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Poetry by Motion and Panel Discussion: Should Canada still recognize Easter?

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Fri, 2009-04-10 08:11

#1

Maysie

Maysie's picture

Poetry by Motion and Panel Discussion: Should Canada still recognize Easter?

Quote:

SATURDAY NIGHT LOVE featuring Motion & panel discussion: Should Canada still recognize Easter?

A Night of Talent, Talk and Teaching - Career Focus - An Intellectual Property Lawyer is in the house!

Saturday, April 11, 2009
7:30pm - 10:30pm
Ritz Caribbean Restaurant, 3rd Floor
606 Yonge Street, Just North of Wellesley subway station
Toronto, ON
[email protected]

64th CONSECUTIVE SNL featured performer: Motion - a Toronto-based writer, lyricist, spoken word artist and author of 2 collections of poetry, Motion In Poetry and 40 Dayz, published by Women's Press.
________________

TALK SHOW: "Does giving Easter official holiday status give Christians preferential treatment in our supposed multi-cultural nation of many faiths?"

Panelists: Christians, those of other faiths, and no faith are invited to sit on our open panel....including YOU!
________________

TEACHING TOPIC: Your Intellectual Property and the Law - Trademarks and protecting your ideas!

Teacher: Trademark Attorney Marlye Monfiston from an Intellectual Property Boutique
________________

PERFORMERS- Optional theme: What Easter means to you, or why we should not even call a holiday that anymore...
________________

DJ ON THE SCENE!

Soulful lounge vibes provided weekly before and after the event by Dj Black Lotus & Sheba (Black Lotus Media/Yoruba Records)!
________________

COVER CHARGE: Purchase of at least $5 worth of food or drinks.

THE EVENT IS YOUTH-FRIENDLY AND G-RATED

Toronto Poets is a registered non-profit corporation and donations are appreciated.

Fri, 2009-04-10 11:42

#2

thanks

i saw the word 'easter' as part of a thread topic, and it reminded me of some things.

in the context of thoughts noted under the passover thread, of themes which both Christianity and Judaism and perhaps other religions hold- around the 'virtue' of spilled blood. these themes tend to be layovers, in my limited historical understanding, from times when humans were more aggressive toward one another, over earlier cultures where agricultural practices prevailed, rather than raiding and conquering cultures. many of these agricultural peoples recorded their understandings in art, on painted eggs. the interpretations of those meanings has changed over millenia. this is the subject of another thread, on patterned meanings.

back to friday and easter monday:

ordinary natural human death is actually rather bloodless, usually.

then the body composts into soil.

death allows for new life.

new life in the younger generations which have more space to live, and from the 'food' which the dead had created.

this is a story of spring.

of easter.

of death, compost,

and rising new life.

Fri, 2009-04-10 11:46

#3

thanks

so the challenge is to reclaim today themes and realities which underlie all religions, and non-religious life.

that may give us a spring of hope for all on this planet.

Fri, 2009-04-10 12:26

#4

Maysie

Maysie's picture

If we're free associating, then talk of easter and jhc always makes me think of Patti Smith's Gloria.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx-vkVEmJcE

(be warned, old school video and low sound quality, but it's Patti live so it's very much worth it)

...jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine.....

Yeah!

P.S. I'm pretty sure that the timing of Easter, like Xmas, was done in an appropriating kind of way, to piggyback on earth-based spirituality and celebrations that the "pagans" were doing anyways, yes?

Fri, 2009-04-10 12:34

#5

Unionist

I don't understand this thread. Easter is not a statutory holiday throughout Canada. The stat is Good Friday. In some provinces (notably Québec), employers have a choice of granting the Friday or the Monday off. Easter is not even mentioned in the Canada Labour Code list of federally recognized stats - New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, Remembrance Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Fri, 2009-04-10 12:51

#6

Maysie

Maysie's picture

I don't understand this thread either.

I posted an event that's happening in Toronto tomorrow evening, thanks started free associating so I just went with it.

Fri, 2009-04-10 12:54

#7

Unionist

LOL.

Well, I looked at the thread title, and also this from the OP:

Quote:
"Does giving Easter official holiday status give Christians preferential treatment in our supposed multi-cultural nation of many faiths?"

And I thought I should mention that Easter, in fact, does not have official holiday status in Canada.

We Canadians prefer to celebrate the crucifixion rather than the resurrection.

Fri, 2009-04-10 13:03

#8

Boom Boom

Boom Boom's picture

Unionist wrote:
And I thought I should mention that Easter, in fact, does not have official holiday status in Canada.

We Canadians prefer to celebrate the crucifixion rather than the resurrection.

Since Easter Day always falls on a Sunday, there was no need for it to be destinated as a holiday. Postal workers get Easter Monday off, by the way, in addition to Good Friday.

Fri, 2009-04-10 13:08

#9

Unionist

Boom Boom wrote:

Unionist wrote:
And I thought I should mention that Easter, in fact, does not have official holiday status in Canada.

We Canadians prefer to celebrate the crucifixion rather than the resurrection.

Since Easter Day always falls on a Sunday, there was no need for it to be destinated as a holiday.

Beg to differ, BB. In my first 10 years on the job, I never had enough seniority to even think about getting Sundays off - and I always worked Easter Sunday at straight time. Not everyone works bankers' hours. Also, when a holiday falls on a rest day, you're supposed to get the first work day off. So, the fact that Easter Sunday was not designated as a holiday means that workers don't get Easter Monday off either - unless of course they are lucky enough to negotiate it into a collective agreement, as I imagine the postal workers must have done, because it ain't in the Canada Labour Code (as I mentioned above).

Fri, 2009-04-10 13:24

al-Qa'bong

Unionist wrote:

We Canadians prefer to celebrate the crucifixion rather than the resurrection.

Last week I was talking with a class, trying to figure out the best way to schedule assignments, and mentioned that we'd lose today's class becuase we were "celebrating the murder of Jesus." One student then asked if I was being offensive on purpose (I sometimes provoke them to try to elicit a reaction).

I wasn't trying to be offensive...just callin' 'em like I see 'em.

Fri, 2009-04-10 13:54

Unionist

Agreed. It wasn't you or I that dubbed it "Good" Friday!

Fri, 2009-04-10 13:58

Boom Boom

Boom Boom's picture

I suppose it's odd that Easter Day isn't a destinated holiday, but perhaps those who look after such things realized it's always on a Sunday, so decided not to include it. I think it's ridiculous that Easter Monday is a holiday for anyone.

Fri, 2009-04-10 14:12

Boom Boom

Boom Boom's picture

By the way, our supply (cargo) ship arrived late last night on its first voyage of 2009; it was 14 hours behind schedule due to the ice. It was accompanied by a Coast Guard icebreaker. As it arrived late, today (Good Friday) both stores are open, and everyone with a job is working here. Attendance at church was down considerably this morning, as most people were getting their supplies at the wharf. We have no choice, really, as the supply ship brings in our fresh fruits and veggies, and they've been on the boat since Monday - and were in transit to the grocery stores in Sept-Iles before that. If we waited any longer, they'd start to spoil.