The answer to the question above may seem relatively obvious. After Easter, we have Pentecost. Or Shavuot, depending on your religious preferences. Duh. (Those interested in more information on Pentecost click here and if you want to know more about Shavuot click here).
But, what in the world does that even mean? You are dying to know! (and don’t have time to read copious Wikipedia articles, it’s Monday, I get it.)
In the natural world, seasons can be divided by changes in weather and amount of daylight. But since climate climate is totally screwing up global weather patterns, so let’s talk about how they define seasons in religion: by the emotions they evoke.
A short list of the emotions that define religious seasons:
- suffering/penitence,
- joy/celebration
- ordinary.
The idea that we devote large portions of the year to feeling ordinary is actually a concept I find totally fascinating, but will need to do a black hole dive into the internet before I am done organizing my thoughts on the matter.
Currently we are coming out of a season of suffering/penitence. (Newsflash: If you don’t suffer during Lent, you’re doing it wrong. I’m feeling particularly suffer-y because I gave up caffeine this year and spent the last forty-four days stalking around, mean as a snake and tired as a sloth.)
Now, we are entering a season of joy. There are celebrations (or feasts/harvests). Also, there are flowers (or leaves changing color for fall–I see you, New Zealand!). Most important, there is coffee (see above note on recent long-term absence of caffeine).
I believe part of the reason that the ‘joy season’ exists is because of the suffering. There is an interesting Huffington Post article that cites a possibly Buddhist idea that the feeling we describe as happiness could equally be called ‘absence of suffering’. So, we wouldn’t experience it if we could juxtapose it.
Either way, my coffee tastes better today than it has in years. And, added bonus-I’m super to sensitive to caffeine now so it is making me extra productive and blog-y! Below are some flower pictures to celebrate. Happy spring.
PS-if you are interested in past year Lent/Easter posts, click here or here
Banner Photo Credit: Brooke Lark