A local reporter called me the other day to ask my opinion about whether Easter was becoming too commercialized? He was positing that it was becoming even worse than Christmas because Easter is the holiest, most solemn time of the year and yet we have a big push of Easter bunnies and Easter eggs.
On the one hand, there is an undeniable trend of commercialization. For the first time I heard someone discussing what Easter presents they were giving their wife this year. Easter presents? But I still don’t think it’s anywhere near as bad as Christmas. As for his specific examples, both bunnies and eggs remind us of springtime, and are symbols of newness of life, renewal, rebirth. As symbols, I don’t think they’re any worse than Christmas trees.
Of course, I don’t go anywhere near malls most of the time so I’m pretty insulated from sales and seasonal campaigns and such things.
What do you think? Is Easter becoming commercialized?
