Here comes the sun! The return of the sun. It’s time to celebrate. Just as those before us celebrated.
Long before there was religion there still was celebration all over the world commemorating Winter Solstice. In fact many of the traditions we have today were incorporated into organized religions to appease “pagans”, (pagan from Latin meaning County dweller or rustic) that were “Con-verted”. Through adopting the practices of original peoples, religions often tried to con-vinced the natives how similar their practices were to natives believes. Christmas was originally a Roman holiday named Saturnalia, which honored Saturn, the god of the harvest. Saturnalia was such a wild indulging of the senses that took Christianity centuries to rein in the merriment. When the Puritans first arrived in America they banned Christmas from 1645-1686 because the partying was too much of a gluttonous drunk fest and anti-Christian in their view. Even what are thought of more ancient religions, like Judaism, takes Hanukkah rituals from the Greek-Syrian holiday that celebrated the sun god.
Most of these celebrations had common elements. They are giving thanks to the return of the sun. The sun entices the Mother, earth to provide our food so it is important to be thankful. There is a feast of the year’s harvest which is shared with thanks. Many of the rituals revolve around fertility for next year’s harvest. Many customs involve the giving of gifts.
Here is a short list just to give a view of how many universal Winter Solstice celebrations there are. Soyal (Zuni people and Hopi people of North America) ,Maruaroa o Takurua, (Māori people, New Zealand), Inti Raymi (Inca: Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador), Yule (Germanic peoples), Sanghamitta Day (Buddhism), Rozhanitsa Feast (12th century East Slavs, Russia), ), Pancha Ganapati (Hindu, India and Nepal), Lá an Dreoilín, Wren day (Celtic, Irish, Welsh, Manx), Goru (Dogon people of Mali),Dongzhi Festival (East Asian Cultural Sphere). I am not much for lists but we can see how worldwide this celebration is.
From ancient traditions we get the Yule log (Yule meaning wheel representing the turning of the seasons) to light the way through the longest night of the year. We lighting candles to entice the sun to return. Decorating of trees was a way to honor the natural kingdom. The use of greens and mistletoe in the home represented fertility for the coming year. Singing often played an important role whether like caroling or singing song of praise around living trees. We exchanging gifts and giving to those less fortunate. The gift exchange was not like today it was mostly a single item and often fruit of some kind.
Some argue that a new religion, capitalism, has ransacked the holiday season, which was ransacked from the pagan traditions. It is history repeating itself for corporate power instead of power for the church. It is not hard to convince people who are already celebrating on some level to engage in over the top gift giving. It is only human nature to want to receive gifts and if you need to buy a few to get a few so be it. It does not seem to take long before a culture once indoctrinated gives itself over to this buying frenzy. It is easy to see how one can substitute the mania of shopping for celebrating; both leave you in an altered state. Unfortunately mania usually leads to some form of disappointment or depression, as it is nothing more than hormones that ebb and flow like the sea. Heartfelt celebration with family and friends normally recharges some for quite a time and could even help out emotionally in the dark months to come.
As humans we have a need to celebrate and be thankful. If we have had a good harvest it is only natural to want to share it with others. I believe there is also a human need to be part of the natural environment you live in, to celebrate, and rejoice in that environment. Winter is a time of darkness, reflection, hibernation, and rest. Good luck in this society trying to convince a boss to cut work day hours in the winter so one could have their hibernation time. This Earth gives us life like our Mother did; it only makes sense to thank it in some way. A lot of the time we are too busy to even thank our own Mothers. This is a time of year when things should slow down to make those thank yous with your heart. Winter Solstice is a time when it is easy to see things that are given freely, like the sun and food from the earth, because when there is less of something it is apparent to see the abundance we had a short time before.
I have heard it said, “Remember the reason for the season”. I whole heartedly agree but maybe not as the saying was intended. Remember to slow down, remember to give thanks for the earth and sun we share, remember to share your blessings, remember friends and community, and remember to celebrate life. Mostly move outside of all we are told we are suppose to be and do this time of year and remember yourself and take some time to celebrate who you are!
Resource-
https://www.africanglobe.net/headlines/history-christmas-pagan-origins/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_solstice
Copyright© 2023 Human Anonymous, Rev. Joseph and/or Joseph Piekutoski
