EASTER MESSAGES

Apr 17, 2017 News

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To all our Christian sisters and brothers we extend heartfelt Easter Greetings and pray that all of Guyana can unite during this holiday and each day of the year. Below is a serious of messages from organizations and individuals in commemoration of Easter.

GOVERNMENT OF GUYANA
Easter offers us, as a nation, an annual reminder that hardships and difficulties may endure but are not permanent; that liberation and triumph are sure.
The culmination of the Holy Week preceding Easter affords us an opportunity to reflect on life and the need for preparation for a better tomorrow. On Sunday we celebrate the triumphant resurrection of Jesus Christ who bore the cross and died for the sins of his people.
This lesson of the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good remains timeless.
Indeed it is inescapable that this season is a time of reflecting not only on sacrifice but on renewal, revival and redemption. It is also a time for brotherhood, compassion, charity and goodwill. For all Guyanese who look to our future with optimism, Easter comes like the kites we will fly as a resurrection of our hope. Easter’s lesson is a most apt reminder and message in this time of national preparation for better days ahead for all Guyanese.
As His Excellency, President Brig. David Granger, implored in an address to the National Assembly, “Let us not now dwell on the pain of the past, but look with faith to the future. Let the sacrifice of those who struggled and died inspire us today and guide generations to come tomorrow and beyond.”
Traditionally we gather as families, congregations and neighbourhoods for prayer, fellowship and celebration.
In Guyana the highlight of the season is marked by the flying of kites in an unparalleled display of aerial dexterity and congested ebullient beauty all across our communities. Guyana’s enthusiastic celebration of Easter through kite flying is a unique spectacle which we must invite our CARICOM, Caribbean and global brothers and sisters to witness firsthand. For them, it could very well be a once in a lifetime experience. This is one aspect of Guyana’s radiant and vibrant culture which we, as a nation, often do not fully appreciate and give adequate recognition to, particularly with regard to its potential and social and cultural value.
The Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana wishes all Guyanese, particularly our Christian brothers and sisters, an enjoyable Easter season. We implore all to celebrate responsibly and engage in safe kite-flying, boat racing at the Bartica Regatta and cattle wrangling at Lethem Rodeo.
Happy Easter, Guyana!

PEOPLE’S PROGRESSIVE PARTY
The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) extends Easter greetings to every Guyanese, more particularly, our Christian brothers and sisters. The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ remain two of the most inspiring phenomena of selfless sacrifice, hope and salvation in human history.
The significance of these events are well-known, not only to Christians but to Guyanese of all religions and ethnicities. Hence, the celebration of Easter in our country presents a great expression of national and racial unity.
Events such an Easter, because of its significance, must be occasions when we renew our resolve to continue to struggle against those who view our freedoms as inconvenient obstacles; re-commit ourselves to regain our democratic rights and freedoms and renew our pledge to work for a better life for all of our people.
Happy Easter to all!

JUNIOR MINISTER OF EDUCATION, NICOLETTE HENRY
Easter is perhaps one of the most exciting events on the Christian Calendar and it is also observed by broader communities. As a matter of fact, here in Guyana, this event is associated with kite flying that brings all our people together consistently year after year, demonstrating emphatically that we are one people, one nation with one destiny.  Guyana is an amazing place to be during this time as we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Easter is a time for reflection; it is a time to show love to our families, friends and even strangers, as Christ’s teachings brought love, hope and forgiveness to the human race, thus changing the world.
Even if you are not so religious, Easter is an inclusive celebration that brings not only happiness, but fun as well, and an optimism and freshness that Spring brings. Those of us who are more religiously inclined, however, see this festival as God’s never ending love for all, no matter what is our current life’s situation, circumstance or belief.
On this occasion let us all be reminded that hope must never be lost. No matter how dark the road may seem, there is always light at the end of it all.
Easter, as we know, is preceded by Lent – forty days and nights of fasting and giving of alms. After the fasting, Easter ushers in a time of secular and religious celebration. Children look forward to the colorful merriment of egg decorating and hunting; we bake “hot cross buns” there is Holy Thursday, and a lot of Christians go to church on Good Friday, reflecting on the death of Christ; and many more go on Easter Sunday, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus.
Easter is not only a time for going to church; it is also a time for fun. This fun is enjoyed to its fullest by millions who spend time with their families and friends flying kites which Christians claim is a symbol of the resurrection of their Saviour. During the Easter holiday, but more so on Easter Monday, the sky comes alive with colour and sounds as decorated kites of all sizes, shapes and styles compete for our attention. Kite flyers of all ages flock the Sea Walls, Parks and all other open spaces across the country to display and pass on their skills of making and flying kites to the next generation of kite flyers.
Be they the “singing engines” or the silent ones, the swaying ones or the barely swaying ones, my sincere wish is that as the hoisting of the kites symbolizes the resurrection of Christ that it can represent the kind of hope that we as a Guyanese people can ascribe to as a united force moving towards development in a green, clean and pristine environment.
I take this opportunity to encourage all to remember that as we look beyond our differences, to be our bothers and sisters keepers. Look out especially for the children who may want to go flying their kites unattended in areas with overhanging electrical wires; thus causing injury to themselves. We want to see them alive and well when the new school term begins in less than two weeks. I, therefore, implore one and all to keep away from potentially dangerous locations with electrical wires.
Finally, as we celebrate this joyous season, I wish to admonish that if you must drink, do so moderately and responsibly, so as to avoid  becoming intoxicated to the point that  we have accidents on our road ways or unnecessary incidents in your several communities. A country’s greatest asset is its human resource; Guyana is no exception; therefore, we cannot afford to lose such through careless, reckless or drunken driving on our roads.
As we look to the skies during this Easter season, let us not forget the reason for the season and the unchanging tenet of unity that it brings.
On behalf of the Government and the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport I wish all Guyanese a happy, meaningful, safe and enjoyable Easter season.
May God Continue to bless you.  

MAYOR OF GEORGETOWN, PATRICIA CHASE-GREENE, JP
I would like to extend Easter greetings to all Guyanese. This season culminates a period in the Christian Calendar when Christians observe three fundamental pillars of their faith; death, burial and resurrection of Christ.
Even though, this season is allied to the Christian Community. Guyanese from every strata of society unite in love to indulge in the traditional kite flying and other merry making activities. As I reflect on the kaleidoscope of colours that usually blankets the horizon during this season, I am reminded of our religious, political and ethnic diversities that make us such a unique people.
It is my prayer and hope, that as you celebrate and release colourful kites to the wind, that you would contemplate on ways to improve the environmental and social status of your local communities.
We are cognizant that you have an important role to play in helping the City to realize its full potential. This is why we have commenced a community outreach programme in three wards; Agricola, East Ruimveldt and Kitty. This allows for greater interaction with residents and a more coordinated approach in addressing concerns at the level of the community.
May we allow the supreme sacrifice, virtues and teachings of Christ to inspire us both Christians and Non-Christian to work together to advance the integrity of local communities and the City as a whole.
Let us continue to work together to improve Georgetown so that we can bequeath to the next generation a City that we all could be proud of.
Once again Happy Easter and God’s richest blessings.

GUYANA AGRICULTURAL AND GENERAL WORKERS UNION (GAWU)
We are well aware that Easter has a special place in the faith of Christianity and we are fully cognizant of the fact that it is a period observed with reverence and prayers. The observance of Easter goes back a long way in our country and its national recognition calls attention to the diverse religious faiths which make up the spiritual fabric of our society.
Religious faiths and their meaningful and moral underpinnings have and continue to have an influencing role in our lives, offering guidance and helping so many to avoid the pitfalls one finds in life’s journey.
Over the years, Easter is widely associated with kite-flying, an activity that is popular and engaged in by Guyanese of all faiths. This national celebration can be considered as yet another activity that goes to strengthen national unity along the way of consolidating our nationhood.
On this occasion, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) is pleased to send special wishes to that substantial portion of its membership who are Christians. Many of them will have to face up, together with their colleague workers, to the reality that Easter this year will be observed but not without concerns over the loss of jobs or the threat to employment that hangs over their heads. Moreover, their plight today is worsened by various economic pressures, tax burdens, and erosion of standards that are also part of today’s reality.
One of the abiding messages associated with Easter is that of HOPE. In our challenging times, that message strengthens the resolve of workers and those suffering from burdens that their struggles and sacrifices for betterment will win out. Let the Easter period keep our hopes alive and undaunted by the adversities in our steady march to a satisfying future.
A happy Easter from GAWU.

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