Meandering Missive: Winter holiday confluence

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Winter holiday confluence

I've always liked the sound of confluence, although I rarely ever find ways to use it. Perhaps I should add this to my Favourite Words List? BTW, yes, I took the snowy oak photo above. You can click it for a beautiful close-up. :) Special prize if you can guess where I photographed it! (Except for Tony; he can't guess, as he already knows!)

At any rate, today marks the beginning of an exciting week-long period, due to the confluence of all four December holidays! That would be, in order: Winter Solstice (today, Dec. 21), Christmas Day (Dec. 25), the first of the seven nights of Hanukkah (Dec. 25) and the first of the seven days of Kwanzaa (Dec. 26).

In my opinion, there are three main reasons for celebrating a holiday. One: it's something your family traditionally celebrated so you do too. Two: it's something you didn't necessarily grow up with, but you celebrate out of respect for other family members (or a spouse) who celebrates it. And three: it's something you like and identify with, whether you grew up with it or not. I celebrate all of the above holidays except Kwanzaa, and each for a different reason. :)

This is not a diss of Kwanzaa; I simply don't know all that much about it and don't know anyone who celebrates it who'd be willing to include this eager but inexperienced white woman. *blush* But from what I do know of it, I find it very appealing, especially since you can follow any religion or even no religion, and still celebrate Kwanzaa.

Since today is the Winter Solstice, I'll keep my commentary on that. Hopefully I'll remember to write on the other three holidays as they come.

The first of winter is upon us; the shortest day of the year and the longest night. This point of balance, from which the sun is "reborn," is celebrated with a variety of religious and/or spiritual rituals by followers of earth-based religions, including Druids, Pagans, Wiccans, some Native Americans and some folks whose spiritual path has no name at all; they just know it centers around Nature and the earth.

Some folks also call it Yule, where we get the term Yuletide from. Yule is the name for an old pagan festival celebrated at the winter solstice. Its name comes from geola, Old English for "yoke." The solstice is like a yoke or balancing point of sorts, at which time the sun is at its lowest ebb.

The traditional Yule log is a carryover from European traditions of ceremonial bonfires ushering in the solstice and keeping the long, dark night at bay. The fire kindled by this log--ideally of oak--traditionally should burn until Jan. 1. The oak tree was (and still is) symbolic of wisdom, strength and fertility--all traits appropriate and useful this time of year.

The evergreen plant mistletoe--which incidentally often grows on oaks--is sometimes called the Golden Bough in Celtic traditions because of the colour its berries take as they age, although only among certain types. There are actually many mistletoe genera and species, with berry colour variations including white, golden, pink and red. Druids in times of olde thought mistletoe had qualities of healing and fertility, which might explain the tradition of couples kissing under it. Mistletoe was also thought to contain the "essence" of the dormant, bare tree during the winter. In truth, mistletoe is a partial parasite -- it attaches to the host tree's branches and "drinks" water and nutrients from the host's vascular tissue. However, mistletoe is also a photosynthesizing green plant, which means it makes some of its own nutrients as well.

The most common image of the holiday season--the Christmas Tree--also carries symbolism. Many earth-based religions feel trees are sacred, or at least deserving of special respect. Like the mistletoe, evergreen trees flourish when most other plants die, and so represent life and rebirth. Tree lights used to be made of candles in glass bowls. One interpretation of the lights is that they represent and contain the sun's warmth. I think that's beautiful.

And on that note, I'll stop, lest someone accuse me of writing an essay! *grin* Just remember: after tonight, we gain about 1 extra minute of daylight per day!

Today I am feeling contemplative and happy.

posted by ScaryShari @ 8:08 PM

2 Comments:

At 11:27 PM, Anonymous said…

Very cool. :-) I wish more people felt this open-minded and inclusive about religion/spirituality stuff!
At 1:23 PM, Unknown said…

Check out confluence.org. There's another kind of confluence. :) I've been meaning to tell you about it but my stupid phone wouldn't post via blogger because of the word typing in thingamabob which you got rid of now. :)

Anyway we have found one degree confluence, the so-called "banana slug confluence" which is in Santa Cruz. There's a geocache right by it. :)

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