It's no secret - I hate this time of the year. No, wait... I loathe this time of the year! In June 2012, I wrote a blog about my complete contempt for the time that runs from Thanksgiving until February 15 and how much I would like to hibernate through those months, but I haven't really explained my reasoning on why I don't like the holidays. There are many, many factors - some of which date back to my childhood, but I will enumerate my top 3:
Let's first talk about the crass commercialism that goes on between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day, particularly during the Christmas season. If I see one more fecking commercial about what type of overpriced jewelry men should be buying their women during the holidays, or the latest and greatest POS that parents should be purchasing their offspring, I may just scream! Apparently, the only way anyone can enjoy the holidays is by going into massive debt -- buying crap that nobody actually needs. Meh!
Next, there's the fact that the holidays seem to be geared specifically for people who have families and significant others. As I have neither, I am constantly bombarded with the idea that my life is less than stellar because of these facts. I already know that, I don't need a constant and daily reminder that my life has not exactly turned out the way I wanted it to, although I'm fine with the fact that I never had children (more than fine, even). But stop throwing it all in my face!
Then there are all the annoying Christmas specials - the worst being Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer which features a Santa who's a complete ass and Donner, who is so embarrassed about his "different" son that he forces him to hide who he really is. Don't tell me about how the ending is about acceptance, it's a shit special. Holiday movies are equally annoying and even though It's a Wonderful Life is a great movie, I really never want to see it again. Too depressing! I will say the one holiday movie that I can embrace - Die Hard. C'mon, Bruce Willis as John McClane who single-handedly kills or maims a whole host of European "terrorists", bombs an entire floor, and ends up saving the day (without shoes even); all of which is set with a Christmas backdrop. You even have McClane punching a reporter to the tune of Let it Snow! "Now I have a machine gun. Ho, ho, ho!" Good stuff.
All in all, I'd be fine if we could get rid of the holiday season altogether. As that's not a remote possibility, I need something as a replacement for the holidays. I have decided to embrace the Solstice. Centuries ago, the ancients thought the sun stood still in the sky, hence the Roman name for this event: Sol (sun) Sistere (to stand still). This is how the sun -- at it's lowest or highest point depending on whether it is summer or winter where we live -- appears to us from earth: as though it is taking a grand pause before shifting direction.
For contemporary people, solstices -- summer or winter -- are a chance to bring some internal quiet to ourselves, to behold the glory of the cosmos, and to take a breath with the world. Solstice also gives us the opportunity to ask whether or not we are on the correct course in our lives.
How should this event be honored? In the Northern hemisphere, friends gather to celebrate the longest night. They may light candles, or dance around bonfires. They may share festive meals, or sing, or meditate. Some tell stories and keep vigil as a way of making certain that the sun will rise again. Something in them needs to know that at the end of the longest night, there will be light.
This year's December solstice is set to take place today at 12:11pm, which is in a couple of hours time. Sometime today or tonight, I urge you to take stock in the world which surrounds you, gather with some friends, light candles, dance around a bonfire, share a meal, sing, and revel in the cosmos. These choices are so much more beneficial than spending your time at the mall, purchasing a bunch of crap that you and your loved ones don't actually need.
All in all, I'd be fine if we could get rid of the holiday season altogether. As that's not a remote possibility, I need something as a replacement for the holidays. I have decided to embrace the Solstice. Centuries ago, the ancients thought the sun stood still in the sky, hence the Roman name for this event: Sol (sun) Sistere (to stand still). This is how the sun -- at it's lowest or highest point depending on whether it is summer or winter where we live -- appears to us from earth: as though it is taking a grand pause before shifting direction.
For contemporary people, solstices -- summer or winter -- are a chance to bring some internal quiet to ourselves, to behold the glory of the cosmos, and to take a breath with the world. Solstice also gives us the opportunity to ask whether or not we are on the correct course in our lives.
How should this event be honored? In the Northern hemisphere, friends gather to celebrate the longest night. They may light candles, or dance around bonfires. They may share festive meals, or sing, or meditate. Some tell stories and keep vigil as a way of making certain that the sun will rise again. Something in them needs to know that at the end of the longest night, there will be light.
This year's December solstice is set to take place today at 12:11pm, which is in a couple of hours time. Sometime today or tonight, I urge you to take stock in the world which surrounds you, gather with some friends, light candles, dance around a bonfire, share a meal, sing, and revel in the cosmos. These choices are so much more beneficial than spending your time at the mall, purchasing a bunch of crap that you and your loved ones don't actually need.
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| Stonehenge - during the December solstice. So pretty! |
9 comments:
Very poignant. I agree. And it gets tougher each year to find crap that your loved ones don't already have or need or want. I'm all about the capitalism part of the season. We all need to work to eat. But I agree the emotional part should really be the emphasis on love and life and not about the pseudo religious horse hockey that some baby was born. (Which has been proven to be incorrect.) Or the need to be in a contest to who can spend the most by dropping oodles of trinkets on friends and family. Really! Who gives a Lexus for a Christmas present? It's a Maserati or nothing.
I always thought you were more of a Lamborghini guy. :-)
Happy Solstice. BTW - Rich and I like Saturnalia. pre-dates Christmas. much more "traditional"
Yeah, I was trying to decide between Solstice and Saturnalia, but there's still a gift giving element to Saturnalia which was what I was trying to get away from. Although I like the human sacrifice part of Saturnalia. ;-)
there's drinking and gambling too....like Vegas! :-)
Saturnalia sounds interesting. Tell me more.
"Saturnalia was an ancient Roman festival in honor of the deity, Saturn, held on December 17 of the Julian calendar and later expanded with festivities through December 23. The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice at the Temple of Saturn, in the Roman Forum, and a public banquet, followed by private gift-giving, continual partying, and a carnival atmosphere that overturned Roman social norms: gambling was permitted, and masters provided table service for their slaves."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-weigant/how-about-a-saturnalia-di_b_4469720.html
I like it. Even the Human sacrifice part.
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