Well if I made a bet with myself, I lost. I guessed that hot cross buns would be in the shops before the schools go back. In this town that is the end of January. But they were advertised in this week’s Coles specials. Which means that the flyer was printed before 12th Night. I did not imagine it would be this soon. Hey, lets have Easter before Christmas next time round eh? Pity the Wise men, barely delivered their gifts, gone on their way & they are back to watch the star being extinguished
In the household in which I grew up, we had Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday at lunchtime, we had one each, it was all we had for lunch as we were fasting.
These days I feel that I occupy a strange territory, populated with people who think that my religious engagement is either excessive, or insufficient, and others who privately shake their heads and wonder why. Yet we are all happy to take the Public Holidays, do the shopping, and say,”well it is family time”. In my current household, I joke that every day is like Easter Sunday as I go hunting for eggs that the chickens like to hide in secret places. But that hunting time is also a time to remember to feel gratitude and thanks to a generous and loving Creator. And that joy can be found in strange places. Even when I fail to find the eggs.
I also feel for those of other faiths who are committed to their religious and faith practices. How must they feel when they cannot take time off to engage in their practice? And yet they have to endure the inevitable price rises that happen in our supermarkets, the parking hassles, the road rage (and just plain bad manners on the road) and the stress that a so-called Christian celebration imposes on everyone.
And I wonder about families and individuals who are struggling with loneliness , or D & A problems, or severe poverty, or the loss of special people, how stressed they must feel at this time of the year. There have been many road deaths in NSW this Christmas/New Year period, often involving more than one family member. How will next Christmas be for them?
I find the whole matter a dilemma. I don’t wish to sound like a mealy-mouthed naysayer, but I can’t help feeling cynical about the whole she-bang. Maybe Herod was not the only reason that the little family with the special babe headed off to Egypt. Though I wonder if that was not a nation of excess at the time? I bet they all would be shaking their heads in horror at what has become of Christmas and Easter.