Are The Holidays Really Over? Celebrating With Meaning

Holidays are a time to gather, reflect, catch up with old friends and family members, celebrate traditions, create new rituals, or get away from it all.

 

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Are you the type of person to celebrate holidays and events?  Most cultures have rituals that honor seasons or important passage times in ones life.  In the US we are a melting pot and many people have slowly lost their original customs over the generations.  It may be that your family could not get the right items to recreate the tradition or that they consciously gave up some traditions to be more accepted into the American culture.  There is beauty in the diversity of our nation, yet we should also treasure our past and honor our lineage in a way that serves us. 

Something I have noticed over the years is that as we lose traditions, we also in a sense lose part of our identity.  Traditions are like a thread that is woven in the fabric of life.  When certain ones are lost or forgotten, our stories begin to unravel.  The reasons to gather become shrouded with excuses from being too busy to not having a symbolic reason to gather.

 

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What are the reasons why people gather?
-Religious or spiritual events
-Cultural events
-Birthdays
-Weddings
-Funerals
-National holidays
-Common Interest groups
-Sport events
-Competitive reasons

Food for thought…
What are the reasons why you gather with people?
Who do you like to gather with?
How often do you gather for an event?

 

Consider creating your own personal rituals that have a special meaning for yourself (celebrating a goal that you set for yourself and achieved, one to transition from the work week to the weekend, celebrating your daughter’s coming of age, celebrating a boy’s transition into becoming a man, honoring your elders). 

Choose to honor that day and the activity in a meaningful way.  Invite others to join you and share food in a potluck manner or bring a personal item to share (favorite quote, a story, a song or musical piece).  Re-initate meaningful connection with others through honoring traditions that are old or new, but mostly created with intent.  Please share with us your thoughts about how you will implement this into your lives…