atheist parenting: colored eggs & zombie jesus.

I haven't done an atheist parenting post for quite awhile, have I? I guess my mind has been more on the upcoming survival mode of parenting an infant than the more abstract and philosophical modes I will be able to focus on later. But with Easter coming up, it's a good time to dig back in!

easter: marshmallow bunnies + the resurrected dead...

Image via Pinterest

So, Mr. Epic and I are atheists who have no problem celebrating popular Christian-based holidays in the cultural and "colloquial" sense. We are BIG Christmas fans, especially. I don't think we have any sort of particular emotional attachment to Easter, though--both of us feel kind of meh about it. But we will probably do small Easter baskets and an Easter egg hunt later on when Avery is older.

Our moms, however, both feel very strongly about Easter--but not really for any deeply spiritual reasons. They both have this equally insistent need for us to do a traditional family get-together for Easter, because, Easter, I guess. Which is totally fine with us. There will be no awkward discussions about the true meaning of Easter with our families, that I can foresee; it'll be all chocolate bunnies and colored eggs as far as the grandmas are concerned.

I can't really speak for Mr. Epic, but for my part, that's basically how Easter was treated when I was a kid. We went to church and the religious aspects were covered there, but when we came home or went to my grandparents' house, Easter was all focused on the meal and the egg hunt and the family gathering aspect of the holiday. So, when Avery gets a little older and perhaps asks why we celebrate Easter, I feel like the honest answer is: for us, Easter is about celebrating springtime and having a family gathering. 

Well, look at that! A religious holiday that we can celebrate easily and awkwardness-free with our families. I really like it when it works out that way.

And this year, barring baby's arrival before Sunday, our plans are to grill burgers with my parents and get them caught up on the last 3 episodes of this season of The Walking Dead. They don't have cable so they've been watching it at our house--we bought the season pass through our Apple TV. Seems highly appropriate for Easter, to watch a zombie show, no? (At least to those of us with a salty sense of humor about the holiday...)