Last year Easter, I wanted to download a picture to be used on Easter Sunday celebration for projection. I was surprised to find most pictures to be that of colored eggs and not of the biblical symbols of Easter.
Many have been asking how colored eggs connect to Easter. The Easter eggs have become the major visuals online used to represent Easter celebrations as against the crown of thorns soaked in blood, empty tomb etc Why is there a change in symbolism?
Easter celebrations started as a festival in the Catholic church to mark the end of the 40 days lent period. The week, regarded as Holy Week, is the first one week after the fasting period and it consists of Palm sunday, Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Holy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday.
This celebration is the oldest and most important in the entire christian year and the biblical symbols used in this internet age are crown of thorns soaked in blood, empty tomb, pierced palm and cross.
In the 1700s, some Germans immigrants into USA began to share a story of a magical hare, Easter Bunny, with long ears that delivers eggs and gifts to children in Easter Sunday. This hare/rabbit tale has become the main way of celebrating Easter.
Just like 'Merry Christmas' is changing to 'Happy Holidays', the celebration of the sufferings and victory of Jesus Christ is being replaced by the story of a rabbit.
We are not unaware of the plot of the devil to remove the name and influence of God from every sphere of life. The Easter Bunny is another (succeeding) attempt to drive God away from the land. The enemy, who is winning in the media and entertainment presently, is using every avenue- movies (Hop), songs, pictures- to push the Easter Bunny narrative as against the crucification, death, burial and resurrections of our LORD, Jesus Christ.
I call on graphic designers, video editors, content creators and movie makers to be conscious of symbols that mislead people about Christianity or worse, symbols that remove Jesus from the media. Instead, be deliberate at pushing contents that project God to the world more.
Comments
You know, I've always wondered what the Nexus between Easter and coloured eggs might be. It's a no-brainer that the contemporary media tries as hard as possible to distance important Christian 'festivals' from their origins.
Like you aptly pointed out, we must use everything in our arsenal to rewrite the narrative.
Those of us that are parents/guardians must also fully assume responsibility over what our children/wards consume as much as we can. This can also be achieved by intentional Bible studies and proper history.