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WBS Penguins, both young and old, eager for Calder Cup playoffs

<p>Yes, today is a Christian holiday with less meaning to those of other faiths (or no faith). Indeed, it is widely regarded as the most important Christian holiday because, obviously, without Resurrection, the story of Jesus Christ changes substantially.</p><p>Unlike Christmas, which attained a secular level unto itself (so much so that people talk of taking Christ out of Christmas, though surely only Christians can truly do that), Easter has avoided the worst aspects of commercialization.</p><p>For starters, it is always on a Sunday. Most people already have the day off, so Easter never had the chance to rise to the level of national holiday, a distinction Christmas gained despite its religious roots.</p><p>There is also scant sense of overkill. Easter doesn&#8217;t seem to bleed into other holidays, overpowering say, St. Patrick&#8217;s Day or Valentine&#8217;s Day. Easter retail displays, if they appear at all, generally don&#8217;t pop up three months ahead of the celebration itself. You don&#8217;t get 24-hour Easter music on the radio. The number of Easter specials and movies couldn&#8217;t hope to fill the TV airtime Christmas-themed programming does.</p><p>And there is no equivalent to &#8220;Black Friday.&#8221; Indeed, to Christians, Easter is preceded by the most somber Friday of the year, Good Friday, marking the crucifixion of Christ.</p><p>Easter <em>is</em> one of the biggest &#8212; if not <em>the</em> biggest &#8212; season for candy sales. CNBC reported that Americans bought $823 million in sweets in 2015 for Easter baskets and related celebratory consumption. And we buy quality, compared to the cheaper stuff purchased to hand out at Halloween. Maybe it matters when the chocolate will be devoured by family and friends rather than strangers.</p><p>Yet it is still, by definition, a Christian holiday. So why does it have a rich feel of universal appeal?</p><p>Partly, one suspects, because of a direct affiliation with spring. As a movable feast, it falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. That last one &#8212; the day after which hours of sunlight exceed hours of dark &#8212; is the first day of spring; &#8220;vernal&#8221; literally means of, or appropriate to, spring.</p><p>It&#8217;s also a holiday of cheery pastel colors, of dyed eggs and flowers that bloom as briefly as they do brightly: Lilies, tulips and hyacinth.</p><p>It is a holiday, ultimately, about rebirth, even if you don&#8217;t believe in resurrection. It feels hopeful just by its nature and its timing, independent of its religious origin.</p><p>And there is very little that is more universal than the joyful thought of rebirth, of grass re-emerging from the snow and grit of winter, of flowers budding from the dirt, of trees rebuilding their green canopy, of longer days and warmer temps.</p><p>Gloves and wool caps and thick parkas will be relegated to the back of the closet or the cedar chest. Windows will open. Corners of rooms deprived of direct natural light for months will slowly revel in the warm beams from a sun climbing higher in the sky.</p><p>It&#8217;s Easter, a celebration all can enjoy.</p><p style="text-align: right;">&#8212; Times Leader</p><style>
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Our view: A celebration all should be able to enjoy