Christian or not, I’m sure you’ve all heard of the story of Jesus Christ and his death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus was crucified on the cross, accused of blasphemy, on a Friday, now known as Good Friday. He was raised again after three days, now known as Easter. This is the story we celebrate each year during Good Friday and Easter weekend. These days, it seems like Easter has become more about candy and bunnies than the story of Christ. According to CNN, an estimated 17.2 billion dollars were spent in the U.S. on Easter of 2013. Each American would spend an estimated $145.13 while celebrating Easter. Many stores are open, requiring their employees to work rather than letting them go to church and celebrate with their families.

On the other hand, many people do celebrate the Gospel during this time, mixed in with everything else. Also according to CNN, 58% of Americans plan on attending church on Easter. That’s more than half the country!

Instead of remembering what Jesus did for us while dying on the cross, most of our attention goes to candy, bunnies, and Easter egg hunts. I’m not saying these are bad things. In fact, traditionally the Easter egg represents rebirth, a common theme associated with the resurrection. Let’s just not forget the real reason we celebrate Easter: the fact that Christ died for us on the cross to forgive the sins of people he had never met. As the saying goes, “You are loved more than you will ever know, by someone who died to know you.”