What’s Good Friday got to do with Easter?
Fri 6 Apr 2007Clearly, my wife and I suck at this “educating the kids about religion” thing.
Today, Good Friday, is actually #3 Son’s 18th birthday. We had the big party in the back yard two weeks ago because we thought many of his friends might be out of town for Easter. It was a moderate size production; tarpaulin over the tennis court, disco lights, smoke machine, etc. We’re still harvesting the crop of beer bottles which were magically planted in our gardens.
Tonight we had some of his closest friends over for dinner, which was nice. But what do ALL new 18-year-olds expect to do on the night they actually turn 18? That’s right. They want to go CLUBBING! …er, legally! …er, for the first time!
You should have seen the looks of dismay when it dawned on them that, because it was Good Friday, no bars, discos or anything fun would be open tonight. One of the little angels (not one of ours) clearly understood what Easter was all about; ie, consuming hot cross buns and chocloate eggs on Easter Sunday. He asked, in all seriousness, “What’s Good Friday got to do with Easter?”
I suppose the upside is that they bear no malice towards followers of that other religion some of whom nailed our hero to a crucifix 2000 years ago.
And speaking of Easter, I just loved this cartoon by Jon at www.pantsofdeath.com. Happy Easter to all.
April 6th, 2007 at 23:56
…“what’s Good Friday got to do with Easter? 
*chuckle*
Lord love ‘em!
April 7th, 2007 at 10:11
My birthday sometimes falls on Easter, and it did on my 21st birthday (which is the legal drinking age in the U.S.). But I wouldn’t have gone out, anyway. I didn’t take my first (legal) drink of alcohol until about four months later.
April 8th, 2007 at 13:55
Boff: Yeah, that private school education was really worth it!
Julie: In Australia, the legal drinking and voting ages were reduced from 21 to 18 towards the end of the VietNam war. It seemed incongruous that 18-year-olds could be asked to fight in a foreign land but not vote or drink.
Now, I never drank at all until I joined the Army. #1 Son is a bit of a carbon copy of his old man. He is now approaching 25 and has never touched a drop. He’s never had occasion to join the army, either. #s 2 & 3 Sons have certainly drunk his share, though. #1 Son says if he takes up drinking, he’ll also start smoking and do hard drugs, because “… only one of them will kill you and you get the others for free!”
April 9th, 2007 at 13:07
Happy Easter to you Mr Fitz! I ate my own body weight in chocolate and am seriously regretting it now! *cries*
April 9th, 2007 at 17:20
happy bday to your son and happy easter to you!
When I go to pubs now I look around in dismay at how young everyone looks. Tell your son to enjoy 18 while he can!!
April 9th, 2007 at 22:09
Steph: Happy Easter to you too. I resisted the urge to consume chocolate until about 13:30 Monday, but now that the packet of mint-creme-filled chocolate easter eggs is open… *choc-gasm shudder* … bit like Pandora’s box isn’t it?
Mez: Thanks for your kind thoughts. “enjoy 18 …” Oh, he’s enjoying it all right. He doesn’t need any encouragement from his old man in that respect.
April 10th, 2007 at 9:52
My husband grew up happily in a non-religious environment and I’ve had fairly similar questions about random religious things. It scares me how many of those stories come back to mind ten years on, and it scares him because he thinks I was brainwashed at school.
I was quite brave and didn’t eat too much chocolate. Mind you, I was also quite hung over from partying the night before, so the Eater Bunny brought me Berocca instead.
April 10th, 2007 at 10:26
Hi Miff, I’ve really no problem with people who follow any or no religion. The only problem I have is with people who believe that their religion is the one “true” religion and that all non-believers will burn forever in hell or should have jihad waged against them.
The time has long passed when we need to stop thinking as separate races or religions and start thinking as a single species.
April 11th, 2007 at 4:40
Happy Belated Easter Mike
oh and Happy Belated 18th Birthday to your son!!!!
The adults didn’t get Easter Eggs this year *sulk*…..I’ve had to go and get my own chocolate….oh and I have snuck a few teeny tiny pieces of the boys easter eggs…….what? they don’t need all that chocolate! I’m doing the motherly thing and preventing tooth decay by consuming a portion myself….totally justifiable I swear!
Hope you had a great long weekend
April 11th, 2007 at 14:33
Hi Mummy B, Yep, it wasn’t a bad long week-end. It included some preparations for a wedding in our back-yard next week-end. Watch this space…
April 11th, 2007 at 17:03
Thanks, I’m glad you liked it!
April 12th, 2007 at 2:40
Hi Jon, I liked your pantsofdeath blog too.
July 28th, 2007 at 23:31
#1 son has now been 18 for a few months; has he realised that clubbing sucks?
July 28th, 2007 at 23:32
Eck, I mean #3 son. You know what I mean.