Witch Willows WanderingsMerry Yul-Eid-Christ-Kwan-Hanu-Bodhi Part2
December 6th 2006 19:57
So Bodhi is only 2 days away. What do they do to celebrate this holiday and why? Bodhi day is when Buddha achieved enlightenment. He left his family and everything in search for the meaning of life, especially for the meaning of its hardships. After not having any success with teachers, he decided to sit under a papal tree and after 8 days he realized that everyone suffers because of ignorance. But ignorance could be overcome by following the eightfold path that he advocated. So the Buddhists generally regard this day as the birth of Buddhism.
So how do they celebrate? They have what is called a Bodhi tree which is kind of like a fig tree. Some tend to use candles to use for reflection and flowers. As far as I can tell, they like to use the day to reflect and focus on the path of Buddha and it is also a time of reflection. Some countries have celebrations and nearly all Buddhists take part in personal worship and most in group worship as well.
Hanukkah begins on the 16th and it is celebrated by the Jews. Most people are mostly familiar with Hanukkah, but I will give some points on their celebration as well. What are they actually celebrating? Well, when Antiochus (king of Syria) conquered Judea in the 2nd century he terminated worship in the Temple and stole the sacred lamp (the menorah) from the altar. At around the time of the solstice they actually rededicated the Temple to a Pagan deity. Then Judah the Maccabee led a band of rebels and retook Jerusalem. Afterwards they restored the Temple and re-lit the menorah exactly 3 years after the flame had been extinguished. Even though they only had consecrated oil for it to burn 24 hours, the flames actually burned for 8 days straight.
So the menorah today has 9 candles, and the 9th is the light used to light the other 8. So what do they do for celebration? They like to eat potatoes latkes, play dreidel games, give gifts, and while focusing on the light of the menorah, they give thanks for the miracles that took place in the Temple.
Winter Solstice or Yule is celebrated on the 21st. This is a Pagan holiday, mostly wiccan and neo-pagan. This is a start of the solar year and a celebration of light and rebirth of the Sun. So how do us silly Pagans celebrate Yule? Naked. No, just kidding. Some will celebrate their rituals skyclad or nude, but most modern wiccans and neo-pagans do not. So what do we do? Do not limit celebration to one day, instead you should celebrate over several days by giving gifts and feasting. Decorate with sacred colors such as red, green and white. Decorate with fresh ivy, holly, evergreen boughs, and pine cones. Oh, and don’t forget the mistletoe! Most will get a tree of some sort and most will have a fresh tree, but I have resorted to fake trees. Not only because they are cleaner, but you also wouldn’t be “sacrificing” a tree for a short celebration time, plus pine needles are prickly and with little ones that can be trouble.
Don’t forget Santa! Yes, Santa with his magick and magical reindeer. Do I really have to relate Santa with Paganism? That’s and easy one. Don’t forget to honor the Goddess. Try placing images around the house of the Goddess and even the sun God. Have your own personal little ritual to honor the rebirth of the sun God and then don’t forget to give to the less fortunate by either donating time, food, clothing, presents, money, or all of them!
Next is Christmas. We all are aware of what happens with Christmas, but to be fair I’m going to touch on the subject. This was the supposed birth of Jesus. Scholars have now found that Jesus was probably born more toward the spring time, but why change things after all of this time? So Christmas in celebrated on the 25th in celebration of Jesus’ birth. We all should be aware of the nativity story, so I’m not going to tell it. So how do Christians celebrate? Well it depends on what kind of Christian you are. Some have midnight mass and some do not. Almost all attend church service Christmas morning, especially if there is no midnight mass. Most will get together with family and friends to eat and exchange presents. They also have a tree, either real or fake, and decorations of mistletoe and ivy. The traditional colors are the same, but the color scheme for Christmas is virtually unlimited now, as well as the decorations.
The day after Christmas is the beginning of Kwanzaa. This is a celebration of family, community, and culture that is vastly held by the African American community. Not all African Americans celebrate this event, but some do. This is the “first fruits” celebration and can be dated all the way back to ancient Egypt and Nubia. The actual name of Kwanzaa was established in the US in 1966 during the Black Freedom movement by Dr. Maulana Karenga. They use this celebration to restore end reaffirm their African heritage. And just a note, they do not see Kwanzaa as a religious holiday. It is seen as a cultural holiday. They celebrate with crops (Mazoo), the mat (Mkeka), the candle holder (muhindi), the 7 candles which symbolize the 7 principles that Africans are urged to live by (Mishumaa Saba), the Unity Cup (Kikombe cha Umoja), and the Gifts (Zawadi). They also have a Kwanzaa flag with the colors of black, red, and green. Most gifts that are given are for children and normally have to do with heritage. The last day of Kwanzaa (January 1st) is used as a day of meditation and reflection.
Finally, the last holiday is Eid ul-Adha on the 31st. This is the celebration of the end of Hajj, or the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. The “Festival of Sacrifice” is then followed by the “Feast of Sacrifice” and pays homage to the Prophet Abraham’s act of unselfishly sacrificing his son, Ishmael, to God. God decided to spare the boys life and instead substituted a sheep. So now they sacrifice a lamb, goat, or other animal in remembrance and give the meat to family and friends and even the poor. They also have prayer, gatherings, and traditional dress. In America they hold parties and give presents to the children.
So that’s just about it. There are so many cultures around the world and they each celebrate the holidays differently. But now you are more aware of how different and alternative religions tend to celebrate this time of year. Have a great holiday, no matter how you choose to celebrate it!
Blessed Be
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