I'm afraid Easter - the most important religious holiday of the year for Christians - is going the way of other holy days, turning into a secular opportunity to buy more stuff.

Heck, we apparently don't even need the day off.

This year's Easter was commemorated locally by a weekend volleyball tournament, including Sunday, as well as the Bayfield High School prom.

While I have nothing against these events, they're not religious commemorations.

What's worse is that a lot of business owners apparently have decided that Easter can go by the wayside.

One of my friends last year was sad her son had to work on Easter at a big-box store in Durango.

Honestly, your world is going to end if you can't buy your office supplies one Sunday a year?

She's not a practicing Christian, but she does appreciate Easter as a family holiday, and yes, it would have been nice if all of her kids could have the day off for dinner.

Hey, that's how a lot of people I know celebrate the day, and that's great. We need more family time to sit and actually eat a meal together and talk. Pretty radical concept.

I know some businesses have to stay open Sunday, and their customers can't wait until Monday. A lot of restaurants do big business on Easter. That's OK - it's part of our U.S. lifestyle.

But businesses that can close - events that could be held one of the other 51 weekends a year - that would be appropriate.

I do appreciate that Mini Merc and A&W in Bayfield was closed and their employees got a day off.

They deserve that.

Thanks for reading.