“Did I mention I’ve never celebrated a holiday?” My friend’s religion doesn’t allow it.
This year, she ate turkey with someone–eating turkey around a fancy table seemed odd. I told her not to panic. It’s just a dead bird, after all–think of it as a frugal thing. It’s on sale. I bought three and I don’t even eat meat.
Americans sacrifice the birds to the god of football, then we move on to buying gifts so we can get presents for someone else’s birthday. Black Friday should be called Red and Green Day, because those are Jesus’ colors. I checked his Alma Mater.
I love the smell of the Thanksgiving turkey wafting through the air. I don’t tell anyone because I’d get kicked out of the vegetarian inner circle. When I was Declan’s age we’d gather around the dead bird and eat the crispy bacon off the top while the chief matriarch would chase everyone away. Then we’d pilfer olives from the relish tray.
I always wondered why we couldn’t have more than one can of olives. Maybe we were still poor.
I can’t give my friend a good answer for why we have turkey, since the colonists had venison. I don’t cook the turkey anymore because I refuse to cook the guts. I throw them out. Sticking my hand into a hollow carcass pulling out livers, kidneys, and hearts gives me biology class flashbacks. I got fired from the top spot in the kitchen for gut refusal. That makes for a restful day.
I could skip Turkey Day entirely unless they changed it to Tofu Day, but waking up on Christmas with no tree, no presents, no yuletide caroling, no Scrooge…no…egg nog?
My friend’s no holiday stance is entirely correct. Why should we get gifts for someone else’s birthday when we should be saying prayers of gratitude directly to God in any religion? It makes perfect sense, but as a holiday addict, I can’t give up the sights, sounds, and smells of each one.
I’d like to skip the mad rush and greed, though, and focus on the gratitude.
All religions can come together on Christmas. I’m not trying to say the Christians get to win on this one, but even my Jewish and Hindu friends have Pandora Christmas on their radio and trees in their homes. Christmas is only one day–that makes it easier schedule in than eight days of Hanukkah and no one appropriates Ramadan because it’s too darned hard–a person has to be truly holy to keep it right. I’m inspired by my Ramadan keeping friends, and want to be a better person watching them.
Maybe, though, we can just have Christmas dinner together and celebrate the gratitude and joy in our hearts, each one of us being thankful for the universe, and the gifts of love and friendship it brings. And for the better among us, some God wouldn’t hurt either.
It’s Cyber Monday. My email is full of sales, TV shows have snippets of content that fill up the space between Christmas commercials. I tip my hat to Madison 5th Avenue who invented this season. I, too, watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade–twice, each balloon bringing back memories. After the parade we’d make our Santa lists and wonder if we’d been good enough for him to come.
We’d fought. We didn’t listen the first time. We didn’t clean our room…We were nervous. He could skip us. We thought he’d bring coal, but no one gets coal these days–there’s an energy crisis. The good kids get coal.
Holidays are a time to take a break from the day-to-day. Sure, we’ve bastardized Thanksgiving, inventing a history book story for our children where Pilgrims feast with their hosts over a Butterball turkey. We hang pine, put up trees, and sing about Yule logs stolen from other cultures during Roman conquest. We invent new holidays like Cyber Monday to support the economy during American Consumer Christmas.
My friend who hasn’t celebrated a holiday is on the moral high road here. She’s going to heaven first. I hope she holds the door open for me, though, because I love the scent of pine, the burning of candles, the songs and smells of the season.
Yes, we’ve hijacked Jesus’ birthday, and show no signs of ransoming it soon. It’s so easy to do. Don’t forget to log onto any website now for a 20-50% off coupon or Amazon your season today. You’ll be saving money and doing your civic duty spurring the economy.
America thanks you. But you’ll have to give thanks to God yourself.
Have a safe and blessed Cyber Monday, but if you forget anything, don’t worry–Forgot it Friday’s coming later this week.
Good writing, Dawn..so good it moved me to respond-well, I almost always do. I get everything you’re saying; and after my divorce nothing seemed important anymore-I didn’t want to celebrate anything. It’s a spiritual thing though-even when we don’t know it or feel it.
Starting from Halloween, I’d be like, “I’m not getting a pumpkin to carve, my kids are all gone.” But, even with that, the spirit would come upon me and I’d buy a Jack-O-Lantern, and feel happy about it-and it brings others smiles.
Thanksgiving too I was cynical, but getting together with family members always lifted my spirits; and I’d come home feeling so much better and happier. I needed it, even when I didn’t think I did.
Then we come to Christmas-not much fun anymore when you live alone-and no one’s in town. I wouldn’t want to do anything; and again, that “Spirit” would come over me, and I’d pull out some decorations, or be moved to buy a gift or two right after Thanksgiving-and I hate all that madness! But with every step of the way, I’d feel more like giving-and come out of myself.
For me, it’s my true love of Jesus, and God’s people, that I do it for them. I still think thoughts (since i’m poor now),” well, what can I get them-they all do well and so much better than me.” But then my creative mind takes over-and love more-so, and I’m into the Spirit of the Season.
It’s the Kindergarten of Christianity in a way…we hope that by giving to the children, that as they grow, they want to think of others and give also. And hopefully as they/we mature, we implement it into our lives all year through-for whomever God puts in our path. This is how we plant those seeds, and spread the Love of God.
You probably know a lot of this; and I guess what I’m trying to say is that we should do what our heart moves us to do-ignore all of the craziness-but enjoy what we can of the world is presenting. Lights bring joy, Christmas trees are awesome to meditate on, and so on.
If I think of all that goes on just in our country due to progress, I want to move out and live in the forests of Canada or somewhere! So, it isn’t wrong to get involved in the outer festivities, just try with the rest of us to keep it balanced and keep it simple. I like to live by, “Live Simply, So Others Might Live”.
Hope I was clear. Love, Chris
That was beautiful, Chris:) Yes, it is hard when everyone’s spread all over.
What I’ve always loved about you, besides your beautiful giving spirit, is that you can take a dust ball and make it into art. I wished I could sew and create. I’m knitting scarves during hallway duty these days. It’s a conversation starter with the teens in the hall, and a somewhat lost art.
I’m happy you’re enjoying the blog:)
Thank you Dawn. You’re right about knitting being a conversation starter-I’ve had the same experience when I bring my to medical appt’s. or the like. I really do enjoy your writing-you write so much “food for thought”-and I love your sense of humor! You could sew-it does take time and space-maybe when Declan is older. You should see some of the projects of people who never sewed before-it’s just a matter of following directions and determination. Anyway, thanks for writing back. Have a good rest-of-the-week!