Berkley Center

On major holidays in the past year I've often found myself traveling alone. On Halloween I was journeying from Washington, D.C., to Wisconsin to visit my younger brother. On New Year's Eve I was taking my big leap across the pond to start my academic semester in London. And today, Easter Day, I find myself once again on an airplane.

Despite being en route to meet my parents in Rome, the historical and political seat of our family's practiced religion, I cannot help but feel distanced from any trace of religious anything on this most holy of holy days. England is rubbing off on me. 

Sure, commercial London gave plenty of reminders that Easter was approaching. The chocolate bunnies and eggs have lined shelves of Tesco supermarket stores since late January, it seems. And a walk down bustling Oxford Street a few days ago offered plenty of shops promising "Easter SALE." But amongst London's mix of faiths and the faithfully apathetic, Easter Sunday morning feels like just any other morning. 

England is a predominantly Christian country. What does Easter mean to London, then? First and foremost, it is a break from courses for students. The U.K. school system observes three academic terms, with term two spreading from January to March. Some institutions call this the “Lent term.” The break between terms two and three is a significant chunk of time and is intended for final exams preparation. As I submitted end-of-term papers at school on March 20 I heard greetings of "Happy Easter!" used in the same sense as "Enjoy your spring break!"

What else does Easter mean to London? Chocolate eggs. When discussing the holiday with one Londoner who was “raised Christian,” I learned that he and all his mates received several chocolate eggs from their parents each year. When I asked if he found any symbolic value in this holiday tradition he looked puzzled. 

A glance at the Sunday Times newspaper today gave few clues Easter had arrived. The TV guide section mentioned one of its programs “makes excellent Easter family viewing,” and there was an article about the Obama family's highly anticipated Easter egg roll event on the White House lawn. The only other holiday-related article came from an atheist psychologist and was titled, "Live and let die: Atheists, too, can celebrate the soul at Easter."

This brings me back to the question I've asked myself all semester: Is England religious? Despite my own observations of a largely secular society, the numbers I found surprised even me. According to an April 2009 EU-funded European Social Survey, only 12 percent of Britons belong to a church. This number compares to 52 percent in France. The survey, which questioned more than 30,000 people in 22 countries, found only five nations—Slovenia, Sweden, Norway, Holland, and Belgium—reported lower levels of church membership than Britain. 

Though not as exaggerated, this trend has surfaced in the United States as well. A recent study by Trinity College of Hartford, Connecticut says 75 percent of Americans today call themselves Christian, down from 86 percent in 1990. The study goes on to show Christianity in the United States is not simply losing out to other religions; instead, people are choosing to adopt no religion over another religion. This shift undoubtedly varies by region. 

I still have not experienced the culture and scenery of England outside of London. A trip to the countryside is long overdue. Perhaps on Earth Day?