Happy Easter!

There are many reasons to celebrate “Easter.”

As a Christian holiday (holy day), it is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, three days following his crucifixion.

Those of Jewish heritage have just celebrated Passover, which was the festival that Jesus and his followers were celebrating at what we now call “The Last Supper.” Passover, or Pesach (in Hebrew) lends its name to the Latin for of the name — Pashcal.

Pagans will remind us that modern Christianity “borrowed” the English name “Easter” from the Germanic-Saxon goddess Oestra, a name which roughly means Light of the East: the growing light of spring.

Of course many people are quite happy simply to celebrate the arrival of Spring and call it “Easter.” 

Chocolate and candy eggs and other confections, ostensibly brought by the Easter Bunny, figure prominently in many celebrations, religious or secular.

Easter is the only public holiday that is not held on a fixed date, or a designated day.

New Years, Canada Day, and Christmas/Boxing Day occur on fixed dates.

Victoria Day, the Civic Holiday, Thanksgiving, and Labour Day all occur on a designated day (a Monday).

Easter — along with Good Friday — is what is known as a “moveable feast.” It’s date is determined using an astronomical calendar: it is the first Sunday after the first full moon following the Spring equinox. As such, it can occur any time between 22 March and 25 April.

Here in the Sault, the earlier possible dates are just barely into the season of “Spring,” often with a fair bit of snow still on the ground, and things looking more like winter. Still, spring is in the air, and Easter is a welcome harbinger of the changing season.

When it occurs later, coinciding with warmer temperatures and blooming bulbs and flowers it truly becomes a celebration of Spring.

Whenever it occurs, I enjoy Easter.

This year I find myself quite happy that it, and the arrival of spring, are coinciding with the “official” start of the season.

I have written before of my struggle with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and the short winter days.

At the beginning of the month we — “celebrate” is likely not the most apropos term — switched to Daylight Savings Time. It is a somewhat controversial move, with many people quite vocal in their objection to adjusting the clock twice a year.

While there is a small body of research, mostly anecdotal reports, showing a correlation between the time change and personal injury incidents — workplace accidents and road collisions — there is no conclusive proof of any real harm.

I do know people who object to “losing an hour’s sleep.” They don’t seem to object quite so much in the fall, when they gain an “extra hour.”

I don’t mind losing the hour’s sleep, especially when it means an extra hour of daylight in the evening. Yes, the sun rises a bit later the next few mornings, but it isn’t long before the sun is rising increasingly earlier.

I cannot describe the feeling of driving around town seeing the snowbanks dropping noticeably each day, and I am eagerly awaiting the emergence of spring bulbs and flowers, and leaves bursting forth on the trees.

For me, whether Easter happens early in March or late in April, it is one of the most welcome holidays.

Who doesn’t love a four-day weekend? 

Oh, wait… I don’t get a four-day weekend. Certainly I won’t get called in to teach, and I have no driving students scheduled for Monday (and had none on Friday). Saturday, on the other hand, is just another working day for me.

But I don’t mind.

There will be an Easter dinner, at a friend’s, this weekend. Mmm.

I did attend a Good Friday service at my church, and will also attend an Easter service. I could attend one of a couple of “sunrise services” that are being held, but that would mean getting up quite early. I’ve been to sunrise services before, and they are very nice, but… sleeping-in holds a bit more appeal.

Indeed, whatever one’s religious beliefs — or lack thereof — Easter is quite a nice time of year.

I look forward to summer, and summertime activities: going for drives in the country, heading to a favourite swimming hole, spending a week at camp.

I also love autumn, with warm days and crisp nights, no bugs, and the spectacular colours.

But it is spring that lifts my spirits.

Spring is a time of renewal: bulbs and flowers emerge, leaves burst forth, and songbirds return.

After what was, for me, too-long winter I embrace the return of Spring, and not just for the typical reasons I have already stated.

It is also a time of renewal for me, personally.

I spend a lot of time during the winter sitting alone and pondering my lot in life. Yes, I could (should?) get out more and enjoy what daylight there is, and find more evening activities that would keep me more productively occupied. And in truth, I am involved in a fair number of activities. 

But in the winter I do have, perhaps, more time on my own, and I find it harder to recognize the better aspects as I tend to focus on things that aren’t working out as I had hoped, and things that might be missing from my life.

Generally, my overall outlook in the winter is perhaps not “bleak,” but certainly not optimistic, either.

Come Spring, however, it becomes increasingly easier to look ahead to what might be, and to be optimistic for positive changes in my situation. It becomes easier to embrace "renewal"  — renewal of mind, body and spirit.

It is much easier to believe in “renewal,” come Easter.

Again, whether one is a member of a Community of Faith or not, whether one simply enjoys the arrival of Spring, this is the season of renewal. I'm sure we can all find reason to celebrate.

But… that’s just my opinion.

Happy Easter!