Estimated reading time: 14 minutes
A toxic, hyper-commercialization of all our holidays has hollowed out their meaning; perhaps it’s time to reverse the trend
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It’s hard to imagine, but legend has it that the winter holiday season in America was once celebrated with “chestnuts roasting on an open fire” while Jack Frost nipped at your nose. Gifts and decorations, the legend continues, were simple, thoughtful, and hand-made.
Compare that image to the reality of the winter holidays in America today: an avalanche of plastic tinsel, factory-made ornaments, non-biodegradable glitter and wrapping paper; endless cookies and sugary desserts (including candy canes made with petroleum-based red-dye 40); jam-packed calendars full of social events and obligations; compulsive shopping and eating; and an abundance of alcohol to cope with all the chaos and stress.
Next up is Valentines’ Day, with more alcohol and obligatory shopping, garlands of red plastic hearts, flowers sprayed with pesticides, and heart-shaped sweets made with high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors and colors, and a litany of mysterious, unpronounceable ingredients.
Then comes St. Patrick’s Day, which may as well be renamed Let’s All Get Drunk Day. Our national St. Patty’s Day hangover has barely worn off by the time grocery stores start filling their shelves with plastic easter eggs, pastel-colored disposable decorations, jellybeans in all the colors of the chemical food dye rainbow, and various mass-produced stuffed-animal bunnies. And, of course, Peeps.
On July 4th we celebrate the Declaration of Independence and our country’s separation from Great Britain by buying mountains of red, white and blue decorations that make an appearance for a few hours before ending up in the trash bin. The day is marked by plenty of alcohol, of course — as well as by fireworks that leave metals, toxins, and harmful chemicals in the air for days.
Next up, Halloween — second only to Christmas as far as consumer spending goes, and #1 when it comes to poisoning our children with piles of candy from the cynical Big Food corporations.
Thanksgiving isn’t too bad, with its focus on family, gratitude, and a (theoretically) homemade feast, especially with our growing awareness of Indigenous people’s history and culture… However, any tradition that encourages eating and drinking until you have to unbutton your pants, and then lie on the couch bloated and moaning, might be worth revisiting.
Throw in a birthday and an anniversary here or there, complete with more presents, cake, and alcohol, and round-and-round goes the yearly wheel of toxic, hyper-commercialized holidays.
What happened? When did our once-sacred “holy-days” lose their sacred nature and become exercises in gluttony and compulsive consumerism?
Long, long ago, our holidays, celebrations and traditions were expressions of a deep and sacred wisdom—a wisdom that reflected our timeless connection with the natural world, an awareness of and reverence for our place in the cosmos, and a desire to commune with the Infinite. Multi-colored Peeps weren’t missed.
We’ve lost sight of the fact that holidays can be far more than taking a (much needed!) day off from work or school. Our traditions can inform our culture by reminding us of our shared beliefs and cherished values. They have the potential to revivify what is most important and sacred in this life.
Of course, modern holidays are a disturbingly accurate reflection of the things our culture prioritizes. While there is little chance that mainstream culture will turn away from the deafening allure of consumerism any time soon, that doesn’t mean we all have to follow suit.
The following are suggestions for reimagining our way through the calendar year. We can replace our hyper-commercialized holiday traditions with rituals that joyfully draw our attention to the rhythm of seasons, the movement of the cosmos, the ancient wisdom of our ancestors, and our connection to the sacred… the Divine.
WINTER HOLIDAYS
Let’s start with an alternative to the hollow, materialistic mania that now marks the winter holidays. Long before the eruption of compulsive gift buying and LED lawn decorations — in fact, as far back as we can peer into human history — cultures around the world have celebrated the winter solstice, honoring the culmination of darkness and anticipating the return of the light.
Dating all the way back to prehistoric times (think Stonehenge and Newgrange), humans have identified the time of the winter solstice as a uniquely potent, and even supernatural, season: a time when the veil or boundary between the realm of spirit and the human world disappears, and the sun — and therefore time itself — appears to stand still.
If we follow our ancestors’ lead and look to what Nature is doing at this time, we see that trees have dropped their leaves, animals are hibernating or otherwise conserving energy, and plants and grasses have receded back into the Earth.
Everything is drawing energy inward. This is a time to dive into one’s inner world, to pause, rest, reflect and replenish.
Imagine all of humanity slowing down for the winter holidays, reflecting on the year gone by and pivoting to receive Divine guidance for the year ahead.
Imagine all of humanity diving into the womb of winter to plant inspired dream-seeds in the fertile soil of the darkness. Imagine all of humanity discovering through this winter window of magic their own co-creative power and magnificence.
The ancient pagan practice known as The 13 Holy Nights can serve as a helpful guide in this process. This practice consists of a 13-day dive into the “radiant darkness,” with each day corresponding to a month in the new year (with the exception of the first day, which corresponds to the entire year to come). It encourages us to set aside 13 days to be present to, and to consciously co-create with the Mystery.
For more details on this practice, visit 13holynightsoracle.com/13hn.
LOVE EACH OTHER
Shortly after emerging from the cave of the Holy Nights, we are greeted by Valentine’s Day. What if we transformed this highly commercialized holiday into an opportunity to simply celebrate Love à la carte — that is, Love without all the shopping and sugar? What if, rather than spending money on store-bought gifts, cards, and sweets, we spent the day doing our best to simply fulfill the most fundamental teaching of all the world’s religions: Love each other. Love the one you’re with. Love thy neighbor as thyself. Love your enemies. Love your fellow beings.
Imagine all of humanity doing their very best to send loving kindness to every single being (human, animal, plant, or insect) they happen to cross paths with on this sacred day. Imagine a day dedicated to accepting our differences and acknowledging our underlying sameness. Imagine a day when we all did our best not to hurt each other. Imagine a day when all of humanity could simply lean into Love… could simply BE Love. I’m in.
Books to help us learn to Love better: The Purpose of Life, David Sunfellow; Learning to Love Yourself, Gay Hendricks
ST. PATTY’S DAY (SPRING EQUINOX DETOX?)
Ironically, the holiday that tends to most glorify excessive alcohol consumption happens to fall within a few days of the spring equinox — a time when the world’s oldest healing traditions, Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine, encourage cleansing practices to aide in the body’s detoxification.
According to these ancient systems of healing wisdom, spring correlates to the liver and gallbladder. These organs are responsible for breaking down poisonous substances (such as alcohol) and directing them out of the body. The spring season is therefore the perfect time to give our bodies and these organs of detoxification a break… and some much needed TLC.
What if all of humanity, on and around the time of the spring equinox, instead of doing our very best to poison the temples that house our souls, collectively took a day or a week to honor, purify, cleanse, and detox our bodies, hearts and minds — a complete spring cleaning?
And what if “cleansing” didn’t have to feel like a punishment or a set of depressing restrictions to be endured?
What if your “spring equinox detox” included treating yourself to a day at the local spa or hot springs, a deep tissue massage, a steam sauna, a spritz with your favorite essential oils, a nap, some good old fashioned sunshine, an evening of candlelight, 24 hours away from your phone/computer, a hike in your favorite nature preserve or forest, a walk on the beach, a plunge in the ocean, a day spent relaxing by a lake or river, a yoga class, a ritual burning of sage or palo santo, a good book on finding forgiveness, a table full of beautiful, organic, whole foods lovingly prepared to nourish the body and delight the senses? Imagine us all supporting and encouraging each other to take exquisite care of ourselves for one day, one week, or even three weeks. Yes, please!
EASTER RESURRECTION AND REBIRTH
While themes of fertility, rebirth and resurrection are at the heart of the Easter holiday, baskets crammed with fake grass, plastic eggs, waxy chocolate bunnies and other candies rule the hearts of our children on Easter Sunday.
What if, instead of filling our children’s Easter baskets with plastic and processed sugar, we filled them with packets of flower, herb and vegetable seeds, flower bulbs, and vegetable starts, and spent the day in the garden (or depending on your circumstances, potting some herbs for the kitchen window sill)? Digging in the garden, we might notice the many ways Nature spontaneously resurrects herself after a long, cold, dark winter. We might also take note of what happens to be budding inside of our own hearts and minds. We could intentionally take some time to identify and share with our friends, family, pets, and plants, or journal the desires and inspirations germinating within us.
Imagine a day spent noticing and acknowledging that just as Nature wakes from her slumber, humanity too is in process of awakening from a deep sleep. What if Easter was a day dedicated to exploring the nature of our own consciousness, a day dedicated to awakening our awareness to… itself. A day set aside to support and encourage the resurrection of our own awakened awareness.
Perhaps we would spend the day meditating alone or with others, deep in contemplation, in prayer or in conversations reflecting upon the divinely creative nature of human consciousness. This day of meditation and contemplation might be followed by a joyous celebration with friends and family in recognition of our own inner light. Namaste, Hallelujah, A’ho and Amen!
Here are a handful of my favorite authors whose books explore the nature of human consciousness: Lao Tzu, Adyashanti, Bruce Lipton, Lynne Mctaggart, Joe Dispenza, Neville Goddard, Florence Scovel Shinn, Kyriacos C. Markides, Michael A. Singer, Rudolf Steiner
INDEPENDENCE DAY
On July 4th Americans wear red, white and blue in celebration of our country’s independence and freedom. However, for many of us this celebration is overshadowed by the fact that corporate money and greed have infiltrated our government and politics, leaving us unwilling participants in a system that feels impossibly far from its original virtues.
What if, instead of waving plastic flags and drinking beer on Independence Day, we all made strides towards true independence and freedom for ourselves and for all of humanity? Imagine a day when we all took one, two or three action steps to liberate ourselves from the current sick and toxic power structures running our world?
Some ideas:
- Plant fruit trees, medicinal herbs and/or veggies in your yard
- Dive into a book or course on permaculture, food foresting, regenerative farming, and/or holistic land management (Restoration Agriculture by Mark Shepard is an inspiring read, and Allan Savory’s 2013 TED Talk, “How to fight desertification and reverse climate change,” never fails to fill me with hope for humanity and the planet)
- Plant native trees and plants for the bees and butterflies
- Study the medicinal uses of herbs (Rosemary Gladstar’s Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health is one of my favorite books on herbal medicine)
- Learn how to wild forage food and medicine
- Replace chemical cleaning and body care products with natural alternatives
- Get a compost system going and use it to fertilize your garden
- Develop a relationship with your local farmer/rancher
- Bike instead of driving
- Get off your phone, turn off your computer, throw out your television
- Delete your social media for a set period of time (or maybe forever)
- Get to know your neighbors
- Share resources with your neighbors rather than buying new
- Spend time in nature rather than other forms of entertainment (shopping, screens, alcohol, caffeine, sugar etc.)
- Sleep under the stars… get back in touch with the elements
- Support your local community and independent stores
- Shift your mindset: notice what is working rather than what isn’t
- Love yourself, Love your neighbor, Love your enemy
- Embody LOVE as the truest form of freedom!
Imagine a day dedicated to moving towards true independence and sovereignty for all of humanity — a day spent celebrating our individual authority over our own bodies, hearts and minds, free of all the toxic programming. A day spent leaning into local community and human cooperation over competition, division and “othering”. A day spent being the change we want to see in the world. Sign me up!
HALLOWEEN
In October, just after our kids have been corralled back indoors, we give them piles of candy to binge on while glorifying images of gore and horror. This is certainly more trick than treat — a trick that assaults and burdens their sensitive immune systems, growing bodies, and impressionable young minds.
What if, rather than poisoning our children’s bodies and perpetuating an unhealthy fear of death and darkness with twisted images of hellish nightmares, we celebrated autumn by respectfully approaching the theme of death and honoring our ancestors? As the last lingering evidence of the splendor of summer withers away, our minds might naturally turn towards pondering the cycle of life, the inevitability of death and decay in the realm of the physical, and that which lies beyond.
What if, much like the celebration of the Day of the Dead in Mexico or certain pagan traditions, we spent the day remembering and even communicating with our loved ones on the other side? We might create an altar full of offerings to our family and friends who have passed on. Filling the altar with photos, personal items and even favorite foods of the deceased could be a family affair, giving older generations the opportunity to reminisce and share stories and younger generations the chance to ask questions and become more familiar with their own family tree. By bringing the conversation of life after death into the home in this safe and sacred way, we might teach our children that death is merely a transition to a different state of being. We might teach our children that our ancestors and loved ones are here with us, now and always. We might explore the idea that ghosts are nothing to be feared, as the spirits of the dead are no different than the spirits of the living.
Perhaps rather than telling chilling stories intended to instill fear, we could read excerpts from near death experience books, thus learning from those who have actually crossed over to the other side and returned to share their astonishing experiences. (Dying to Be Me by Anita Moorjani is my personal favorite, but there are many books/websites/videos out there.)
Those who have died and come back consistently share that what they experienced on the other side felt infinitely more real and fundamental than their experience here on Earth in a physical body. Perhaps Halloween could be a day to approach this more real “reality,” one that is inevitably on the horizon for us all, with reverence and open curiosity. By acknowledging and approaching death in this sacred way, we might even be inspired to live more fully—with joy, purpose and immense gratitude for our time here.
THANKSGIVING
As I mentioned earlier, Thanksgiving isn’t doing too bad. We could all maybe lean into the theme of gratitude a little more intentionally, learn about and from the native cultures that once populated this land, and skip the third serving of pie… but otherwise, carry on!
FULL CIRCLE
And here we are, back at the beginning of the cycle, re-entering the season of darkness, the zero point of the year, the place where the presence and absence of all possibilities exist simultaneously.
Speaking of possibilities, that’s exactly what the aforementioned suggestions are: possibilities, ideas, a starting point. I invite you to reimagine your holidays, celebrations and traditions in a way that brings more depth, meaning, connection, well-being, inspiration, joy and love into your life. And remember: this doesn’t have to be done in an either/or, all-or-nothing manner. Shifting the texture of your holidays can be as gradual or abrupt as you would like. You might gently incorporate some new traditions to enrich what you already have in place; or, if you are entirely fed up with the current holiday trend, perhaps you are ready to wipe the slate clean and start fresh. I encourage you to play with this in a way that works for you and your family. May we all individually and collectively remember that which is most sacred.
You may also enjoy reading 13 Holy Nights: Reclaiming the True Magic of the Solstice Season, by Lara Day.
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