Ringing in new holiday traditions for happiness and health

Merry Christmas, World!

Whether under a palm tree, an evergreen, or falling snow, I find it interesting how the holidays represent so much for us as individuals.

Some people go all-in, shopping and decorating and baking and celebrating… while others prefer to bah-humbug it, and stay under the covers.  Most of us, in my experience, prefer some combination of the two.

But why do the holidays mean so much?  Is it the marketing?  The spirituality?  The ancient history of celebrating at this time of year?  Earlier this week I discussed celebrating the "coming of the light." No doubt this history is part of what compels us to continue the celebrations, even if we are not religious or spiritual.  It is likely, in large part, what brought about the spirit of Santa Claus, of gift-giving, and of family dinners, among other deep-seeded societal traditions.

Our own histories play a part, too.  Memories of Christmas past are an immense part of why Christmas itself is more about our children (our our child-self) than anything. It's the child-like wonder of the holiday that keep us going amid the hustle and stress.  The magic surrounding Christmas is incredible, and by continuing our traditions we hope to regain the magic we once felt as children, too.

When a moment in our personal history sours that Christmas spirit, however, or when there is no one to help build that magic with, the bah-humbug kicks in. We feel lost, overwhelmed.  We forget why we're doing any of it at all.  We either succumb to it, or go through the motions, for hope, for our loved ones, because we aren't ready to throw in the towel on Christmas yet.

We're not all so lucky to have the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future on our side, encouraging us to see the magic in the holiday.  Most of us must create the magic ourselves, either through tradition of old, or by creating new ones.

Only in new traditions can we begin to dissolve the trauma of Christmases past… the ones where we lost a loved one, where we were alone—the ones where we became a little hardened deep down inside.

By finding something new to celebrate, we create new pathways for new traditions and invite more magic into our lives.  Even something as simple as having pancakes for breakfast, or standing outside for an after-dinner toast, can create new pathways of health and new memories that bring the magic of the season back.  The old traditions keep us tethered to our child-like magic, while the new ones are essential to regenerate and renew it. 

Kids or no, new traditions are what have saved the holiday for me and helped dissolve the pain of Christmases past.  I mention some of these in Charla's Christmas Eve blog.

Sans kids, sans husband, there are some traditions I would keep.  Wrapping presents alone on Christmas Eve with a glass of something warm and a Christmas movie on TV is something I've done ever since I can remember and still continues to bring me joy, as is listening to the golden-oldie carols whenever I'm just not feeling Christmasy. I've added a new alone-traditions as well: making my own Irish Creme to sip with cookies, and making gifts of my favorite herbal remedies and treats I've discovered throughout the year. Being alone doesn't always mean Christmas doom if you're willing to be flexible on what the season means to you.

How are you celebrating today?

Holiday traditions through the (your) ages

Its interesting how Holiday traditions morph as we move through the stages of life.

When I was a kid, we ate chili and opened all of our gifts on Christmas Eve and Christmas day was just Santa stuff.  None of the Santa stuff was wrapped.  I'd spend New Year's weekend with my dad's family and do Christmas with them then.  My husband's family opened one gift on Christmas Eve (always new pajamas) and then the rest of their gifts  on Christmas day and I think they wrapped their Santa gifts and they were under the tree in the morning.  

When he and I got married, we realized that you have to somehow meld traditions.  So, while my mom was alive, we'd go over to my mom's on Christmas Eve and open all of her gifts and eat chili.  Then we'd come home and every other year we'd alternately unwrap one gift or open everything.  On Christmas Day, we'd have Santa stuff (unwrapped) and then unwrap everything else (if we didn't the night before) and all of my husband's family would come over.  

Now that my mom's gone, we needed a new tradition.  I didn't want to sit around the house and be sad, missing my mom (she was such a MONSTER part of Christmas for me) so now we go out for sushi and see a movie Christmas Eve.  We have still continued the trading of one or all presents Christmas Eve.


Danielle Rose shares her changing traditions, too:

When my husband and I got together, he was usually working Christmas Day, so we started a tradition of pancakes for breakfast before work, but I kept the tradition of going to my mom's to open presents from Santa.  Because the day was so hectic with him working and us traveling from my family to his, we started a new tradition of opening our stockings in the evening after we arrived home and settled in for the night.

Now that I have kids it's even harder to keep the traditions of Christmases of old.  I don't open presents from Santa at my mother's—instead that happens at our house.  My husband and I can no longer open our stockings before bedtime on Christmas Day, but now after the kids are in bed, we enjoy a drink and watch a Christmas flick. Then there are a zillion new traditions built with our kids—cookies in the stockings, French toast for breakfast, seeing Santa for photos… singing carols while wrapping gifts… and of course, making time to bake cookies together. 

  

Like Danielle, I enjoy our new tradition, even though it makes me sad that my mom's not around to enjoy Christmases with us any more. Instead, I look forward to all the changes to come!  I expect one day to visit our children's homes for the holidays and to play with grandbabies.  One day.  Not soon guys (in case you're reading this.)

Stay tuned for tomorrow's special Christmas Day blog on how changing traditions keep the magic alive, and fight away the bah humbugs of the season.

Bring on Star Wars (again)!  Merry Christmas everybody!

Celebrating the solstice across culture and religion

Winter Solstice at Stonehenge 

In my mind, the solstice is why we say "happy holidays" instead of Merry Christmas.  It's why we celebrate the New Year, Christmas, Hanukkah and any other number of holidays this time of year.  It's the real reason for the season.

Please let's not get into a religious discussion here.  I'm not a pagan, nor am I a witch.  In fact, I was raised Catholic. This isn't about religion.  It's not even about spirituality.  Well… except for how the tradition of the season resonates with each of us in a very spiritual way.

The Winter Solstice an actual astronomical event.  Today is when the day is the shortest and the night is its longest.  From here on out, the days will only grow longer until the summer solstice in June.

Hence, the first day of winter, or the winter solstice, marks a very important moment of the year… "The coming of the light."

This one phrase sums up much of the deep meaning behind our holiday traditions.  The "holidays" includes many different celebrations across many different religions and cultures, but also the New Year.  The light for this year has waned completely, and as the days begin to grow in length again, we put aside those darkest moments to celebrate a brand new year.  I doubt there was any reason why January was chosen as the start of the year in the Gregorian calendar. Many other cultures have chosen dates not far from the solstice to celebrate—either late fall, or late winter/early spring, as if needing to acknowledge the ending of the harvest, of the light, and the beginning of new things as the light grows again.

Then there is Christmas.  The coming of the "son."  Or the "sun."  In Christianity, Jesus was the savior and the light. Many scholars believe that the events surrounding his birth make it unlikely that Jesus was born in December (the census did not happen in the cold of winter, nor were shepherds out watching their flocks) and so it isn't a coincidence that December was chosen as his birthdate.

Whether his true date of his birth or no, celebrating Jesus's birthday as the light begins to grow is poignantly appropriate, as he brought light to the world.  Hanukkah, the festival of lights, is another celebration of light during the darkest moments of the year. December is a traditional time for candles, twinkling lights, and bright celebrations that remind us that the darkness will not last forever, and that there is always hope, even during the bleakest of nights.

Whether you celebrate this time of year or not, whether you find yourself spiritual or scrooged, the days surrounding the winter solstice are important for our collective soul.  For remembering that after darkness always comes light.  For getting in tune with the rhythms of the world on which we live.  And for knowing, spiritually and emotionally, that the darkest hour always comes before dawn.

The longest day of the year

Merry first day of winter!

The crisp air and pale sky struck with crystal sun… the sense of cleanliness and clarity after a snowfall.  

The long cold days of winter are hard on me, but I must admit I do love the season.

Most of us forget that the reason we celebrate the “holidays” when we do is because they all (all the holidays we celebrate at this time of year) represent the “coming of the light.” 

We are entering into a period of cold and hibernation, but we are also moving into the brighter half of the year… and that starts today, on the longest day.  It’s all downhill from here, as they say.

So although we usually wait until New Year’s Day to make our resolutions, there’s no better time than now to begin bringing light into those darker places, and start thinking about what we want to grow there.  And since it’s all about longer days and more light (and yes, warmer weather, at least eventually) why not think about what you would like to bring in spiritually (or energetically if you prefer).

As the days grow longer, as slowly as they do, let that intention grow too.  Throw yourself into your physical resolution on January 1^st if you feel the need, but let your spiritual resolution grow slowly with the time, and let us go into the holidays knowing that what follows is a period of hibernation during which the light both outside and inside us will continue to grow.

Please share what you will be bringing in energetically this year, or any stories about how the longest days of the year has brought light to you now in the past.

Enjoy the darkness, for it too shall pass!