Happy Winter Solstice!
Growing up, it was just my mom and me, and my mom is a lapsed-Jewish Unitarian with strong though amorphous pagan tendencies. She never wanted to celebrate the Jewish holidays in any traditional way, but she had an extremely strong antipathy toward anything to do with Christian holidays (she's mellowed enough now to enjoy the occasional lit up reindeer).
So I was the kid who got scorned by both the Christian and Jewish kids at school, and my mom wanted to give me a winter holiday to celebrate, too. She picked December 21st, (usually) the winter solstice. We had a little tree decorated with popcorn strands and a dove on top (with the peace symbology, not the Christian).
Though I celebrate secular Christmas with friends and coworkers now out of convenience (and a love of sparkly lights), the Solstice will always be my holiday (and holy day). I hate it when the days grow shorter and the nights darker. After tonight, we'll be past the worst of it, and whatever else winter brings, I know that the sun is slowly making its way back. I think that's cause for celebration, whatever your spiritual beliefs (assuming you're in the Northern Hemisphere, of course)(presumably my Southern Hemisphere flisters are reading this with a smug smile as they get ready for their holiday beach trips).
So I'm wishing you all a warm and happy winter season. Happy Midwinter!
So I was the kid who got scorned by both the Christian and Jewish kids at school, and my mom wanted to give me a winter holiday to celebrate, too. She picked December 21st, (usually) the winter solstice. We had a little tree decorated with popcorn strands and a dove on top (with the peace symbology, not the Christian).
Though I celebrate secular Christmas with friends and coworkers now out of convenience (and a love of sparkly lights), the Solstice will always be my holiday (and holy day). I hate it when the days grow shorter and the nights darker. After tonight, we'll be past the worst of it, and whatever else winter brings, I know that the sun is slowly making its way back. I think that's cause for celebration, whatever your spiritual beliefs (assuming you're in the Northern Hemisphere, of course)(presumably my Southern Hemisphere flisters are reading this with a smug smile as they get ready for their holiday beach trips).
So I'm wishing you all a warm and happy winter season. Happy Midwinter!