Wouldn't the big defining event of Christianity be a much bigger deal than simply the birth of Jesus? The baby hadn't done anything yet. No suffering for humanity's sins, no conquering of death.

Different sects of Christianity emphasize different aspects of Christ: birth, baptism, last supper, crucifiction. IMHO the emphasis of Christmas is a result of the Catholic veneration of "The Virgin Mary" and not so much about Jesus himself.

Because short of marshmallow chicks and chocolate Easter bunnies, you don't have as much commercialization at Easter.

Besides, how many Easter songs do you know?

I was thinking about this while seated in a candle-light service on Christmas eve. But the pastor covered both Jesus' birth (the majority of the hour) and then gave a summary of the Easter (death and resurrection) story.

What Sandie said: At eastertime there's no new set of legos or a flat screen under the tree...

In 19th century america, the commercialization of christmas started its rise. That whole empty-tomb thing hasn't quite hit its stride with department store tie-ins.

I know in my Christian faith Easter is the big event. But as for sharing presents and leading up to the holiday, Christmas is much bigger. There is advent the four weeks leading up to Christmas. So the season begins then. There is all the music and decorations both indoors and out. There is all the planning for trips to see relatives, etc. It is all commercial yes. But hardly anyone has much time off for Easter...maybe the Fri. before. But many have extra time off at Christmas if you are not in the service industry. Teachers do, students do and college semesters allow for much vacation time. I think it is all about what amt. of time is given for the holiday that makes one so much more commercial than the other. But if you are a true Christian, there is a huge spiritual aspect to each. Also Easter is a solemn time, a time of relection. And Christmas is a joyous time, a time of celebration.

No "I'll Be Home for Easter."

Christmas gets all the warm sentiments, the longing for family, the the feelings of generosity...

Easter could have had those things if, somewhere back in time, someone had thought to establish the traditions. Maybe it's because Easter started out being about torture and death (but with a happy ending) and not about, aaaaww, a baby. Maybe it was because earlier cultures were too busy with agricultural work in the spring to do any big celebrations, compared to winter when they were sort of twiddling their thumbs.

It's just odd how these thing end up.

It's better for someone to give me a new iPad2, than for me to receive chocolate.

It's the beginning of spring, when I can get out in the sun and work on my garden.

The family conflict didn't seem to happen as much when I was growing up so I didn't have bad memories of angry voices.

My kids always got awesome baskets with a stuffed animal, a new book, a new set of good clothes and some candy and nuts.

My son's birthday is right around Easter. We had Easter egg hunts for his birthday until he was 16 (at his insistence when he was older. He's so sentimental.)

But I'm glad it's not hyped into something like Christmas. :)

I think people need something to celebrate in the dead of dark winter.

The solstice celebrations are very old, including lighting of fires, etc.

When you add in the foods, the fun (time off school and work), the presents (including the advertising to buy them), the songs, AND the religious "reason for the season", you have a perfect setup.

Hey, I'm atheist and I love Christmas.

yep - axial tilt is the reason for the season

That's why it makes for such a nice symbol for a variety of different religious stories - the turning of the tide, the waxing of the day & light, the beginning of the end of winter and death, etc. Useful symbolism for Christians and for others as well.

I have always liked Easter more than Christmas. Everybody gets born, but not everybody comes back from the dead.

The seasons of Advent and Lent lead up to the holidays. Advent is a time of waiting and hope and excitement leading up to a joyous event, a birth. Lent is also a season of waiting, but it is like watching a car crash in slow motion. You know what is going to happen. I think of it as the Jewish Day of Atonement, but also in slow motion. Everyone wears black to the Good Friday service, as if it is a funeral. Then the joyous surprise of Easter morning! It is a complete turn around of emotions: Joy, relief, hope after 40 days of grief.

In most of Christianity, Easter is in fact the most important day of the church calender liturgically speaking (along with the rest of Holy Week that precedes it). On a cultural level Christmas seems bigger. I think that has to do with the presents more than anything. Take away the custom of giving presents and the holiday would probably be much more subdued.

In Christian theology the baby Jesus has already done something in a certain sense. God becoming a human being is seen as uniting our created human nature with the uncreated divine nature, which opens the way for us to participate in God's own life. The Incarnation means more in traditional Christianity than in Mormonism since the Mormon God is already in essence a human being.

I suppose technically the conception of Jesus would be where it started, but the birth of a living baby makes for a better, more tangible symbol.

Good point. I seem to recall the Catholics celebrate the Annunciation when Mary found out she was going to have a very unusually conceived baby. So there is more to it than a baby being born.

I think I'd rather attend a funeral than a baby shower. I like babies, just not all the baby talk, baby clothes, and stuff. Plus I have an inclination towards depression.

I always enjoyed Easter more than Christmas because of the great meaning it has in Christianity (resurrection, etc.). Christmas is so influenced by commercialism and society and has become more and more materialistic. But, Christmas has the meaning of hope and good will to the world. I also think that Christmas time is when there is more time off from work, college students are off between semesters, K-12 kids are off from school, Christmas parties are plenty, and so forth. Due to these things, Christmas is a special time for many people. But, it is too commercialized and too materialistic for me. I am always glad when it is over.

Ain't gonna happen.

Timothy

Always thought more about easter,in the Church I now belong too to ressurection is more important,just the tradition of gifts at christmas been over commercialised,the gift of giving originated from the 3 wise men.

It's really an old pagan celebration for the sun coming back and the days starting to get longer. It was a real worry when people didn't understand astronomy. The roots are deep, and Easter can never compete with survival as a reason to celebrate.

solstice celebrations with all the lights and fire. It's something humans really need in the dead of winter in the northern latitudes. We need some damn LIGHT, and to cheer up!

Their ecclesiastical calendar even begins and ends the year at easter.

Therefore bigger and more important celebrations around the solstice, down through the ages.

I never liked early spring, it irritated me. Easter mostly meant having to dress up in uncomfortable scratchy clothes and go to church. NOTHING to enjoy about it!