The Spirit of the Holidays

"Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind." ~Calvin Coolidge

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Except, if we are being perfectly honest, it’s not really all that wonderful, is it? It’s actually the coldest, darkest, bleakest time of the year. However, faced with a choice between succumbing to misery or rallying together to create warmth, connection and cheer, mankind has traditionally chosen the latter. 

Throughout human history, we have gathered together at this time for the sole purpose of keeping spirits high. Saturnalia, for example, was an ancient Roman festival dedicated to the god Saturn, celebrated around the winter solstice, which involved feasting and gift giving. Later on in their history, the Romans would celebrate the birth of Sol Invictus, the sun god. During this time, temples and public spaces were decorated with evergreen boughs, lights and wreaths, symbolizing life and the return of light during the dark winter months. The Yule festival, from the ancient Norse and Germanic people, also celebrated the return of the light and featured feasts, bonfires, evergreen decorations and gift giving.

Therefore, let’s not get too caught up in semantics when it comes to celebrating Christmas. The spirit of the Holidays comes to us from traditions that have been with us for thousands of years. What all these traditions have in common is that they celebrate the light during an otherwise dark time. Faced with a pervasive lack of warmth and light, we gather together to create our own. It’s tempting to just say “Bah, humbug!” to the whole thing and retreat into the comfort of your own solitude, however that would be missing the point. It isn't the cold weather or the lack of daylight that determines how enjoyable this time of year can be, it’s you!