As we move into the Easter weekend, it’s also a time when Missouri Baptist University students are wrapping up final projects and preparing for final exams. Amid the stress that follows every college student this time of year, it’s an important opportunity to reflect on the true meaning of Easter, when Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose from the grave. Today’s blogs ask students to reflect on key questions they ponder at this most important time on the Christian calendar.
Photos by Hattie Means
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By ASHLEY FAY Easter is a holiday that has been celebrated since nearly 30 A.D., a day that is supposed to be filled with celebrations of Jesus and a time to commemorate Christ’s death. Or is it? Easter has turned into an event filled with colorful eggs, delicious food, Cadbury Candies and hunts for prizes. It seems that we are losing the true meaning of Easter. This special day used to be known as Resurrection Sunday where we would celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead, having occurred on the third day of his burial after his crucifixion. That definition does not seem to be so familiar anymore, and today’s society appears to be minimizing this strong meaning into something much less sentimental. Instead, children expect mouthfuls of candy and Easter baskets teeming of eggs in every shape and size so they can eat until they have a tummy ache. But can we blame the children who are simply growing into the generation? It’s important that we draw in the rooted meaning and allow generations to gain the true understanding of Easter before they are brainwashed – or taken by a sugar coma. You could do this by going to Easter service on Easter morning, sitting your children down and explaining the true meaning to them and, most of all, ensuring that you are celebrating the life of our Father, not only on Easter, but every single day. ___________________________________________________________________________ By PATRICK SZYMCZAK Easter is an important holiday in my family, where many members gather and have a big meal together. But Easter has also become some sort of a “trend” nowadays, especially in commercialization and media, where it is just another opportunity for stores and businesses to give people sales on certain products and push them to purchase. We already know the strategy from Christmas time or Thanksgiving, when stores give special offers that are only applicable during that particular time of the year, and in that way, they pull large numbers of people in their stores. Easter eggs and bunnies are examples of this new trendsetting, which causes the original value of Easter and many other holidays to be lost, which initially is to celebrate an important Biblical holiday with loved ones. Personally, I can see how I changed my behavior due to the commercialization of holidays. In my family, Easter stands for a lot of decoration, especially because of the transition to spring. Decoration means spending a lot of money for things such as colored eggs, Easter bunnies, hay and more. Hence, many people forgot why Easter is actually celebrated and what the real purpose is, which is to find some time for family and friends to meet and clear schedules of our already very busy daily routine. By ROSS MUNROE Easter, for my family, is right up there with Christmas when it comes to time with family and worshiping the Lord. I have always been a member of the church, and I’ve grown up learning the story of Easter, and over the years it has changed a bit for me. When I was a kid, it was about baskets and eggs and the threat of possible cavities from all the candy. Now that I’m older, it has shifted more into worshiping the Gospel, and less about childhood traditions. One of the famous traditions my family and I still participate in is dying the eggs. Though it seems childish the activity is still fun to do because it brings people around a table together. Going to church Easter Sunday is always a spectacle at Webster Hills United Methodist Church. There’s great music from the choir accompanied by a small orchestra, as well as flowers and candles that make the sanctuary look amazing. I also enjoy spotting people with my mom who we refer to as the Christmas-Easter crowd, who only show up for big church holidays. Easter is fun for my family because it brings us all together, which is something we don’t often get to do these days. ___________________________________________________________________________ By JONATHAN PASILLAS Easter has become, in my opinion, over-commercialized throughout the United States. As a young child, I recall my family attending church to start the day, then going over to my aunt’s house for all the activities. My aunt’s house consisted of different things like delicious food, like carne asada, games like Lotteria and the annual Easter egg hunt. However, nowadays, Easter has become a commercialized holiday. According to the National Retail Federation’s annual Easter survey, Americans spent $18.4 billion on Easter in 2017. Businesses have taken advantage of the importance Easter means to religious and social groups. These businesses, such as Peeps, Cadbury Creme Eggs and egg sales, both plastic and real, benefit from Easter holidays. Rather than celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I feel like Easter has become more of a show holiday of who can decorate the nicest and gather the most eggs with the best treats.Let’s Remember that Easter is About Resurrection
Has Easter Become Just Another Trend?
Easter Traditions Keep Focus on Christ
When Did Easter Become a Billion-Dollar Industry?
Triston Buckley 
Emily Retzer