HOLIDAYS IN SANCTUARY

I'm big on Traditions. I look forward to decorating the house, to people coming back or coming home, to doing things together for once, to the thought (and planning!) that goes into surprises, gifts that mean something, and making memories.

I like mini-lights. I like dressing up. I like costumes. I like themed music or TV shows (more the music than some of the TV shows lately, though). I like special food you don't get the rest of the year. I like cards and flowers and mylar bows, which I tend to put on my head.

And, sure, I like gifts; who doesn't? But, some of my favorites either were handmade, didn't cost much, or weren't even THINGS (they were something someone did, or we did together). And, some fun holidays are not even about presents, such as St. Patrick's Day or Fourth of July.

Human beings, in general (and Americans are especially bad about this!) have this habit of doing something year after year, eventually by rote, until they have long forgotten why, like little holiday lemmings. They will defend a tradition vehemently but ask them where it comes from and they shrug.

Some people do not understand the big deal. They only see that they want to have a party with Hallmark decorations, or an excuse to drink or buy things. They do not stop to realize that their indifference says "I could care less why this day was important to a bunch of dead people I didn't even know. I just want what I want."

Also, (and this applies strongly to Americans as well) we have a tendency to commercialize things far too much. We insist on every holiday possible having color codes and graphic symbols and Hallmark cards and store displays and shopping ideas and party trays. It's kind of sickening to me to see Christmas stuff up in the grocery store before Halloween, which is what happened in 2005. I was outraged.

I don't think that is a good way to be, even if what we do is centuries old. Such things have meaning, and they became what they are for a reason. Those reasons shouldn't be lost or ignored. It isn't that I don't get that traditions change, but it's important to think about WHY they are changing. Is it a truly meaningful reason, or is it because you are too lazy or indifferent to think about why it had or has meaning for others, what they went through to create this celebration or commemoration?

So, the purpose of this web page, is that it is my way of restoring some meaning to certain Holidays we celebrate, in hopes that knowing their history and significance will shift the way we acknowledge them so that their meaning is more in keeping with their original purposes. It is also to try and discourage the commercialized aspects of the holidays by replacing it with more emphasis on their meaning.

JULY

Fourth of July / Independence Day (4th)

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

Autumn Equinox

Grandparent's Day

Labor Day

Patriot Day

OCTOBER

Columbus Day

Halloween / Samhain

NOVEMBER