I wanted to write a bit about my thoughts on holidays, and the culture of what we celebrate in the US. I wanted to write it yesterday, and I also wanted to honor the celebrations that were occurring.
I find myself often feeling into the lies and overlays of the holidays we celebrate. Christmas is one of them. And for me it continues to feel like it can be a both/and instead of a contradiction.
Many of us have been peeling back the layers of stories that the church has instilled upon humanity. One of those being the holiday of the birth of Christ. Many of us know that, according to the laws of the time, as well as historical data, Jesus was not born on December 25th. Like many modern days, deemed holy by the church, they are overlays of Earth based traditions. Christmas is one of those days. December 25th was the feast day of Mithras, a Sun God.
I have gone through periods of being angry, and resenting these overlays. Almost all of our holidays today, are mere overlays of holidays of the ancient times, with twists to adhere to religious dogma. It would often cause me to not want to even participate in the celebrations.
As I’ve worked within the emotions of anger, and resentment, I have grown to come to a place of appreciating what these holidays have the potential to represent. I see Christmas now as a day of giving gifts, of gathering with family, of having a giving and love spirit. A day to honor the Christ in all of us.
I wonder if there is a way to honor both. Can we face the truths of the past? While still honoring modern tradition? What I have found is that often people hold so tightly to their beliefs, that they are unable to look at facts. And perhaps we could take the threat out of it? Could we honor both?
Can we celebrate this day as the recognition of Christ Consciousness, of the life of Jesus, and the birth of a way on the Earth? AND can we recognize that there has been an honoring of the return of the sun for thousands of years on this date as well? Can we fuse the traditions that have developed with the truths of the past? Can we do this with Easter? Thanksgiving? Groundhog Day? Halloween? And more? Can we weave in the truth and still hold to the celebrations that each has now imbued? Can we embrace both? Instead of one cancelling the other, is there a way to weave together?
On this day of celebrating Christ, I also celebrate the dieties that came before him, that represented the sun, and the return to glory and light for humanity.
