The holidays have different meanings for everyone. For some it’s a good excuse for a well-needed rest. For others it’s a time for traditional religious values and rituals. For many of us, it’s a time for reflecting on what needs to be different in our lives.
Because of the time of year, many countries have a cold and dark climate during this season. The holidays are a way to bring light into that darkness. No matter how you were brought up, whether it be Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, atheist, Sikh… I could keep listing different belief systems, but my point is that this time of year is just a time where people, whoever they are, wherever they come from, can find a way to bond together and share the universal need for hope.
Many religious rituals involve light. Whether it’s the lighting of a menorah candle, stringing up a strand of Christmas lights around a tree, or lighting oil lamps for the Diwali festival of lights, all involve bringing light into dark, therefore allowing ourselves to hope for better times.
The consumerism and commercialism that has seeped into this time of year has, of course, made it difficult to remember the original meaning of hope and grace. There are line-ups and fistfights in Walmart aisles; there’s pressure to get the toy that the offspring has to have, because they’ll face ostracization at school if it isn’t gift-wrapped in glitter and tissue paper under the tree on Christmas morning. (Tissue paper that inevitably gets eaten by the dog or shredded by the cat anyway.)
Then there’s the really hard part to reconcile: the people outside roaming the street who hope that maybe there will be some generosity because it’s the holidays. There are shelters that are full because of the temperature; what makes me feel ill is that often as a society we condemn the homeless for their hygiene or addictions. What other choice do they have? As people, we are all looking for comfort, and that can come in many forms. I so admire the volunteers that march to Our Place to dish out a real holiday feast to those who have ended up there.
So, we continue to hope. We look forward to the holidays because that’s what it offers, whether it’s shredded tissue under a tree or putting $5 into someone’s hand who needs it far more than we do. We light lamps, we bake pastries, and we enjoy the families that we were born into, or the families that we have chosen.
It’s fascinating looking into all the different cultures and how they celebrate this time of year, not only because of the beautiful rituals and traditions, but because they all involve stories of renewal and hope. Stories that tell you to do things a little different or a little better this time around. Every culture celebrates light in some way, and we should all celebrate having the vigilance to let go of what has been bringing you down. Traditions and rituals started for a reason, and the holiday season is a wonderful way to celebrate hope and light and the future of better things to come.
Happy Holidays.