RE: [Unschooling-dotcom]Christmas - and More
Nanci and Thomas Kuykendall
to me christmas is getting up on a cold winters morning - having snow would be a bonus - sitting in front of an open fire, christmas lights glowing, carol singers at the door, opening our presents. Looking forward to that roast turkey (or chicken) with all the trimmings -
I grew up in a Christian home (more or less) and I LOOOOOVE the holidays. Now that we are pagan we don't celebrate exactly the same, but many of our Yule traditions are the same as the ones I had as a child, and some are new and unique to our religious path, while some are just things that we wanted to get started because we enjoyed it. The "Holidays" for us, has more meaning than just Thanksgiving and Xmas/Channukah (sp?)/Kwaanza season. We have three major sabbats building up to the season, that makes it last even longer. Lughnasad or Lammas, is the first Harvest Festival of the year on August 1st, when we celebrate the harvest of the first fruits and vegetables. Mabon (which we just celebrated) falls around Sept. 22 on the Fall Equinox. It is the second harvest celebration, where we give thanks for all our blessings and what has been provided us through the past year. Following this is Samhain, which many of you are familiar with as Halloween. This is a High Sabbat,!
and a time to gather in our harvests and prepare for winter (both emotionally and physically.) During this holiday we set aside special time to remember our beloved dead, setting an extra place at the table during our holiday feast, saying some prayers which include what we would like to express to the loved ones who have passed on, and in general remembering and celebrating their lives as we deal with our grief and loss. After that comes the American Thanksgiving, which is more a patriotic thing for our family, much like 4th of July. We give thanks for living in a free country where we can worship as we see fit, we are thankful for our blessings in the larger community, at work, in our town, or state, etc. Then, FINALLY! Comes Yule, caroling, the yule log, tree trimming, special stories, craft projects and making gifts, feasts and family gatherings, and so much more. I love the fall and winter holidays.
Some other traditions in America, both multigenerational, and unique to immediate families are: Cookie baking and decorating together; Having a candy making party where everyone gets together and makes large batches of American standby candies, like Divinity and Fudge, and everyone takes home a large portion to keep or give away; Hanging a "Christmas Pickle" on the tree for the kids to hunt for in the morning; Taking the kids to the mall to see "Santa;" Sending out family photos with their holiday greeting cards; Having a tree trimming party; gift exchanges for larger families (drawing names;) Cutting their own tree from a tree farm or private property; Working in soup kitchens or donating time to the homeless or needy together as a family; "Sponsoring" a needy family by buying gifts for each member to help make their Xmas special and make sure they have all their needs met; Donating to Coats for Kids, Toys for Tots, or one of the other programs that run during the holidays; !
Watching holiday movies and shows (especically for kids;) Stuffing stockings from santa on Xmas eve; Leaving out cookies, or some other goodie for santa (some folks leave out "reindeer corn" which is like candy corn only in Xmas colors or an apple, for Santa's reindeer as well;) Parents staying up late to put together complicated gifts, like bikes and doll houses, with instructions in some language we can't read; Playing in the snow; Sitting around half the day in our pajamas and having a huge breakfast after opening gifts on Xmas morning; Kids getting up before dawn Xmas morn. to nag their parents and being told to go back to bed because "It's Too Early!;" Having to go to the company party; Going to a midnight service in church on Xmas eve; School pagents and plays; Kids getting two or more weeks off school; Visiting relatives out of state, or having a bunch come a visit you; and of course... Decorating the house inside and out with everything from lights, garlands, poinsett!
as, wreaths, mistletoe, to collectible figures, snow globes, candles, throw pillows, stuffed animals, pictures and other art, and etc.
There are lots of things I did not mention, I'm sure! :-) We are a diverse lot.
Nanci K.
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>marianneThis sounds very much like an American Christmas. Many people celebrate with different traditions, depending on their country of origin, or if they have created new traditions. Some families are combining Jewish, African American, or other special and unique heritages in their family celebrations (like Creole, Southern, New England, Mexican American, Cuban, Asian, Native American, etc) A lot of families do not have a lot of continuity in multiple generation families and had no traditions of their own. I know many people who were uncomfortable with or lacking family traditions, and so created their own, like a Beef Stroganoff dinner on Xmas Eve. Or opening a single gift for each person together on Xmas Eve.
I grew up in a Christian home (more or less) and I LOOOOOVE the holidays. Now that we are pagan we don't celebrate exactly the same, but many of our Yule traditions are the same as the ones I had as a child, and some are new and unique to our religious path, while some are just things that we wanted to get started because we enjoyed it. The "Holidays" for us, has more meaning than just Thanksgiving and Xmas/Channukah (sp?)/Kwaanza season. We have three major sabbats building up to the season, that makes it last even longer. Lughnasad or Lammas, is the first Harvest Festival of the year on August 1st, when we celebrate the harvest of the first fruits and vegetables. Mabon (which we just celebrated) falls around Sept. 22 on the Fall Equinox. It is the second harvest celebration, where we give thanks for all our blessings and what has been provided us through the past year. Following this is Samhain, which many of you are familiar with as Halloween. This is a High Sabbat,!
and a time to gather in our harvests and prepare for winter (both emotionally and physically.) During this holiday we set aside special time to remember our beloved dead, setting an extra place at the table during our holiday feast, saying some prayers which include what we would like to express to the loved ones who have passed on, and in general remembering and celebrating their lives as we deal with our grief and loss. After that comes the American Thanksgiving, which is more a patriotic thing for our family, much like 4th of July. We give thanks for living in a free country where we can worship as we see fit, we are thankful for our blessings in the larger community, at work, in our town, or state, etc. Then, FINALLY! Comes Yule, caroling, the yule log, tree trimming, special stories, craft projects and making gifts, feasts and family gatherings, and so much more. I love the fall and winter holidays.
Some other traditions in America, both multigenerational, and unique to immediate families are: Cookie baking and decorating together; Having a candy making party where everyone gets together and makes large batches of American standby candies, like Divinity and Fudge, and everyone takes home a large portion to keep or give away; Hanging a "Christmas Pickle" on the tree for the kids to hunt for in the morning; Taking the kids to the mall to see "Santa;" Sending out family photos with their holiday greeting cards; Having a tree trimming party; gift exchanges for larger families (drawing names;) Cutting their own tree from a tree farm or private property; Working in soup kitchens or donating time to the homeless or needy together as a family; "Sponsoring" a needy family by buying gifts for each member to help make their Xmas special and make sure they have all their needs met; Donating to Coats for Kids, Toys for Tots, or one of the other programs that run during the holidays; !
Watching holiday movies and shows (especically for kids;) Stuffing stockings from santa on Xmas eve; Leaving out cookies, or some other goodie for santa (some folks leave out "reindeer corn" which is like candy corn only in Xmas colors or an apple, for Santa's reindeer as well;) Parents staying up late to put together complicated gifts, like bikes and doll houses, with instructions in some language we can't read; Playing in the snow; Sitting around half the day in our pajamas and having a huge breakfast after opening gifts on Xmas morning; Kids getting up before dawn Xmas morn. to nag their parents and being told to go back to bed because "It's Too Early!;" Having to go to the company party; Going to a midnight service in church on Xmas eve; School pagents and plays; Kids getting two or more weeks off school; Visiting relatives out of state, or having a bunch come a visit you; and of course... Decorating the house inside and out with everything from lights, garlands, poinsett!
as, wreaths, mistletoe, to collectible figures, snow globes, candles, throw pillows, stuffed animals, pictures and other art, and etc.
There are lots of things I did not mention, I'm sure! :-) We are a diverse lot.
Nanci K.
------------------------------------------------------------
Show off your pagan (and Idaho) pride, get Idaho Pagan Mail(tm) today!
Sign up at http://www.idahopagan.com/