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[Archipelago]

If Christ’s resurrection is infinitely more important than his birth, why is Christmas more celebrated than Easter?

[jimwalton]

It's impossible to say that one is more important than the other. It is often said that the real question of the truth of Christianity is not the resurrection, but the incarnation. If we believe that God actually visited the planet, then resurrection is easy. The hard part is comprehending the incarnation.

But it's also true that God was incarnated in Jesus to die for people's sins, and to rise again to conquer death. So we have to go with the whole package, not an either/or. Neither is infinitely more important than the other.

Why is Christmas celebrated more than Easter? In Christian circles it is not. Many churches celebrate Christmas with about 5 weeks of special services (4 of Advent and 1-2 more of Epiphany). Many churches also celebrate Easter with about 6 weeks of special services (about 5 of Lent, 1 of Holy Week).

As far as the culture, however, obviously Christmas is WAY bigger than Easter, with all the decorations, Santa junk, Christmas songs, and presents. But none of that is church stuff or church-related.