Hallowed Days or Hollow Days?

Here they are again: those days where this group or that group tell their stories of their tribe. Some beautiful legends and images of light, liberation and love. For each tribe a comforting recycling of their ancient myths reminding them they are special (and their cafe sells the best, most sustainable beverage).

These "holydays" now drive economies of whole nations, with families, towns and companies dependent on the products and the cash generated by the Great Green (money) Machine. Since "holy" means set apart, pure and distinct, we now seem to have whole cultures of marketing the holy ("buy our products, they're like no other, spend, spend, spend").

Might some of us be dreaming of a post-sectarian way of enjoying the seasons of the year? Could there be ways of celebrating the light and joy and wonder of life across the planet without an annual emphasis on our own specialness ("we're number one," "our faith is number one," "our god is number one". . .)? Would this new approach gather people in every nation, from every tribe, to celebrate the good of our Common Home on Earth, telling stories of our Common Tribe? Is this simply a dream or an illusion, like a santa or a saint?

World Cafe could be a beginning, to present the ideas, the creativity, the unity across all boundaries, to pull down the walls in our minds (along with the decorations). Difference and diversity are wonderful. In fact, our uniqueness as a people of this continent or that region, this ethnicity or that language, gives us a powerful grounding to present our particular, peculiar contributions to bring to the ever-widening circle on the Great Circle spinning like an ornament in space. There are many mugs and many different drinks to raise in celebrating Life!

As one who was born on one "holyday"--Christmas Day--, one who felt for many years that that day among all days was the "holiest" and most blessed, I now love to climb a tree to celebrate life instead of cutting one down. It now seems much more fulfilling to walk in the forest or sit by a river and feel "blessed" to be alive and to enjoy, as all life on earth deserves, the beauty of Nature. What greater gift is there?

I wonder what others feel about a post-holydays holiday that is simply diverse gatherings in every land telling and singing and dancing the story of the whole human family (and wildlife too!) retold, season by season, year by year.

The Christmas Baby Blog