But is it?
Apparently not. The reason of the season might be more the treason of the season. The general mood and expression on people’s faces looks a little strained and stressed, this time of year. We seem to place a lot of demand on ourselves. There is much expectation and sense of obligation. It stems from gift giving. Consumerism and commercialism, which controls and compromises our consciousness. We can’t help it. We can only become slaves to it, and keep up the momentum of materialism and the mayhem of its madness.
It makes us mad.
And unhappy…
From unhealthy spending!
On things that nobody wants or needs. Spending time, energy, money and thought, simply because we have become conditioned to become consumers. It makes me think of the mindlessness of it all. Like zombies, lurching aimlessly through the malls. There’s a reason this is a thing. It hits close to home. Like being home for the haul a daze. With presents under the tree. Which, when you think of it, is kind of a weird thing. I mean, a tree? Why a tree? Why do we kill and dismember a living tree, not for building a shelter or providing warmth, but so we can pile presents beneath it that sit and build expectations (and eventual disappointments upon opening) over time?
Well, I looked into it.
It turns out we can blame the pagans. They are the ones responsible for starting this ridiculous tradition. It was pretty crazy back then when this whole thing started. They were savage beings, without a sense of civilization or organized religion. They totally lacked any reason to travel to far off lands and kill people who didn’t agree with, or conform to, their beliefs. Absolute savage insanity. These barbarians tried to live in harmony with nature. They recognized and respected changes in the seasons and in the sky. They observed the stars, the moon and the sun. And all of these things things seemed to have some sort of meaning, if not relevance, relevant to their day to day life through all of the seasons.
It was the reasons for the seasons.
They saw that on or around December 21 each year, the days saw the least amount of daylight. The nights saw the longest duration of darkness. And this felt special to them. It was a cause to try to bring light into all that darkness. So they celebrated. They gathered together, with friends and family. To light a fire and burn a log, all night long. They decorated and lit a pine tree. They strung and hung holly and mistletoe. They prepared and shared a meal.
And they called this Yule.
The name has since stuck around. It has been incorporated into the traditions of Christmas. We have heard of Yuletide. The Yule log. It only makes sense. But what doesn’t make sense, is how we went from recognizing the need to bring light to the darkness, at the same time each year, to behaving in ways that do not really recognize the meaning of the season. Gift giving does not bring light. It does not bring joy. It brings distraction. It distracts us from how we are feeling. And there is no light in that at all. It is taking us away from our deepest needs in this darkest time. And more times than not, it is creating more darkness.
We get stressed. We get depressed.
We are reminded how lonely we are. We feel the pressure to meet the expectation and obligation of reciprocating the gestures of giving. But to me, gift giving should not be just because the calendar commands us to rush out and stress over what to get someone. The whole idea and practice of gift giving should be a thoughtful one. We should buy someone a gift because we know what they could use, or want, or would be happy to receive. And when they do receive it, they should be able to receive with full gratitude, and not a feeling of guilt because they didn’t get us something.
But that is what Christmas has become.
We feel guilt. We feel pressure. We spend money. We rush about and scramble our brains like eggs. We get beaten down and thrown into the mix. It becomes a whirlwind. And we always feel better when it is over.
And this makes me really question it and what we are doing with it.
I have since started buying gifts not for special occasions, but for the occasion when I see something in a store that I feel someone I know will benefit from it. Maybe I overheard them say something about needing something. Or maybe they just said something about something needed to either replace, or fix, or meet a need yet unmet.
So this year, and for the past several years, I have been rejecting the core traditions and practices of Christmas. I have instead started aligning myself with the Winter Solstice and the traditions of Yule. I have stripped away the obligations and expectations and brought myself back into the warmth and light of the original meaning of the season. It is a period of silent reflection; of calm days and cozy evenings. I have decorated a tree. I sit and sip tea. I get out for walks when the weather is nice. I spend time with my kids when possible. I make meals and keep my home tidy and clean. I read, I watch TV, I doodle and I paint. I get to bed early and I get myself up early.
I lay in a sunbeam and I relax and meditate.
I practice self-care and give love and caring to those that are close to my heart. And I open my home to love, and welcome the gifts of presence.
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