Okay, I'm not going to hold back on this one. Although I am all about celebrating life, in celebrating family and community. And although I do have some good memories of Christmas, I can not ignore the fact, that there is just so much waste tied in with Christmas. Waste and pain. Where the act of coming together, has been hijacked by the desire to out spend one another. To really show how much you care! For some, it's an opportunity to display their sucess, their wealth.
I'm not a religious person. I was born into a Catholic family, but once I left home, I finally took the last step out of it. A step that brought me closer to myself. I guess it helps, that I have always felt connected to nature, a part of it. Something that we should take pride in. Something, that we should be protecting. But instead, some of us have forgotten who we are. Have forgotten, what really matters.
Because it sure as hell, isn't in all the stuff people buy. That shouldn't be, how we express our love to others. I know that that is how we have been programmed. We can just buy stuff, instead of facing how we really feel. Buy so much and you don't even have to feel anymore, if you dont want to that is. All that stuff, is also great for hiding behind.
Don't get me wrong, I buy gifts for Solstice, I do sometimes like to express myself, my gratitude by giving someone a gift. But I choose it wisely. Sometimes I make it. But really its not things, that we need the most right now. We really need to put our focus more, on what really matters in life.
Our well being, how we can ensure the well being of each other, of nature, of all other being. That is something worth celebrating.
But instead, we see a world that is disconnected. Where peoples attachment to things, comes before their attach to other beings. Where we have learnt to fear one another, to feel threaten by others, instead of celebrating them. A world where we haven been programmed to consume and not think about where or how, the many things we buy have come about. Unconscious buyers. Not thinking of the consequences of our lifestyles.
Yes, yes, people like to give. They like to give presents, but what exactly are they giving. What she parents showing their children. Only what there parents showed them. And so the consumerism cycle continues.
The core values of this celebration have been buried, by the demands of the media. If you own a T.V, you are constantly being reminded, about the importance of buying for others. Told how it is, a wonderful display of your love, of your affection. For what tells someone, you've been thinking of them, more than the latest iPhone. Oh this materialistic world, that we live in. How, it has sunk it's claws into Christmas. Turning it into a commercial celebration.
So I celebrate Solstice, the longest night, shortest day. The changing of the seasons, which in turn change us. Reflecting on what I have done, what I have learned. Expressing my gratitude, being of service. Honouring my connection to nature, my conection to those beings, who are in my life. That is what matters most to me.
How we decorate our trees, for the return of the sun.
I could NOT agree more with this and I'll prob do my own rant in a minute 😂😂
I look forward to reading yours xxx
Christmas was the start of a big big wave of depression for me. Just coming up for air now. Just.
True and wise words. Solstice is a nark of the new beginning, the original new year's holiday. Christmas is just a commercial stunt.
Have a happy solstice and experience many positive changes 😂❤️
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Happy Solstice to you @ervin-lemark xxx
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I couldn't have said it better and I agree completely. I was hoping someone would have the fortitude to call it what it is.
There are so many more and better reasons to celebrate, one you mentioned.
Thanks for taking the time.
Thanks for creating the opportunity for me to share my views. I hope any will find their way back to what really matters xxx
🙂
I happened to find some bags of cut grass so I was spreading them as mulch for the garden and felt like I was Santa. Even said a Ho Ho Ho for giggles. It was a nice reconciliation of Nature and xmas 😂
I love it, the mulch santa. Happy holidays @fenngen xxx
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Keep Up the good work on Hive ♦️
Greetings! It makes me happy to meet you through this writing, because it is one of the most accurate I have read. I am from a Catholic family and I have the habit of practicing Christmas with all its traditions, but at home we have never given much importance to the material, gifts usually arrive at any time of the year and in these days we always gathered to sing to God and to have a good time at home.
The mourning has brought a new perspective to our lives, and now I see more clearly many of the things you say here, no matter what you call this season of late December, but I will always consider it a time to reflect and make changes, because the energy of most people is focused on that. Thank you for this post, I needed to read it, I send you a hug ✌️
Thank you @jesuslnrs for sharing your reflections. Wishing you a wonderful festive season xxx
I feel you! I haven't celebrated Christmas in almost 10 years, since leaving my home country, at first I had a lot of anger surrounding the wastefulness and superficiality of it all. Since maybe 5 years ago my partner and I began to celebrate solstice and the wheel of the year, and since we have become sedentary we celebrate with others which has become a very magical tradition. This year I actually bought gifts for my parents who opened them on Christmas, all wrapped in recycled papers and handmade little gifts like candles and tinctures. So I feel like this is the first year I am healing some of my issues with Christmas and bringing in what I feel is the nice aspect; expressing gratitude for people and the seasons.