Who is up for an Easter debate?

OK, put down that giant calorie-filled chocolate Easter Egg, who’s up for a debate? Many moons ago, I pondered in a newspaper column whether we’d lost the true spirit of Christmas.

Today, the same question can be posed about Easter.

Do most people realise the significance of Easter as the holiest time in the Christian calendar?

Or is it now just ‘another Bank Holiday weekend’?

One of my pals in California emailed me this week with this:

“Easter has not lost its true meaning, it has only been redefined.

“A ‘holiday’ period which was intended to bring people closer to God has now become a holiday which brings people closer to the supermarket checkout cash register.”

So, is Easter now moving up the table to No2 in the ranks of commercial excess, just behind (and possibly about to overtake) Christmas?

I’m old enough to remember when, on Good Friday, pubs and clubs were either shut for the day, or adopted strict Sunday opening hours.

It won’t be like that today as people flock to pubs, clubs and restaurants to take advantage of their Bank Holiday ‘down time’.

In some pubs, the TVS will be screening live football, rugby and horse racing.

My memory may not be as reliable as it used to be, but I am sure I remember Good Friday being a ‘sport free’ zone.

If sport isn’t ‘your thing’, then I am fairly confident that your Easter weekend will include a day out, a trip to the garden centre or the out-oftown shopping centre.

The people who choose to go to church or chapel today or on Easter Sunday will be in the minority.

It’s wise not to be judgemental about this fact – many of you lead busy lives and deserve some rest and relaxation.

But I’m willing to bet the farm on many people not even spending 30 seconds considering why we get time off at Easter.

Of course, some of you will argue that Easter’s roots are in old Pagan festivals, hence the ‘tradition’ of dressing up chocolate as ‘fertility symbols’ – eggs.

Meanwhile, don’t ask me about Easter bonnet parades. I’m not sure what that’s about – apart, that is, from providing another opportunity to ‘monetise’ the festival.

Time was that – even if you didn’t go to church or chapel – you could always sit down and watch Franco Zeffirelli’s epic Jesus of Nazareth on the TV.

The 1977 drama of the life of Jesus – starring Robert Powell – isn’t being shown on any channel over the next 14 days (or so my sometimes flawed research tells me).

An internet search suggested I could pay to stream the series.

Blimey, big business has found another way to make money out of Jesus of Nazareth...

Have a Happy Easter – and don’t eat too much chocolate!