DIY: Making Christmas yours

Stonehenge at winter solstice, crystalinks

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Christmas is a religious and cultural celebration practiced by billions of people around the world. With the proliferation of advertising and emphasis on buying, many feel that the true meaning of Christmas has been lost. But what is the true meaning?

Christians believe that Christmas is the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus, a story familiar to many of us. As you may know, during this time of year many cultures, old and newer, celebrate their own beliefs, often centered on the winter solstice (December 21-22). Christianity is not the only religion/belief system to have rich traditions centered here.

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The Nativity by Le Nain, Fine Art America

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Focusing on the winter solstice, modern German-speaking areas and other Northern European countries celebrate Yule, which was a pagan religious festival. There is also Yalda, an Iranian winter festival; Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights; and a Wiccan practice merging Christian and Paganism. Caroline Oakes, blogging at the Huffington Post, has written an interesting piece titled "Winter Solstice: Discovering New Meaning of Advent Through Ancient Pagan Practice."

Atheists, chosing to sidestep the religious trappings of Christmas and the unknowns of a God viewed as unpredictable and without reason, have initiated Human Light, a new godless tradition. Contrary to popular belief, atheism has its own tradition and tenets. According to Patrick Colucci, the vice-chair of the Human Light committee:

“Human Light illuminates a positive, secular vision of a happy, just and peaceful future for our world, a future which humanity can build by working together, drawing on the best of our capacities.”

My own reverence for the winter solstice and Christmas are fairly well explained by Mark & Angela Pritchard at Belsebuub (not loving the site's name) in "The Spiritual Meaning of the Winter Solstice."

-- Marge