Five hundred years ago, religions were powerful and food was expensive. Absence was practised not so much with will, but because of strong external factors. The strongest influence in today’s culture is marketing from large corporations, not religion. And so, at Easter most people celebrate with eggs made of chocolate that can be purchased from the supermarket on the night before the celebration. There are no rules in place instructing us to abstain from sugar for 40 days prior to Easter, or even to abstain from eating the celebratory chocolate before the egg hunt.
Why does a rabbit deliver chocolate eggs at Easter? The cynical answer is that chocolate eggs have far higher profit margins than chicken eggs.
I’m not suggesting that religion presents a better story, but we’ve lost much in the transition to the modern way.
There is nothing stopping us from building our own traditions; fasting is no longer dictated but we can choose to do it with our own willpower. This task is made ever more difficult by the prevalence of affordable food and the encouragement to consume it. But, it is possible. When Feast Day arrives it will be that much more special to know that you and your family have sacrificed something for it. Through this process, we come to appreciate that what we already have is special and that we don’t need to continually strive for more.
Originally published here.
Jeremy is the co-founder of the independent publishing house Leabrook Press and author of the books Graduates’ Guide to Work and Why Do I Lose Trading Forex? He also writes the blog Compounding Time which explores how we can best spend our time, now and into the future. After completing his tertiary education in mechanical engineering and commerce, Jeremy spent a decade in full-time supply chain roles across three diverse industries before deciding to refocus. He is now a father, publisher and part-time member of the work force. He lives in Adelaide, Australia, with his wife and young daughter.
