T22:20:00Z")
missbunny wrote:
> [@](#):
>
> I think it’s called “Good Friday” because what happened, although no fun for the guy it was happening to, allowed everyone afterwards to have the opportunity to live eternal life - therefore, it was a “good” day for mankind.
Which always makes me wonder why a heck of a lot of Christians “blame” the Jews for having sent Jesus to be crucified. You’d think the Christians ought to be thanking them.
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### Author:  [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2000, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-easter/18059/14 "2000-04-21T22:35:00Z")
Is Easter this “cutiefied” anywhere else but America? My short answer would be that it sells a lot of chocolate.
I think celebrations elsewhere are more limited to religious observances and traditional foods (e.g., bread with eggs baked into it in Greece and Portugal). They are based on pagan celebrations, but the symbols (especially eggs) are easily co-opted into your basic resurrection scenario.
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### Author:  [@Danielinthewolvesden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danielinthewolvesden)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2000, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-easter/18059/15 "2000-04-22T05:04:00Z")
Eve: you are not doubting the Crucifixion are you? I mean rationalists (who are still Christians), do argue that the resurection was in “spirit” only, but few doubt the reality of Jesus as a man, a prophet, and a teacher, who was crucified. I am quite a skeptic, and I believe at least that much.
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### Author:  [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2000, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-easter/18059/16 "2000-04-22T10:59:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> I’m very sorry I clicked on this thread and that link, especially today.
> I’m very sorry I clicked
>
> * * *
>
> Jodi
Jodi, don’t worry, just abbreviate it to “I’m very sorry” and you can make the spotted thread about “we’re sorry” 😉
And I agree, btw, with Jodi’s sentiment that you ought to let someone know what they are going to click into when you make a link. Common courtesy.
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### Author:  [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2000, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-easter/18059/17 "2000-04-22T20:00:00Z")
What, we should have warnings for people that don’t have a sense of humor? Isn’t the fact that the link included the phrase “theonion” warning enough?
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### Author:  [@Danielinthewolvesden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danielinthewolvesden)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2000, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-easter/18059/18 "2000-04-22T23:30:00Z")
RYAN: 1: It was not funny. 2: I am very well read, and I only had a vague idea of the Onion, and it is hard to spot. There should have been a warning or a commentary. Not doing so was inconsiderate.
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### Author:  [@SouthernXYL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SouthernXYL)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2000, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-easter/18059/19 "2000-04-23T00:33:00Z")
Happily, I had run across theonion before and did not click.
The cutified Easter thing drives me nuts. “It’s Easter, and you know what that means - time to SHOP FOR NEW CLOTHES!” NO, that is not what Easter means. I don’t mind boosting the economy by buying Christmas gifts each year but I refuse to turn Holy Week into an opportunity to run up charges on my credit card. A couple of months ago, due to the kid’s rapid growth spurt we had to buy a bunch of clothes; we set one dress aside for her Easter dress, because there is that pagan element of the newness of Spring and all, but also in order to avoid any chance that we might have to join the mall rush on Good Friday. We dye eggs (because it’s fun) but we don’t do the Easter bunny.
I was amused to flip through an Easter catalog my sister-in-law had because I needed some chenille chicks for an unrelated matter (and indeed they had them) and I ran across some Easter candy that was marked “kosher”. Unclear on the concept …
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### Author:  [@Danielinthewolvesden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danielinthewolvesden)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2000, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-easter/18059/20 "2000-04-23T00:36:00Z")
Souther: re Kosher Easter eggs, there are a few Jewish/Christian people who accept Jesus as the Messiah, but still keep Kosher.
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