First of all HAPPY EASTER! This has been a comparatively social Easter as I managed to spend about 2 hours with more than two people during Easter lunch with my in-laws to a Jungle Theme Restaurant. Fortunately the restaurant had pizza so I was relieved from the usual 'choose the right dish with the right price' dilemma I face in such occasions. Since I was a guest I had the inkling that lunch was going to be paid for, so naturally I wanted to choose a good plate at a low price. I settled for a good-enough chilli pizza with no dessert. For once the topic of conversation drifted from the usual baby talk, and we talked about our last trip to Scotland, their next trip to France and inevitably the situation at work.

This evening we went to the cinema once again - it seems that we're going to resume our weekly cinema visit. The only promising film was Runaway Jury starring John Cusack, Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman. The film is a rough adaptation of a book by John Grisham which implies that it was a courtroom thriller. As the title suggests the whole film is about the jury, the power the jury has, the studies involved behind jury selection, and jury manipulation. I am not a great believer in bestseller film adaptations but considering that I didn't read the book the film was good. According to my loved one, who is an avid Grisham reader the whole theme of the film was changed from a case against a cigarette company to a case against a gun manufacturing company. Despite this difference and another half a million she also liked the film.

Today is the last day of Easter celebrations and although the film Passion of the Christ was supposed to stir a greater awareness for this day, like all other years Christmas festivities 'overcame' the Easter festivities. The distinction I am refereeing to is more on a material and cosmetic aspect rather than on the spiritual aspect. On the spiritual and catholic side one need only consider the 40 day anticipation for Easter to realise the importance the church gives to its primary celebration. I have been thinking about this difference throughout the weekend, and although I made up some ideas I haven't come to a final conclusion. The following are just some observations, please do not hesitate to send your comments. I would love to read some opinions.

Try as I might to avoid mentioning presents and commercialisation as the first motivation I failed to find a better reason. To most people Christmas is about giving and receiving presents. The advertising, hype and enthusiasm the media creates is a key factor in Christmas festivities. Can you imagine Christmas without decorated shopping windows, jingles and presents? Where presents are involved you are ensured that you've got all children on your side and that's a really huge advantage. Unfortunately the most you can get in Easter is an egg.

The meaning of the two different feasts might also play its part in the different attitudes to these feasts. In Christmas we celebrate birth, something known to stir great joy in human hearts. On the other hand Easter brings death and resurrection with a 40 day penance period. Resurrection is too unearthly to make the necessary impact for grandiose celebration. This concept relies totally on faith as opposed to the natural experience of birth, which is experienced everyday in our lives.

On a more comic side consider the different childish representations, Santa Klaus on one side and the Easter Egg on the other. Even in such terms Christmas is more elaborate and interesting. The culture and stories around Santa by far exceed the Easter egg. I for one do not know anything about the Easter Egg but I've really missed not going to Santa's village in Rovaniemi (Finland) when I was there. At least you can eat your Easter Egg though.

As a conclusion to these few thoughts I found these links on the internet when I was looking for some ideas. The first one is basically a snack battle between Easter and Christmas, while the more serious link outlines the and their origins.