Holidailies: The Reason for the Season

This time of year it seems like there is never enough time to do the things I want to get accomplished need to get done in order for things to be perfect resemble the holidays. I always tell myself not to get too caught up, to limit the things I want to do and focus instead on the things that I can actually, reasonably do. What happens between the time I have that very reasonable logic and the actual madhouse panic that exists every December, I doubt I will ever know.

It seems to me that no matter what there is a current that swells up and washes me away from my intentions (good as they may be, haha) into the frenzy of everyone else. I hear a lot of people balking about how much the Christmas season should (a) be only known as the holiday season, (b) not encroach upon other months than December, (c) be less materialistic and (d) should celebrate the reason for the season. Oddly enough, although points (a) and (d) inherently conflict, people remain adamant.

My daughter is 6 and, as I have previously discussed, has shown a deep and endearing interest in the reason for the season. Since we are not church-going folk, this education in all things faith related seems a bit piecemeal and random. She picks things up from TV and movies, from her friends, from our friends and other family members and, strangely enough, from her school teachers. I guess that someone at school has taken it upon themselves to tell the kids the story of Christmas. We have freinds who are horrified at the prospect of public school infringing on Catholic school grounds--any hint, therefore of religion thereby inappropriate and plain wrong. They feel quite strongly that the "damn Jesus music" should not be played over the PA and the Christmas trees should be left under the stage from whence they came.

Neither Dwayne nor I have particularly vehement reactions to the teaching of the Christmas story, to the playing of random carols and to the twinkling vignette of Christmas trees that lights up the school entryway. We dont particularly mind that the concert is called the Christmas concert and that the break in December is not referred to as Winter break, but as Christmas break. I am a pragmatist and it is what it is. The reason we get a break in December is ecause of Christmas. I suppose that you could sugarcoat it and convince yourself that there is some other logical reason that we have the days off that exactly overlap Christmas every single year, but I think you'd be kidding yourself.

I grew up Buddhist until there were hints of corruption in the venerable monk we visited (I dont care what religion you belong to, lying about enlightenment is the one way ticket in the wrong direction) and while we didnt celebrate Christmas as the birth of Christ, we did do Christmas--we had a tree, presents, turkey dinner. We sung carols in school and watched "A Christmas Carol" and "It's a Wonderful Life". And being able to know about those stories, those traditions, the little things that revolved around the time of year, helped me to relate to the world that existed around me. I also learned about Kwannza, Channukah, Diwali, Eid al-Adha and Tohji-taisai and all of those understandings wrapped around me like a blanket that warmed me.

To me, the reason for the season has less to do with the birth of a prophet and more to do with celebrating our morality, our mortality, and our integration with one another. Simply put "Peace on Earth" needs to exist in our own hearts before we will see the change in the world. Opening our minds to explore the season, therefore, will show us the world in all its twinkly light splendour, showcasing goodwill and being first tolerant and than accepting of all our similarities.

Julia asked Dwayne "How did Jesus get his magic anyway, magic isnt real!"--> Now THAT tells me that it is Ok that she be exposed to religion, always questioning the status quo, that one. I am busy this year, yes, but I hope that the busyness translates into twinkly light splendour, into goodwill towards men, into tolerance and into love and acceptance.