In this country, Easter marks the end of summer. The holiest weekend in the Christian calendar, in the northern hemisphere it coincides with the first flourishing of spring, of life returning after the darkness.
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Not so in Australia, where many spend the accompanying long weekend taking in the last of the warmth and enjoying the company of family and friends. (Although, Canberra is set to have an early taste of winter's chill.)
Strict religious observance of Easter has declined as the number of Australians of faith have fallen.
For some, this weekend marks Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection.
For others, it is a time of different, but no less important, religious significance, or indeed no spiritual significance at all.
In all cases, it is a weekend worthy of some consideration and reflection.
The Reverend David McLennan of St John's Church in Reid, Canberra's oldest church, suggested this week the reported decline in religious observance had not been as steep in practice.
He, and other religious leaders in the capital, said churches expected strong crowds for services over the weekend.
The people who had stopped reporting in the census they were Christian had not been very devout, he said.
"I suspect that the real decline was especially pronounced among those for whom religion was a cultural or historical signifier," Rev McLennan said.
The message of Easter has endured beyond Australia's cultural inheritance from the Christian tradition. It has been seen as a worthy time through history - and so it remains - to give thanks and be kind.
The crash on the Barton Highway, just north of Canberra, on Good Friday was a sombre reminder of life's frailty and that time spent with loved ones is precious.
Too many Australians have died when travelling at the Easter long weekend. A road toll above zero is a road toll too high.
Those travelling this weekend should be careful and considerate so they, and those travelling around them, make it home.
But reflection needs to become action. It is our shared duty to make the roads safer, from governments right down to every driver who gets behind the wheel. Passengers, too, must share in this joint effort.
It is worth considering, once again, what responsibility we all have to ensure we, the people we love and the people with whom we live in a community arrive safely.
Easter is a time to share in the fruits of our community's labour, and indeed to come together. This is a joint project in which we all take part and upon which we should reflect carefully.
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