Easter is way better than Christmas.
There is no dread, no excessiveness, no pressure to buy gifts, no forced cheeriness or erecting garish decorations.
There is just a little nest of public holidays to cocoon yourself in.
Time to breathe in the slightly cooler conditions and the luxury of slowing down.
For practising Christians, there is solemnity and reflection, and that spills out for all of us who were raised in those religious traditions.
This year, Ramadan and Passover overlap with Easter – a rare alignment of stars and quiet time for people of different faiths.
For once, we can all be in this together and at peace.
Christmases spent alone – and I have sadly had my share – are painful.
Family fractures feel like gaping chasms. Difficult Christmas Days throw long shadows.
But at Easter, there is no such expectation of family togetherness or general jolliness among kin. Fewer tough memories.
It is perfectly acceptable to be alone at Easter, to stay at home or to do nothing if you wish to.
Want to watch a movie or a series? Go ahead.
A baking marathon? Sure thing.
A long call with a friend? All are judgment-free.
There are no rules, no crippling expense, no last-minute rush, no pressure to plan or socialise if that is not your schtick.
There is a lack of structure even for children, with their sole expectation that the giant bunny will drop off a chocolate egg or two.
Compare that to kiddies’ Christmas wish lists and their mounting expectations in a ferociously commercial world.
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Easter, when my children were little, were home affairs, with both parents in jobs with irregular hours.
It featured craft projects and cooking, egg hunts, swimming in some water source or other and quiet times or naps.
In my own childhood, Easter meant a special church service in a prickly dress and consuming my chocolate Easter eggs a little slower than my brother (all the better to torture him with).
I achieved holding out past the use-by date at least once – a strange kind of sweet victory.
This Easter, I will be feeling joy as I binge watch the new Ted Lasso season with My Beloved, dip in the sea, potter about and nibble on dark chocolate.
Easter is about enjoying the gift of time.
And there is no doing it wrong.
Dr Jane Stephens is a UniSC journalism lecturer, media commentator and writer. The views expressed are her own.
