Holiday Traditions

tis the season to.....

(1998-update to follow)

December has always been filled with many wonderful events for me
continuing on into January for King's Night. (I guess you could say, I'm eclectic Pagan...I have searched many years for the truths in which I base my beliefs...and while I do not worship the Christain God, I believe that Jesus was born into this world one of the enlightened souls and for such I celebrate his life as I do the Buddha and other enlightened souls)

Among the other things I will do this Holiday season, one thing I can say for sure, I'll shed tears...I think that may be common at this time of year. Then, again, I may just be a bit weird. :-) I'll cry when I watch my son in his Christmas play at school, and again, when I listen to my Mother sing in the choir at her church....I have yet to make it through reading How The Grinch Stole Christmas (by the wonderful Dr. Seuss) without crying when that nasty old Grinch's heart grows. (hmmmm...not familiar with the Grinch? A classic :-) I'll cry as I watch It's a Wonderful Life (I love that movie..Jimmy Stewart...Now that man had a voice and that smile and those eyes:-) I'll cry when my father watches the grandchildren open their gifts....thankful for another year with him...Hmmmm...guess, I'm just a sentimental fool :-) I hope for all of you reading this, and all of the people I have been so blessed to meet through these past years on the net, that you will also find occasion during this holiday season to shed such tears of joy. I wish you all Brightest Blessings and much love and light during the Holidays, whatever yours may be!

Some of my fondest memories of childhood are of the times spent around the kitchen table making the trees for the counting of the Twelve Days of Christmas. My mother would gather us up on the evening of December 12th with the necessary materials of crayons and construction paper. She would then cut out twelve christmas trees from the paper. My sisters and I (and I'm sure my older brothers helped on occasions which I was too young to remember) would then spend the evening colouring the trees. Each one was unique with its very own bulbs, lights, tinsel, candy canes and whatever our little imaginations could conjure up. We would then hang the trees...usually across a mantle. On each of the following evenings, my mother or father would read to us from a book of Christmas stories. At the end of the reading we would take one of the trees down and count the remaining ones. How splendid it was to see the nights before Christmas disappear one by one. As an adult, I have continued this tradition. With only one change...now we place a star on one tree per evening rather than taking a tree down. (per the loud objections from a small one when one of his trees was being taken down) And the last tree is white, rather than green, and is topped with an angel.

Some of my other memories include making strings of popcorn for the tree...can't remember when we stopped doing this indoors but it's a great way to decorate an outside tree for the holidays. Another great idea for decorating an outside tree is to take pine cones, cover them in peanut butter and then roll them in bird seed. The birds and the squirrels love the extra treat. Nothing like celebrating the turning of the wheel and feeding some of the other creatures that share this great planet with us. My home is settled on a hillside and I love having the tree line begin in my back yard. There are an abundance of deer that come down into the yard each evening for the food I place there for them. Three of them are every night visitors, a momma deer and her two babes. I'm happy to say that they were here last night, (December 13th) which means they made it safely through the hunting season. To be close to nature has always been extremely important to me. Nature is my center...the force from which I draw my strength.

Christmas Eve as a child was marked with a candle light service at the church I was practically raised in. Hearing my mother's voice in the choir was a high point of those services. Truly the voice of an angel. It was, however, after the service and the walk home that became an important part of that celebration for me. I would walk home...guarding my candle's flame from the wind...and listening to the sounds of Nature...that uniquely glorious silence of winter... When I look back at those nights, I believe them to be my very first ritualized celebration of the Great Mother. I knew there was much more to this time of year than what appeared on the surface. The turning of the wheel...the ever-changing, never-ending spiral dance was being revealed to me.

Once we returned home, we would finish decorating the tree while eating the always wonderful food my mother had prepared and drinking egg nog. Before bed, we were each given one gift to open (always new night clothes to wear to bed that night) We would gather around and listen to the Christmas Story, (my father's voice...35 years in radio...Yes, a grand voice!) remove the last of the paper trees and head for bed. Oh, the memories of those sleepless Christmas Eves of childhood.

Now, while my house is always filled with candles, December is a time when there are more candles then ever. The flickering, soft glow lights every room in the house...The Yule lights...shining forth from the darkness.

The Winter Solstice...the longest darkness of the year...the eve of the rebirth of the sun when the days, once again, begin to grow longer. Another turn of the wheel. The Goddess in her glory, giving to us the gift of another year of light.

Candles light the outside of the house on this eve and I spend the night in quiet meditation...giving thanks for all that has been and all that will be. I decorate the outside and inside of the house with pine and other plant life (making sure to thank the Goddess for everything she gives as I take it from its place in Nature) The candles outside are housed in stone structures that guard them through the night and give off a splendid glow. Similar to the glow of a fire shining forth from a cave many years ago...at least I like to think of it that way. :-)

As the sun fades from the sky, I will turn all of the lights out in the house and begin lighting the candles that are displayed in every room in the house. Once done, I will walk outside and admire the glow of the candle light shining through the windows. The perimeter of the house is blessed (quietly...neighbors :-) and when I re-enter the house...basking in the soft glow of the candles...I enter knowing that the wheel is turning and I, in my own little way, have honoured that turning... At least one candle will burn through the night and into the morning. Amazingly enough, even when my body is tired, sleep does not come knocking. It's as if, on this night of all night's, the body knows that it is in being 'awake' for the turning that my rest is found. Watching the sun rise in the morning is always a glorious event but on this day, it is more precious and beautiful than any other day of the year.

Traditionally, or so I have read, the ancients would build a huge fire and dance around it till dawn...summoning forth the daylight...feeling the connectedness of their dance and the rebirth of the light.

As a child, I remember several different tree toppers on the tree. As an adult, my tree has always been graced with a beautiful female figure. To me, she is the image of the Goddess, to others, she appears as a beautiful angel. To each his/her own, always! This is the way things should be. And I believe that the holidays that fall during this month of December should be a time of learning for us all. A time to teach our children about other beliefs...A time to learn enough about other beliefs that we also learn understanding and tolerance. We are all here on this great planet and we must learn to live together in peace. This, I believe, must start by teaching our children to respect others and their beliefs. Those of you who know me, know that one of my core beliefs is that we MUST understand the spiritual beliefs of others in order to begin to understand them as individuals. Take the time this season to enrich your life by finding one tradition of which you know very little and explore that tradition or belief. Discover!!! Learn!!! Understand!!! Only then can we truly hope to find peace in this world.

Happy Holidays!!! and Blessed Be!!!

elise

My Mother's Words

'As a mother, this scripture has been very significant for me. I believe that each mother when she gives birth to a child holds and ponders many things in her heart. A mother looks not only at the new child in her arms, and rejoices, but she also looks forward with wonder at what potential this child brings to the world. I have often read this scripture and wondered how much Mary knew for sure, or if she had any way of knowing the extent that the birth of her child would change the world.'

Mary, Mary

Mary, Mary
So deep in thought.
Pondering on these things,
Did you know this little child
In the manger low,
Would be the King of Kings?

Mary, Mary
What were your thoughts
That frosty winter's night,
When shepherds came,
And angels sang,
And a star lit up the night?

Mary, Mary
So deep in thought.
Were you aware
Of pain to come, a cross to bear,
Could you have known
What 'Love' had brought Him here?
~Joan~ My Mother :-)

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