TURNING WINTER HOLIDAYS INTO HOLY DAYS…
Seasonal ritualsare important because it helps us to be more in tune with the cycles of life. It gives us a better understanding of how life works. Without a proper understanding of natural cycles of life it is difficult to unhook ourselves from our society’s orientated toward instant gratification. As we honor these seasonal transitions the passage of time and the movement of the planets become concrete and meaningful to you and your children, and you will all feel more connected to the cycles of nature and to Mother Earth.
WINTER is a quiet time of rest and renewal a time when nature goes underground. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year and the longest night. Out of the darkness of winter comes the promise of spring. It is on the winter solstice that many cultures believe that the archetypal Great Mother gave birth to a sun child-the Egyptian deity Isis gave birth to Horus, the sun god; the Greek Leto gave birth to a shining Apollo. In the matriarchal religions, the rebirth of the goddess herself as celebrated-Persephone, Besana, Sune, and Sun Woman.
Winter is universally synonymous with darkness. Many myths deal with the disappearance of light and a return or calling back of the sun.
Not surprisingly, many cultures celebrate festivals of light during the winter months, Chanukah, the Jewish holiday, commemorates a time when the Temple of Jerusalem was under siege and a tiny bit of oil miraculously burned for eight days; today, a candle is lit to remember each of those eight nights. The Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year, is celebrated throughout the world with rituals to "call back the light". In Sweden, on December 13, Santa Lucia Day, which honors the patron saint of light, young girls wear crowns made of candles and lingonberries. Kwanza, an African American winter holiday that has been celebrated since 1966, also involves candles; seven are lit, representing the seven African Principles.
The real spirit of the holidays-- the heart, core and inner life, is love.
Our tradition of celebrating the holiday by gift giving needs to become a way of expressing love for one another and thankfulness to God/Goddess.
Unfortunately, when most of us commemorate such special days, we rarely think about, and in some cases don't even know, that many of these holidays--holy days--date back thousands of years and were originally created to mark the changing of seasons and other happenings in nature. Our ancestors paid close attention to the natural systems that supported their lives and their rituals honored and celebrated all of life...In our civilized world, we have forgotten to honor nature and our celebrations have become less about meaning and more about material concerns-creating holidays that can be both stressful and laden with unrealistic expectations.
The Importance of Family and Community Rituals
Family rituals are the scaffolding that holds the family together. I have sadly noticed in families that do not share special rituals: they often lack a deep connection; don’t have a rewarding family support system and the children tended to be alienated. Most of us have such a tight schedule that unless we make room for structured family and community rituals, we can easily go for weeks, or even months, without truly connecting to one another. Kids, especially in these cultures, suffer greatly when they are not feeling connected to a family unit or a healthy community. They become disconnected, stressed and in some case depressed. By using rituals, we make better sense of the world.
Turn holiday into meaningful occasions.
You'll be surprised how easy it is to turn holiday occasions that you normally take for granted or move through without thinking into a meaningful ritual. Instead of just coming up with guest list and planning the usual gathering, if you slow down, realize that you're taking part in a time-honored tradition that connects you to your past, and concentrate on your intention--to commemorate an important holy day--you will get deeper meaning and a greater sense of connectedness out of each occasion.
Do you know?
Many of the traditions associated with this holiday season have ancient roots.
Evergreen, which symbolizes the continuity of life, rebirth, and protection, is found in Roman, Celtic, Teutonic, and Christian cultures. Few of us realize, however, that the solstice evergreen was an important symbol thousands of years before Christianity.
The ancient Romans decorated trees with small pieces of metal during Saturnalia, a winter festival in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture.
The Druids believed that holly was the sacred plant of Saturn, and was used at the Saturnalia festival. The also believed that mistletoe had special healing properties: they used it to celebrate the coming winter
Do it all:
Celebrate The Winter solstice: the longest night of the year
Contribute to your community by planting a tree, helping a homeless family or baking cookies for your local nursing home.
Share Your holiday with others: invite friends to a Kwanza party, a Chanukah celebration or a tree-trimming party.
Take five minutes to focus on peace- have each person light a candle for peace and healing.
Forgive, forgive, forgive- end the old year by opening your heart to yourself and others.
Barbara Biziou has been called the Martha Stewart of celebrations and ceremonies. She is the author of The Joys of Everyday Ritual: Spiritual Recipes To Celebrate Milestones, EaseTransitions and Make Everyday Scared (St. Martin ‘s Griffin) and The Joy of Family Rituals: Recipes for Everyday Living (St.Martin’s Press). She has also produced the first guided meditation DVD Momentary Meditations shot entirely on high definition video. As an interfaith minister, she offers wonderfully creative solutions to the challenges faced by modern families. She shows people how to incorporate spirituality into their existing lifestyles and hectic schedules – without creating extra work or stress!
Barbara lives in NYC and can be reached at 212-741-3358 or email her at britual@aol.com Check out her website for DVDs, information on private consultations, workshops, wedding ceremonies and rituals of all kinds.
www.joyofritual.com
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