Do we know what we celebrate at Easter?

H/T to Deacon Greg Kandra at the Bench for this story from RNS by Adele Banks.

Survey: Less than Half Link Easter to the Resurrection
Monday March 15, 2010

While most Americans describe Easter as a religious holiday, less than half of U.S. adults surveyed link it specifically to the Resurrection of Jesus, a Barna Group study shows.

Seven in 10 respondents mentioned religion or spirituality in their response to an open-ended question about how they describe what Easter means to them personally. But just 42 percent tied Easter to the Resurrection.

At 73 percent, baby boomers (ages 45 to 63) were the most likely to describe Easter as a religious holiday, compared to two-thirds of those ages 26 to 44 and Americans 64 and older. The youngest group of adults (ages 18 to 25) were least likely, at 58 percent, to use that kind of description.

Other than the day Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead, respondents described Easter as "a Christian holiday, a celebration of God or Jesus, a celebration of Passover, a holy day" or a special day to go to church, Barna researchers said.

"The Easter holiday in particular still has a distinctly religious connection for people but ... the specifics of it are really fading in a lot of people's minds," said David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, which is based in Ventura, Calif...

(Source)

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Well, even non-believers seem to understand the religious story and significance of Christmas in spite of its crass commercialization. Perhaps we need (in the style of creche scenes) small empty tombs with figures of the Risen Jesus, a couple of angels, Mary Magdalen, Mary, the Mother of James, Salome, Joanna and Peter and John.

Deluxe sets might include Cleopas and his companion on the road to Emmaus, and an upper room (lock and key provided) with figures of the apostles (full set includes Thomas).

Can you picture such a scene in your living room? on the mantle? on your front lawn?

And then, of course, we'd need to consider staging a Children's Easter Pageant!

Images: Catholic Supply (paper figures) and Egan Church Supply (figurines)


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