Easter, 16 April 2017
An Easter greeting, and a note on the greeting itself, which is not a phrase but an exchange.
Christ is risen. A blessed Easter to everyone marking it today.
The greeting is the part that took me longest to get used to, because it is not a greeting in the ordinary sense. You do not say it and receive a nod. You say it and the other person is obliged to complete it — truly he is risen — and until they do, the exchange is unfinished.
It works between strangers. On a tram, in a shop, to a neighbour you have never spoken to. For a period of several weeks, an entire country has a shared phrase that requires the other person to answer.
There is nothing comparable in most places. A ritual that briefly obliges people to respond to each other is doing something small and quite valuable.
A good table to your family, and a peaceful day.
Share this analysis
Comments