I was half asleep when I heard this yesterday morning, but it cracked me up. Apparently, malls either around Washington or the country (this is where I was still asleep) are moving away from using the Easter bunny at this time of year because, get this, they don't want to offend people by using religious imagery! Rich and I wondered if perhaps they wanted to stop the spread of paganism in the US, or what, since the Easter bunny is not a religious figure in Christianity, Judaism or Islam, but it is a fertility symbol from pagan cultures.

As for Pascha, Rich and I are hosting the Paschal feast again this year in the afternoon. We will be roasting 3 legs of lamb and grilling a butterflied leg on the barbecue. Right now, we are getting ready for Palm Sunday and Holy Week, I can't believe that Lent is almost over. I have been pleased with the growth God has brought me to during this time. Our boys are really growing as well and have found this a valuable time of learning. It was difficult because even though they go to Christian schools, the grade school is part of a church that doesn't observe Lent, so this has been "Easter season" there, and the other does observe it, but evidently doesn't feel the need to explain much about it to the kids. They've had to observe it a little bit on their own and in contrast to those around them. In a way this is good, as it prepares them for the world around them as they grow.

Labels: Church Year