Ignorance is...

[andrewducker]

Apparently only 22% of people know that Easter is about Jesus.

At least, that's what the article says. If you look at the actual questions that got that result, it's clear that only 22% of the population _care_ about Jesus and his relationship with The Easter Bunny.

[Poll #1371630]

Comments

[andrewducker]

I don't associate it with Jesus or Oestara. And shall continue to call it Easter.

Much as I shall continue to call the cultural celebration on the 25th of December "Christmas", despite having no belief in the existence of Christ.

[lizzie-and-ari.livejournal.com]

If invited you to a party in celebration of Hedricnest on July 29th and everyone was going, would you go and not once ask what Hedricnest was?

[andrewducker]

I have a sonmewhat nuanced view :->

I'm personally interested in the history of things - and that's why I ticked "BAD" when it came to people being ignorant of the Christian associations of the holiday.

And it would depend on the significance of the celebration.

If it was a bunch of people who actively believed in Hedricnest, and were going to celebrate its gloriousness, then I would feel out of place and would probably decline (and I didn't go to a RC christening once for this very reason).

If it's something like Christmas, which is nowadays a cultural celebration for no particularly extant reason other than there always having been a celebration on that date, then I happily join in the jumping up and down, shouting "Huzzah!" and drinking mulled wine.

If it's something in-between, like Beltane, then I make a decision depending on the kind of celebration that's going on. The Beltance Fire lot, for instance, are inspired by Beltane mythology, but it's not a religious rite, so I'm fine just wandering along and going "Ooooh" at the pretty bits. If I was invited to a Beltane party then I'd really want to know exactly what kind of celebration was going on before deciding if it was something I should be involved in, both for my sake, and for the other people there.

When it comes to Easter, I tend to place it in the same camp as Christmas "Cultural celebration of historical interest that coincides with school holidays and Dr Who being on the TV.". I'm glad I know a bit about its history, but I don't feel I need to be part of it in order to take a general interest.

[lizzie-and-ari.livejournal.com]

Yes but you know. The question here was of ignorance.

[andrewducker]

You said "If you're not going to associate it with Jesus, or with paganism, as its roots are in Oestara, don't call it Easter."

And I was saying that the name of the celebration was culturally set, and that even if I associate Easter with chocolate bunnies then I shouldn't have to go around calling it a different name.