AUTHOR MUSINGS
Some words of wisdom
I was thinking about Christmas 21th Dec 2020
Not unusual at this time of year, but my thinking is not what presents to buy, what decorations to dig out from storage, what tree to cover in tinsel and lights but rather what does Christmas mean to me?
I am not religious and have no right to celebrate the birth of a man who many proclaim was the son of a god I don’t believe in.
I am not a fan of consumerism. We humans are squandering the precious resources of our world, buying for the sake of buying, wrapping presents, and then throwing the paper away. One use of a precious tree. And it bothers me.
I want to understand, to make sense, of my need to partake in this festive season.
Over the past few years, I have become aware of my need to be in nature, how it lifts my spirits and fills me with joy. How it brings back that pure awe and wonder of childhood. I immerse myself through cycling and forest gardening, listening, watching and being. I’m inspired and thrilled by winter weather. The wild wind, sparkling frosts, white snow, blankets of storm grey clouds, the light blue skies, the precious days of sunshine, the pouring rain which makes inside cosy, the misty mornings, and the memories of hot summer days. I think of what it must have been like for our ancestors to live without the knowledge of nature we have now. To wonder why the moon shrunk and grew, what the lights in the sky were, why the days became shorter and wondering if the life-giving sun would ever return.
And that brings me to the winter solstice, the shortest daylight hours in the year in the northern hemisphere, when, for a brief moment, the north pole is at its furthest point from the sun and the night is long.
It is on the twenty-first of December this year (2020) and at midday it will seem like the sun takes a moment, a slight pause, before continuing across the sky.
The winter solstice was noticeable to our ancestors, and it became a symbol of rebirth and hope as the days would become longer and the power of the sun return to warm the soil for crops to grow.
Many superstitions and traditions grew as people tried to understand what was happening, to make sense of the world around them, to give them the strength to carry on through hard times ahead, often called the months of famine as nothing would grow and stored food would spoil or be eaten by mice.
Many of these traditions have survived and are symbolised by the food we eat, the stories we tell, the characters that have arisen, the giving of presents at Christmas.
Traditions have blurred together as people travelled and mixed, cultures and races intermingling until their original meaning has been lost and new meanings superimposed.
I wander for a while in the tales of the past, in the origins of many of our Christmas traditions and I am inspired to write a poem to those who began the winter solstice celebrations from necessity.
THE SUN STANDS STILL
The sun pauses in the midday sky,
Daylight fleeting and darkness long,
Reason enough for candles and fires.
Carry in a yule log to burn for twelve days,
Feast on the animals you can no longer feed,
Make cakes from the berries and flour that will perish,
Use the last of the honey to keep energy levels high.
Dance and sing around fires to keep warm,
And scare away the darkness that lingers without.
Be charitable to ward off the darkness that lingers within.
Bring life into the home,
Green branches, red berries,
Reminders of the brighter days to come.
Look to the skies,
Is Odin flying on his eight-legged horse?
Look to the woods,
Is grumpy Pelznickel trudging through the snow with gifts in the sack on his back?
Tighten you belts for the months of famine arrive.
But for now,
Feast and rejoice,
For the days will lengthen and Spring will arrive.
Where has my thinking and exploration of Christmas or Winter Solstice origins led me? Has it answered my question of what Christmas means to me?
It has. I love the idea of sharing something with my ancestors without harming the world I live in now. I may not be a Roman, a Celt, a Pagan, a Scandinavian… or I may be a little of them all. I may not be religious or feel the need to follow every tradition, but I love the idea that at this time of the year people stop and think of others and bring love and light into their homes.
I understand that whatever this time of year is called, Christmas, Winter solstice, Mid-Winter celebration…for me it is about –
Connecting with family wherever they are in this beautiful world.
Thinking about loved ones and what will help them smile if the sun is not shining, what will occupy their minds so there is no room for doubt or worry, what will comfort them if they are sad.
Creating pictures and words that shine and twinkle and ward off the darkness, if only for a moment.
Celebrating our incredible planet, the sun, and the longer days to come.
Brightening the pathway of a neighbour returning home after a day’s work by hanging solar-powered lights in a living tree.
Enjoying a special meal in thanks for the abundance we have despite the time of year.
And I hope you have a wonderful celebration wherever you are and whatever you believe in.
Copyright © 2020 Jenni Clarke Author. All Rights Reserved