Easter Versus Christmas: A Calendar Competition

So, out of 52 weeks in the year, the Popular Culture recognizes that we Christians designate one week as Holy Week (its on the calendar). So, 1/52 of the year, which is definitely cool. Some Christians pad that timing with Lent, others, not so much. But, Holy Week, Palm Sunday to Resurrection.

It begins with the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. People are shouting Hallelujah, laying their cloaks and palm branches on the ground so that the donkey on which Jesus is being carried does not touch the bare earth and, tradition has it, they waved the palm branches around as well. Palm branches. Do not be fooled if your church hands out the individual palm fronds (coming from a pastor who hands out fronds).

It concludes with the Resurrection of Jesus, the stone rolled away, angels appearing to Mary Magdalene first (in every instance) and then to others.

Holy Week is fully ¼ of the chapters of the Gospel of Matthew. It is closer to 1/3 of the Gospel of Mark. In the Gospel of Luke, it is fully ¼. In the Gospel of John, from the Triumphal Entry, it is slightly less than half the gospel. In the four gospels, there are 89 chapters. Of these, 29 work within Holy Week.

In comparison, consider Christmas in the eyes of the Popular Culture. It traditionally 12 days long, Christmas to Epiphany; per visits "shepherds to magi". According to Macy’s, the season starts after Thanksgiving. According to the culture as I grew up, it starts after Halloween, consuming Thanksgiving as surely as I consume Thanksgiving turkey. In the present culture, the "hints" begin at Labor Day. That is anywhere from 4-16 weeks.

In the Bible, Christmas is ¼ of chapter 1 and half of chapter 2 in Matthew and approximately 1 and ½ chapters of Luke, depending on how much of the birth of John the Baptist is included.

So, being generous, where Christianity has its most significant influence on the Popular Culture- at Christmas-3 chapters of Gospel (3%) for upward of 16 weeks (30%) of the year. For Easter, where Christianity celebrates its most significant influence on the hearts of humanity, 29 chapters (33%) for 1 week (2%) of the year. Some “Bible Math”.

Pastor Peter

PS: What about Lent and Advent? 2 thoughts. First, those are definitely Church Calendar things, not so much Popular Culture things. Second, this comes out of how I was raised in the church, Christmas and Easter are Biblically set in ways Lent and Advent are not.