Write About Now

Every year, on holidays big and small, popular websites like Google redesign their logos to reflect the day. Others, like Yahoo, create short animations—little characters making snowmen, giving valentines, or enjoying Halloween candy.

But neither site acknowledged Easter at all yesterday. No eggs in the Google “O”s. No bunny hopping around Yahoo.com.

At first I felt disappointed; considering both companies go to great lengths to commemorate the Chinese New Year and Cinco de Mayo, their refusal to acknowledge Easter sent all kinds of interesting messages.
Actually, though, it makes sense. Everyone enjoys a 4th of July picnic and an extra day off at Labor Day. No one can argue with the sentiments surrounding Thanksgiving. And at Christmas, it’s easy to accept cute, unthreatening baby Jesus; people of every belief system get enthusiastic about presents and candlelight and warm feelings about peace on earth.

It is more difficult to dismiss resurrected adult Jesus. Easter doesn’t allow the easy out that Jesus was just a good teacher; observance of the holiday must confront his revolutionary claims about forgiveness and eternal life. Easter also assumes the reality of human frailty and sinfulness—not terrifically popular topics in our culture.

Unlike any other day of the year, Easter demands a choice. I guess Yahoo and Google made theirs.