Joshua Bennett
While Christmas is a significant religious celebration for Christians, some sources argue that Easter is the most important Christian holiday, especially for Catholics. This is because the resurrection of Jesus is the more important deed in the history of mankind, and Easter celebrates Jesus' triumph over sin and death. However, the commercialization of Easter has led many Christians, including Catholics, to view Easter as a lesser holiday.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Commercial appeal | Easter is less commercialised than Christmas |
| Popularity in America | 93% of Americans celebrate Christmas, while 79% celebrate Easter |
| Theological importance | Easter is theologically more important than Christmas |
| Celebration in Catholic communities in Spain | Easter is a sad celebration, while Christmas is a positive deed |
| Celebration in Eastern Catholic Churches | Easter is more important than Christmas |
| Celebration in North America and Europe | Easter has a diminished cultural force compared to Christmas |
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What You'll Learn
Easter is more theologically important
While Christmas is a significant religious celebration, Easter is theologically more important for Christians, including Catholics. Firstly, Easter is the most important day of the entire liturgical year, as evidenced by the Church's calendar, which works towards the primacy of Easter. While Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, Easter celebrates his resurrection, which is the more important event in Christian history. This is reflected in the fact that all four canonical gospels include stories about the empty tomb, with three of them containing resurrection narratives. Paul, writing just a decade after Jesus' death, does not mention his birth but makes the resurrection central to his message.
The resurrection is what gives Christians hope in Jesus and the promise of eternal life, as expressed in Psalm 16:10, Isaiah 53:10, and 1 Corinthians 6:14. It is also what allows Christians to become like him and conquer death, as stated in 1 Corinthians 15:55-57. This is why Christians celebrate Easter as a "little Easter" every Sunday, as each Sunday commemorates the Resurrection. Additionally, Christians started celebrating Easter long before they started celebrating Christmas Day.
The theological significance of Easter is further emphasised by its complex and profound nature, which centres on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. This makes it a more challenging holiday to secularise compared to Christmas, which can be reduced to a heartwarming story about family and motherhood. While Christmas has become commercialised and widely celebrated in society, including in North America and Europe, Easter has largely maintained its status as a religious holiday. This is reflected in the commercialisation of Easter, which has led many Christians, including Catholics, to view it as a "lesser" holiday.
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Christmas is more commercial
While Easter is considered the most important day in the liturgical year, Christmas is the bigger commercial holiday. Firstly, Christmas has become a "cultural Christian" holiday, with a wider cultural proliferation beyond Christian traditions. This is reflected in the federal holiday status of Christmas in the US, where Christmas Day and the nearest weekday after it are recognized as holidays. Easter, on the other hand, does not receive the same treatment, and its cultural cachet hardly approaches that of Christmas.
The commercialization of Christmas is evident in the hype surrounding the holiday, with songs, decorations, gifts, and marketing campaigns. This commercial focus has led to concerns about the holiday becoming ""Americanized" and losing its original religious meaning in some parts of the world. The massive explosion of wealth in the West over the last 150 years has also contributed to the commercial focus on Christmas.
In contrast, Easter has maintained its status as a primarily religious holiday. The message of Easter, which centers on the death and resurrection of Jesus, is more challenging to secularize and commercialize. While Easter also has some commercial aspects, such as the Easter Bunny and eggs, these have not been widely adopted to the same extent as Christmas traditions.
The difference in commercialization between the two holidays can also be attributed to the timing of the holidays. Religion News Service's Tobin Grant suggests that the need for a frivolous celebration during the cold winter months made Christmas more appealing for commercial purposes than Easter, which falls in early spring.
Additionally, the secular celebration of Christmas is tied to wider cultural ideas about family and gift-giving, making it a significant holiday for a broader range of people, including non-Christians. Easter, with its focus on the resurrection, holds more profound religious significance, which may be why it is celebrated more fervently by Christians, while Christmas is embraced as a cultural holiday.
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Easter is harder to secularise
While Christmas is a significant religious celebration for Christians, Easter is considered the most important day in the liturgical calendar. This is because Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, which is the most important event in Christian history.
Despite this, Easter is not as widely celebrated as Christmas, particularly in North America and Europe. This is because Easter is harder to secularise. The message of Easter—that of an adult man who was killed and rose from the dead—is a story about death and resurrection. These supernatural elements are on full display and cannot be reduced, as Christmas can, to a heartwarming story about motherhood.
While Easter has its secular symbols, like the Easter Bunny and eggs, it has largely avoided any wider cultural proliferation. A study by historian Mark Connelly found that by the 1860s, references to Easter in English books were half that of Christmas, and by 2000, Christmas was referenced almost four times as often as Easter.
The theological significance of Easter has remained intact, and it has kept its status as a religious holiday. In contrast, Christmas is a federal holiday in the US, and its celebration is tied to wider cultural ideas about family and gift-giving.
Easter is also a more sombre occasion, and its message is more complex and serious, making it less appealing for commercial proliferation. As such, it is harder to make a culture-wide celebration out of Easter than it is for Christmas.
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Christmas is a bigger deal in American culture
The theological significance of Easter has been maintained, and it has largely avoided any wider cultural proliferation. A study by historian Mark Connelly found that at the dawn of the 19th century, English books referred to the two holidays more or less equally. By the 1860s, references to Easter were half that of Christmas, a trend that only continued. By 2000, Christmas was referenced almost four times as often as Easter.
Today, Christmas is a federal holiday in the US, as is the nearest weekday after, should Christmas fall on a weekend. Easter Monday, however, is not a federal holiday. Sending Easter cards, attending Easter parties, and watching endless Easter-themed TV specials are not common practices in the US.
In American culture, the Christmas season lasts more than a month. Radio stations play Christmas or holiday playlists for a month. Many companies hold holiday parties or gatherings. People get more time off work. Christmas decorations are also a big deal, with people spending thousands of dollars on their displays. Thanksgiving decorations, on the other hand, are low-key or non-existent in most cases.
Christmas-themed advertising and sales take up the entire months of November and December, while Thanksgiving only gets a fraction of that. Christmas is the biggest holiday in America, with 93% of Americans celebrating it, according to a Gallup survey. In contrast, the National Retail Federation estimates that 79% celebrate Easter.
While Easter is the most important Christian holiday for many Christians, including Catholics, it is not as widely celebrated in American culture as Christmas.
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The Resurrection is the most important event in Christian history
Easter celebrates Jesus' resurrection, which conquered death and provided the forgiveness of sins, making it possible for Christians to be reunited with God in heaven. As one source states, "the resurrection secures our eternity and fulfills Scripture." The resurrection is what sets Christianity apart, and without it, the religion would be meaningless.
The importance of Easter is further emphasised by the fact that it is celebrated for a full forty days, with each Sunday acting as a "little Easter" throughout the year. In contrast, Christmas is celebrated for twelve days, and while it is a joyous occasion marking the birth of Jesus, it does not hold the same theological weight as Easter.
The commercialisation of Christmas has also contributed to its prominence in secular society, with many non-Christians participating in the holiday. Easter, on the other hand, has not been as widely commercialised, and its theological significance remains intact. This may be due to the more complex and serious nature of the resurrection, which is a challenging concept to secularise.
While the birth of Jesus is a positive event to celebrate, it is the resurrection that gives Christians hope and shapes their understanding of what is significant. As such, Easter is considered the most important event in the Christian calendar, with the resurrection at its heart.
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Frequently asked questions
While both Easter and Christmas Day are solemnities, the highest rank of a feast on the Church's calendar, the short answer is that, yes, Easter is the most important day of the entire liturgical year. This is because the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central tenet of the Christian faith.
Easter is considered more important than Christmas because it is seen as a fulfilment of Scripture and the securing of eternity for Christians. Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, but Easter celebrates his resurrection, which is considered the most important deed in human history for Christians.
Christmas has more commercial appeal than Easter, and is tied to wider cultural ideas about family and gift-giving. Easter, on the other hand, has remained largely a religious holiday, with fewer opportunities for commercialisation.
Christians started celebrating Easter well before they started celebrating Christmas Day.
