Which
holidays do I mean?
Here's a list.
;-)
Yule
/ Winter Solstice. Various dates, but generally around the 20th and
21st of December. It's when the shortest day of the year is.
This is a holiday that's been observed since ancient times. Thousands
of years, in fact. Trust somebody on this who's built a Sumerian
ziggurat, and can write in cuneiform.
;-) But if you won't take my word for it, ask somebody who studies
archaeoastronomy about Newgrange in Ireland, built back in 3000 B.C., or
Stonehenge, or Maeshowe, or Sun Dagger in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, or
hundreds of other artifacts and buildings.
Mithra's
birthday. December 25th.
Saturnalia:
December 18th - 25th. A Roman holiday.
Issac
Newton's birthday: December 25th.
Chanukah
/ Hanukkau (rededication): December 20th - 27th. The Jewish
Festival of Lights.
Kwanzaa.
December 26th - January 1st. Started a very long time ago to celebrate
harvests. Its name comes from the phrase matunda ya kwanza which
means the first fruits in Swahili.
Christmas:
December 25th. A christian holiday, started fairly recently in the
year 336 A.D. by an emperor named Constantine. Earlier christians
didn't want to celebrate his birthday because it would be sinful.
Nobody is really certain when this Jesus (pronounced "hey-zeus" by some,
and "gee-zush" by others) guy was born. Some say in April, others
in the fall.
Boxing
day: December 26th. A Canadian holiday.
No matter which holiday you're celebrating, I wish you a happy one.
:-)
Did
you know? Mistletoe is considered to be a symbol of the Norse goddess
of love, Frigga. :-)
May your
sorrows and pains be lessened for at least one day.
May joy and happiness
find its way into your heart.
May all your wishes
come true.
May the next year
be better than the last for you.
What
I wish for the world this holiday season:
World
peace. There's too much violence in the world. Too many people
are killed each day by hatred, greed, intolerance, or a thirst for power.
An end
to hunger for the entire world.
More
tolerance. Not just for the differences of another person's skin
color or religious belief, but also if they're different because of a birth
defect, or they're skinny, or over-weight, or even if they like different
music or wear clothes that mainstream society disapproves of.
An end
to disease.
Free
schooling, so everybody can learn as much as they want to.
How
to say Merry Christmas in different languages:
Because not everyone
can read English, I've written a list of phrases that should translate
into Merry Christmas for other languages. If there's errors, I'm
sorry, but I did my best.
Here's the page on
how to say Merry Christmas in different languages.
(I wrote this a few years ago, but thought it was worth saving)
Although
this isn't exactly up to my usual standards, and while some of you may
think I've gotten the Christmas spirit again (or have been drinking spiked
eggnog), I just wanted to create something special for you, the people
that I know in real life and on-line for Christmas.
The
preceding two years have been very hard on most of us, both emotionally
and financially, and we just don't seem to have any free time anymore for
the things we enjoy, but we try to keep ourselves smiling no matter how
painful life becomes. Frustrations from jobs, misunderstandings with
loved ones, hardships that life throws at you when yourself or someone
you care for falls victim to disease or an accident, all take their toll.
When such things happen, we should try to focus on what we have or if nothing
else, what we had, memories of happier times spent with those we've loved.
Times not so long ago when we felt that the world maybe wasn't as bad a
place as we thought it was.
During
this season, we should also bear in mind that no matter how hard it is
for us, for others, it may be still harder. You may think that I'm
talking about someone from another part of the world, but no. These
people live in your own community. Some may only be a little poorer
than you are, while others have no place to sleep at night, or they are
sleeping in dumpsters, cardboard boxes, or in alleys. Life is a struggle
for them, and surviving another day is a victory that may not be repeated
tomorrow.
This
year, maybe you can help them out a little bit. If you have an old
blanket or some old clothes that you can no longer wear, or have canned
goods just sitting in your kitchen that you're not likely to use, feel
free to donate them to a local charity that will distribute them to those
who are in desperate need of such items.
Still
want to do more for others on Christmas or you can't do the above for one
reason or another? How about this, then:
Find
five people who seem very down or have been hit hard by things in life
that you know on-line and make it your goal to help them out even if it's
just to get them to feel a little happier with a card or a few nice words in an e-mail.
If it's possible, spend a little time with them and try to cheer them up.
Sometimes just having someone to talk to means a lot to someone who has
no one else.
Another
on-line thing you can do, is to visit The
Hunger Site where you can click on the map thing and they'll donate
food to those who need it just for you clicking on it.
Finally,
don't play the 'blame game' with people, try to be understanding, a bit
more patient, and if possible, to be more tolerant of others. If
you love someone, by all means, tell them! You may think that they
know it or you don't have to say it to them, but by doing so, you'll give
them a bit more joy. Heck, how about some hugs and kisses?
If people can't deal with seeing you give such minor physical expressions
of your love for another in public, too bad!
In
addition to all the above, there's one more person you should help out:
Yourself! Be kind to yourself. Don't let things bring you down
that you have no control over. You do the best you're able and don't
worry about what you can't change. Stress isn't something you really
need and worrying constantly isn't good for you. Keep yourself safe.
Buckle up your seatbelts when you go out driving even if it's just a block
or so, and make sure others in the car do the same. If you drink,
don't drive! If for no other reason, think of those that love you
and how hurt they would be if you were taken from them, especially during
the holidays. If you're feeling overly depressed, try and talk it
over with someone. The holidays are a bit stressful, but by talking
with people who care, it should help you get through it better.
Hmm...
Gee, maybe if all of us did this kind of thing every day, we could start
a revolution of sorts. ;-)
Merry
Christmas, everybody! :-)
