It’s that time of year again – there’s a major Christian holiday with vast cultural reach in America. Pagans like me celebrated the Spring Equinox last week, but many of the people in our lives are excited for their religious observations this weekend. There isn’t a big Jewish population where I live, so the default on everyone’s lips is, “Happy Easter!”
Unless you’re someone like me. It’s like Christmastime all over again.
I’ve come up with several ways to respond that don’t give away my actual religious identity and lack any antagonism. Nobody means to be a jerk. While “Merry Christmas” has definitely become a political statement to some, everyone who wished me a Happy Easter as I left work or kickboxing genuinely meant well.
The most common exchange:
Them: Happy Easter!
Me: Thanks! Have a good weekend!
Sometimes people ask questions. Those have required some quick thinking, but I’ve got some stock phrases ready now. I’ve become skilled at equivocating.
Them: Is your daughter excited for Easter?
Me: She loves anything that involves candy.
*
Them: Is your daughter excited for the Easter bunny?
Me: She loves rabbits.
*
Them: Are you taking your daughter to any egg hunts?
Me: We went to one last weekend. (They don’t need to know it was part of a Spring Equinox celebration.)
*
Them: Any Easter plans?
Me: Relaxing! (They usually say something like, “Me too!”)
*
I’m not ready to explicitly tell people, “Actually, I don’t celebrate Easter,” especially at work. I have to really, really trust someone to say that.
Have you given any vague answers related to Easter questions? I’d love to see them.
Author M. A. Phillips 
It’s SO much more work to have to equivocate all the time!
If it’s a well intentioned “Happy Easter” from a stranger, I’ll just let it go. If it’s someone who I see and talk to on a daily or weekly basis. I’ll thank them with a friendly reminder that I don’t celebrate. Friends or relatives should bloody well know better, and will probably earn themselves the ‘raised eyebrow’ for their efforts.
Yeah, I have the same policy with people I don’t know well enough to both explaining things to. My mom wishes me both a happy equinox & a happy easter (which she seems to think of as a spring holiday anyway…she’s more of an animist/pantheist so hey it works 😉
Remember on Twitter the other day? When I mentioned people have never wished me a happy Easter before?
I had to leave the house on Sunday in order to pick up food for our cat and in both cars I rode in/out and at the animal hospital I was wished several “Happy Easter”s. Hoisted.