IT DEPENDS WHICH CALENDAR YOU USE
Sunday, December 25, 2022
I wonder, a few hundred or a couple thousand years from now, if humanity collectively continues to celebrate this season – of commercialized seasonal celebrations with religious observances – whether these traditions will continue.
People of the Christian faiths have been observing this holiday that often feels like it was ‘invented by/for hallmark’ since the year 336 and became a major festival of Christmas in the 9 th century, built around the birth of Christ on August 21, 7 B.C. and the bountiful harvest … Hanukkah, on the other hand, has been celebrated over eight days and nights since the 164BC with Judah the Maccabee and his soldiers witnessed a miracle of one day’s supply of oil for lamps lasting eight nights while reinforcements and resupply could occur – so that’s been celebrated for about 2,000 years.While Christmas and Hanukkah happened at about the same time of year, the closed Muslim faith equivalent is Eid al-Fitr, a ‘Festival of Breaking the Fast’ in August – so kudos for them picking milder weather.
My point, or rather my observation, is that whatever you observe, and whatever history or tradition you believe in or feel aligns with your belief, faith, or non-belief, there is a commonality rooted in these long-standing traditions – of the annual celebration, reverence for history, and feasting.
Feasting never seems out of fashion, and it is clearly a business opportunity, regarding sect or country, where commerce fills the breach to offer whatever you need, whatever you require, to celebrate in your particular fashion.
Like many people, I’ve explored some of these philosophies and remain unconvinced of miracles by some form of spiritual intervention, yet I enjoy the spirit of the Christmas season as celebrated in Canada; it’s about winter, gifts for children, feasting, taking a break from work and celebrating those who don’t get a break.
We can argue about religion as fervently as we debate politics – because both have fringe elements and deranged viewpoints, and their stalwarts soldier on to proselytize their mission. And whichever side of that intellectual fence you are on, whether we are vendor or customer, we surely agree on a few things:
- peace is better than war
- love is better than hate
- laughter is curative
- we get value from giving
I have had a marvelous year, if not by others’ standards, but by my own. I am grateful for those who’ve helped me through some difficulties, those who’ve believed in me when others haven’t, and those precious people in my family who are safe, healthy and well-intentioned in all they do.
A side benefit, or a curse, depending on your vantage point, is that gatherings of celebration are not always love-fests because these interactions sometimes bring out reminders – not of our best moments, but sometimes our weakest, not always of our kindnesses but sometimes of our ‘not so kind’ moments and thoughts. For many people, the celebrations from a cultural and religious perspective highlight other issues of history, joys and conflicts.
For the faithful and the non-faithful, this a time to remind ourselves that we have been better, that we can be better, and that better in any form or degree is something we value and collectively treasure.
If you are with family and friends, enjoy your time. If you are alone, curl up with a good book or someone who has read one.
If you have sent or received countless greetings and emails that don’t seem personal or generous, don’t be discouraged – you are not alone.
We send and receive many messages that aren’t as genuine, personal or heartfelt as they could be; sometimes, we are cranky with a slow or incompetent clerk or server or a near-crazed person in traffic or navigating a parking lot …
There is time to fix that.
Call someone, write to someone, or maybe think this thought: someone out there loves us even when we give them reasons to turn away, and there are always people we care about who don’t know it unless we take the time to tell them.
To everyone, I wish you well; I want to wish you more than health, I wish you love and kindness – we all need more of that, and the best way I know of to help that situation is to give more, give more of it away, and to be generous as well as genuine with we give someone a smile or a kind word, or if they did was say, “Could you please pass the potatoes …” or “Who forgot the ___________.”
Merry Christmas, everyone.
P.S. … if anyone is offended by my viewpoint or feels I’ve got the facts/dates wrong somehow, I mean no slight to anyone; I’m not trying to convert anyone to or away from any point of view
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