It seems that every where you turn these days, it is becoming incorrect to celebrate the Christmas holidays in “the manner in which you have become accustomed”- at least in the matter in which I have become accustomed.
To truly celebrate the Christmas season, and that’s what it is, no matter what anyone says, I have become open-minded and willing to accept EVERYONE’S ideas for the holiday season. If you disagree, please refrain from attending any “holiday” parties or dinners, taking the day off on December 25th or 26th (should you work for a company that still acknowledges these days as holidays) and carry on as usual. Should you happen to work for the government you are safe (for now) as they would never legislate against their own days off, although when it comes to politicians, I don’t believe never is in their vocabulary (particularly when it comes to matters involving taxes).
The true “spirit” of the holiday season (oops, I meant to say Christmas) is for people to pause and give thanks. According to the man-made calendar of months and years, we are getting ready to start a New Year.
We give thanks for the things we have received in the past (not to be confused with Thanksgiving, another man-made tradition) and offer gifts to the people that have blessed us over the past year.
Being the humble (not humbug, Mr. Scrooge) creatures that we are, we also accept gifts from others (although for most it is not OUR birthday), all the while muttering that we aren’t worthy. Once these gifts are exchanged, a significant amount of “Why would she buy me this?” and “I don’t NEED another scarf” or “Does he think I’m that big?” are voiced in private, to be repeated over the next month or so. In the days immediately following Christmas, our thankful spirit has usually been diminished significantly.
The greatest reason for pausing at the end of the year (and any time, for that matter) is to be grateful for what you have. Being grateful does not mean that you have to thank every one in your life personally, and you DON’T have to buy them a gift. If you are expecting a gift from someone you are probably going to be disappointed, and if you don’t reciprocate in kind you are going to be REALLY disappointed. If you have chosen to be open-minded I want to thank you for getting this far. I hope that you will also be open to a spiritual suggestion that will make you feel happy inside even though you may have received nothing outside.
Whether it is Christmas, Rosh Hashanah, the Chinese New Year, Hanukkah or Guy Lombardo’s Rocking New Year’s Eve, let those people who enjoy these festivals enjoy them. When someone acknowledges you with a holiday greeting that you are unfamiliar with, don’t believe in or if it makes you blow a gasket, pause for a moment and reply with a hearty “That’s The Spirit!”. Unless they have an aversion to ghosts, that reply should be fairly safe no matter what the season.
Let others grumble and complain that Christmas is too commercialized, the spirit of giving has been lost (or is too expensive), kids are spoiled today, no one appreciates anything and the holidays are just too much of a hassle anymore. Bellowing “That’s The Spirit!” right back at them is a great stress reliever, and at the very least will allow them to walk away from you (quickly, perhaps) in much the same way Lucy was bowled over by Charlie Brown’s enthusiastic “That’s It!” in “A Charlie Brown Christmas”.
At the risk of revealing my upbringing, I wish everyone a “Merry Christmas”, “Happy New Year” and a “God bless us, everyone”. By the way, for me it truly IS a wonderful life… For the Silo, Rick Fess.
This season is a time of tradition. While we all celebrate tradition in many different ways, the ties that bind us together include family, friends, sharing and kindness.
Long before Santa charioted his flying steeds across the skies, legend tells of female reindeer that drew the sleigh of the Sun Goddess of the Winter Solstice. At time of writing we have now past the longest night of the year.
It wasn’t until the pagan traditions of winter were Christianized that the white bearded man of St. Nicholas/Kris Kringle/Father Christmas/Santa Claus was introduced and the Sun Goddess, or Deer Mother, forgotten.
If we turn back time to the early Neolithic Stone Age, the earth was much colder and reindeer more widespread. The reindeer doe was admired and revered by the ancient peoples of the north. She was the ‘life-giving mother’, the leader of the caribou spring migration upon which they depended for milk, food, clothing and shelter – essentially for survival.
From the British Isles, Scandinavia, Russia, Siberia, across the land bridge of the Bering Strait, the reindeer was a spiritual figure associated with fertility, motherhood, regeneration and the rebirth of the sun — the theme of Winter Solstice as it remains known today.
Rarely portrayed on land, the reindeer was often portrayed as leaping or flying through the air with neck and legs outstretched with her antlers depicted as the tree of life, carrying birds, the sun, moon and stars. Across the northern world, it was the Deer Mother who took flight from the dark of the old year to bring light and life to the new.
While there are many historical explorations of the pagan origins of the Christmas season and the link to Santa’s costume, few mention the female Shamans who originally wore red and white costumes trimmed with fur, horned headdresses or felt red hats. Similarly, the ceremonial clothing worn by medicine women of Siberia and Lapland, was green and white with red peaked hat, curled-toed boots, reindeer mittens, fur lining and trim…look familiar?
While the women of long ago and Solstice past are largely forgotten today, the Deer Mother lives on in our cards, decorations, songs and children’s books of flying reindeer. I believe some deep, primeval part within some of us continues to recognize ‘Mother Christmas’ bringing light and new life to the world – as did the spring migration.
So take a moment to remember the forgotten winter goddesses and magical reindeer of the distant past. Look out from your warm cozy home into the cold of the darkening eve. Look for the Deer Mother traversing starry skies.
No matter how old and wise we get, the varied stories of Christmas never tire and the magic of the season never fades. May you share and enjoy the spirit of the season with friends, neighbours and those you love.
The keeping of these traditions is one of the many special features of the season that bring us together in the spirit of joy and giving. My family, staff and I hope you enjoy your own distinctive holiday tradition that make this season special for you.
All the best as the days continue to lengthen in the coming year.
Toby Barrett
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I totally agree and really enjoyed your posting. I don’t even want to use the Xmas for shortening Christmas. Come on, its only once a year! My favorite “holiday”. Merry Christmas y’all!!
I Totally agree. However, as others have stated, I will always say MERRY CHRISTMAS.
Here! Here! Great post. My sentiments exactly. I wrote a similar post on my blog, actually! We are in a world where everyone wants to control everyone else. How did it come to this? I do not interfere with how other people celebrate, or not, the holidays or anything else they wish to celebrate or not. I expect the same courtesy! I love Christmas. I have also learned to overcome the “must buy as much as possible for everyone I know” phase and have moved into the “what would I enjoy giving to this loved one of mine to show how much I appreciate them?” phase. I love the family gatherings, the baking, the music, the lights…I love it all. For those who don’t love it, well, they can just ignore it all and wait the month or so it takes to be over. Soon it shall pass and a new year will begin and the count down to the next Christmas commences. Merry Christmas to you and yours and may you all have a blessed new year!!
This is an excellent suggestion, saying “That’s the spirit” in defence of saying Merry Christmas. Although for me, I will always say “Merry Christmas” because I believe in the old fashioned meaning of the greeting. I believe Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus even though it’s not the actual date of his birth. And how others choose to relate to the “season” is their privilege but it’s also my privilege to say, “Merry Christmas”.