MANILA, Philippines — Easter Sunday happening on April 1 does not happen every year. But the coinciding of the annual celebration of hoaxes and the Gregorian calendar’s date for Jesus Christ’s resurrection did not sit well with every believer.
Easter or Resurrection Sunday, after all, is one of the two most important days besides Christmas that Christian churches around the world observe. The return to life of a God made man who died is a central tenet in Christianity. Even for non-believers, it is considered a great dénouement to a classic story where good prevails over evil.
There is an intricate calculation that determines the calendar date of Easter based on the lunar cycle of 19 solar years and the 28-year solar cycle. The last time it happened was in 1956 and in 1945 before that.
April Fools’ Day, on the other hand, is the one day where practical jokes are more or less acceptable. It also used to be the day when incredible stories on the internet would be viewed with skepticism.
Some suggested, however, that skepticism as practice should no longer be confined to the first day of April, but all year round with the spread of so-called fake news that arguably scarred democracies.
My husband just pointed out: April Fool’s Day is the only day people consider whether what they read on the Internet is true.
— Esther Schindler (@estherschindler) April 1, 2018
Needless to say, not many colliding celebrations could be as disparate as Easter and April Fools’. As expected, memes on the crossover exploded, some bordering on the blasphemous and offensive, while others favored one event over the other.
There is one meme, though, that stood out for thousands of Facebook users. The post by My Jesus Jam page fictionalizes a conversation between Jesus and Satan, but hits the right chord.
Fans of the meme even defended it from those who could not take a joke.
“All those who think this is in bad taste or blasphemous—just remember that Christians love Jesus and He knows [our] hearts better than we know our own. Jesus knows a joke when He sees one. If we cant have a little light hearted fun, how do we shine and encourage others to ask us why we smile!” one of the comments goes.
Thankfully for many practicing Christians, yesterday and throughout history, pranks have taken a back seat in favor of the religious celebration, according to The Gazette.
Besides 2018, Easter Sunday and April Fools’ Day will fall on the same day again in 2029.
