fuyu: (unitarian universalism is my religion)
Lyssie ([personal profile] fuyu) wrote2005-12-24 09:11 pm

Ponderance of the holiday

(Only very slightly edited from my dA journal. XD)

I don't think I'm going to wish people a Merry Christmas any more.

Not because I hate the holiday season or anything, no, I'm pretty down with the December celebrations.

Not because I object to having a religion forced upon me. Come on, it's so secularized by now who cares? And I'm a Unitarian, my religion is all about being open.

Nah, it's because I really think I'd prefer to be wishing people a Happy Yule.

As said, I'm a Unitarian, not a pagan of any description. So it may seem odd for me to want to celebrate Yule. But from what I've read (which is admittedly not all that much, so I may be underinformed, but), 90% of what we do now for Christmas is old, old tradition from Yule. Holly? Mistletoe? Decoration of evergreens? Feasting? Heck, even the giving of gifts? Yule.

There's a reason Deck The Halls is my favorite carol - it sums up what I celebrate about the season, and what it seems old Yule was basically about: the year ending and moving on. Sure, it's dark and cold out now. Sure, the leaves are off the trees and nothing's blooming. Sure, it's a little bleak and scary. But, hey! It won't last much longer. Now the days will just get longer and longer, and they'll get just a little bit warmer, and then a little bit more. Before you know it, it'll be spring again! So, in the meantime, let's light a fire, have some good food, and find something to laugh about. Let's share what we've got, let's kiss under the mistletoe, and let's find a way to be happy.

When I celebrate in December, I just kind of set religion aside and enjoy what's going on. Look, lights! Look, you can see your breath now! Around here, the oranges ripen in December! There's a pretty little tree on my coffee table, and I decorated it myself! Food, drink, and general merriment! Holiday shopping isn't so bad if you get it out of the way early. The year's ending, and it may be cold and dark, and people may be stupid, and things may be going wrong, but we can light everything up, inside and out, literally and metaphorically, if only for a couple of days. Maybe the light won't reach everywhere. But isn't a little bit of light better than none at all? Isn't it worth trying? Isn't it worth setting aside whatever squabbles we might have and just enjoying ourselves? It's Yuletide.

So I'm not going to wish people a Merry Christmas. Maybe that's what my mouth will be saying, whether out of reflex or just not wanting to explain. But inside I won't be hailing the birth of a savior I can't quite believe in; inside I'll be thinking of that specific person I'm talking to, and thinking, May you be happy. May you light a fire in the cold and dark, and may you find a place to be warm, and safe, and happy. Sometimes things are bad, but the sun will come back. May you somehow, someway, find a reason to be joyous this December and ever after. Happy Yule.