Season's Greetings
Christmas is such a cosy and beautiful celebration, and ever since childhood I have enjoyed how it marked long and dark winters with happiness and light.
However, as an adult I have chosen to affiliate with other spiritual traditions than Christianity, as it feels odd to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the son of a God that I don't believe in. So I've "re-invented" the tradition for myself, looking left and right for inspiration.
The early Christians seem to have used the date of the already existing winter solstice celebration to make it "theirs". And yes, we need something to lighten up this period of very short days and long nights. The Jewish Hanukkah celebration, the "festival of lights", is one source of inspiration.
It feels so right to celebrate the LIGHT, both in Nature, and from within: in the outer world the sunlight is slowly returning after the 21st of December, and inside us, we have the warm light of love, care, and understanding. Both are worthy of a proper celebration, when I light lots of candles, enjoy togetherness, and show extra generosity both to my beloved ones, and to people in need.
Happy Christmas, Light Feast, Winter Solstice or whatever you call it!
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