“Easter Surprises: Bunnies, Eggs, Lilies, and Religion” by Dr. Bruce Forbes

On Sunday, February 25, at 2:00 pm, Dr. Bruce Forbes will discuss “Easter Surprises: Bunnies, Eggs, Lilies, and Religion.” With accompanying visual illustrations, he will discuss Easter’s history, meanings, and practices, including topics such as relationships with the Jewish Passover, the changing date each year, and why bunnies, eggs, Easter baskets, lilies, and parades are associated with the day. Dr. Bruce Forbes is Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at Morningside University, and his publications include two books about holidays: Christmas: A Candid History and America’s Favorite Holidays: Candid Histories. Combining his interests in the history of Christianity and the analysis of popular culture, the Christmas book is written for general audiences and has been described as “an enlightening, entertaining perspective on how Christmas got to be what it is today.” Another Forbes’ book, America’s Favorite Holidays: Candid Histories, has chapters about Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Similar in style to the Christmas book, it has been reviewed as “lucid, and lighthearted … an authoritative companion to our most popular holidays.”