Woke at the crack of noon. Amazing to get that opportunity with little kids around.
When I woke, CBC was playing Bach’s “Passion of St. Matthew” and making great efforts to explain why this day, in multi-faith times, is a day off – it is, apparently, an example of faith to all the faithful. I don’t know if I buy this. Christmas has been commercialized beyond recognition and Easter is not far behind but Good Friday, the central day of the Christian faith, cannot be drawn in by marketers, the toy makers. You will, of course, note that I was not at morning service nor do I mark the hours of the passion throughout this day matching Christ’s steps to mine. But some do. Just as others mark their holy days untouched by the mall and a dinner. Should this be a day off or is it just a reminder of the past dominance of Christianity in Canadian society? We need to have another day off, for some other faith’s great moment – preferrable on the Friday before Easter.
Easter Monday I have no problem with. At university, lobbying to be excused due to religious observance was joined in by some claiming Easter Monday as a holy day but when asked what occured on the day, there was no answer. It is just Boxing Day in springtime.