Studio8 - Uniting the Arts

Nature takes no holidays, no vacations, no weekends off. Neither does the life that surrounds us, nourishing us with our much needed sustenance. It's only we humans that celebrate various events in our lives. It's as much of our life as all other things human.

I was looking over the month of December and noted -

December 12th - Hanukkah begins
December 18th - Islamic New Year
December 19th - Hanukkah ends
December 21st - Winter Solstice (Sun enters Capricorn)
December 24th - Christmas Eve
December 25th - Christmas Day
December 26th - Kwanzaa begins
December 31st - New Years Eve

These eight days are highlighted in red on our calendar as being specific days for certain cultural celebrations, depending upon our cultural upbringing. But I could question the importance of the 21st... until it occurred to me this calendar is the Llewellyn Astrological Calendar. That certainly explains the significance of the Winter Solstice when the Sun enters Capricorn. What good astrological (or astronomical) calendar would neglect such a heavenly event such as that? This calendar also shows December's phases of the Moon - Full Moon on the 2nd, 4th quarter on the 8th, the New Moon of the 16th (a good to to begin something new in one's life), while the 24th will be he 2 quarter moon. Then once again this month, on New Years Eve, the 31st, our moon will once again become full... twice in one month, which I think is referred to as a Harvest Moon.

Calendars as an age old method of keeping track of daily, weekly and monthly time throughout any given year, are also useful for reminders of birthdays, anniversaries, special National holidays (we enjoy those free days off from work), and even when people close to us have passed on. Our calendar for December has such an event marked on the 14th, "Ozzie died 1991." If it wasn't for this notation, SooZen and I would never have remembered the anniversary of our friend Osmundo's passing from AIDs in Seattle 18 years ago. Or we might not remember James birthday on the 28th or the birthday of Autumn on the 31st.

Calendars are part of our means of celebration as they mark those occasions that are predominantly part of the cultural aspects of the society in which the calendar is used.

The passing of time, marked by celestial events that have been as regular as clockwork for most of man's time on our planet, also indicate our seasons of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter... about as close to a vacation as Nature indulges in, depending upon what part of the world we live in, of course. But the seasons provide much of the flora and fauna with their own vacation time from providing for their survival, which is most productive during the season which is rich in weather conditions to produce abundance in food for survival.

But it is we, the hu'man, which indulges in the act of celebration which is unknown as we know it, with the rest of life we share the world with. We will celebrate at the drop of the proverbial hat, given the chance. It seems to be something that Nature has provided us with, this desire to relax, laugh, love and simply enjoy whatever it is that brings these emotions tend to do. And when we learned to make beer and wine and when we learned of various herbs of plants that alter of perceptions and normal way of thinking, all these are provided by Nature in one form or another. We use these things as adjuncts to our celebrations for many events and occasions and have been for as long as mankind knew about such things. It's a very normal thing for us to do.

It's good that we have given ourselves at least one month, December (if we're in the Northern Hemisphere), to take advantage of the seasonal change to indulge in celebrations, as most folks in the Northern Hemisphere has been prone to do. Many, if not most, of man's dates for celebration during this season have spread out across the globe to continue the celebration or become part of the customs of the location. No matter, the joy of celebration does not necessitate much of an occasion to simply enjoy being... being with others and/or being one's Self without question, concern or doubt... celebrating that freedom of joy, of expression, from the inescapable reality which we all deal with daily most of our lives for the sake of life itself.

Celebration is our temporal escape from this life of impermanence, from dis-ease and desire. Is it any wonder why mankind celebrates? We actually need this to dissipate the seriousness and joylessness that life must bring us from time to time.


cecil
13 december 2009

gracias Cecil for the stream & the beautiful tree!

saludos,

Arcadia

Gracias, amiga mia. Glad you enjoyed the Stream and the tree next to it.

Tiene un dia buena!

Great tree Cecil......Celebrations ...some brought by nature and others invented....As much as I love a good party, I find myself becoming more mindful of just what it is I'm celebrating...Christmas has always been tricky for me.......

Thanx, Kurt... the tree was planted last year and grew quite a bit over the year to where it is now.

For more years than I can recall I've chosen to 'submit' to Christmas and the season it represents on that very day... I do feel a peacefulness in the air and embrace the smiles on so many people's faces... especially the children, who own Christmas and share it happily with us. We do learn from it if we are open enough.

Enjoyed it, as always Cecil. Thanks, and Happy Holidays to all.

“Holiday” derived from ‘holy day,’ makes me wonder why one day becomes holy and another not so. Shouldn’t they all be? Maybe, holidays are intended to remind us of what we may have forgotten; that we should count all of our few allotted days as holy, and celebration worthy.

Shakespeare knew how to celebrate:

”Come, woo me, woo me; for now I am in a holiday humour,
And like enough to consent.”

NS (Naturally Seducible)

Glad you enjoyed the Stream. As the seasonal celebrations arrive this month, I was inspired to write this. May the infectious spirit of holly-daze amuse you and yours.

NS: "... makes me wonder why one day becomes holy and another not so. Shouldn’t they all be?"

If all our days should become holy and celebrous, when would we find time to sleep off our hangovers and rid ourselves of annoying headaches from excessive behavior?

Shakespeare... whadda party animal he was, eh? He certainly gave words their worth, not to mention the inspiration he must have given... (i'll refrain... this time)

Nice, mt! I did a little circle dance around your gorgeous Christmas tree! Purdy! Thanks for sharing it with me.

Merry holidays to you, Cec, and lovely Soozen, and all your wonderful family. And to everyone else who happens to read here!

HAPPY HAPPY TO ALL! And Jingle Bells too!

*hug*

Howdy-ho! mousey-one!! good to see you (nice picture, girl ).

Thx for the dance around the tree... not many have the size for doing that. in case you didn't notice, the tree is an artificial one so that means I can put it back up next year. will you dance around again, if I do?

don't stay away so long, friend... you are missed around here.

Awww, thank you, mt. I try not to stay away but I'm a lazy mouse with the words these days. Dabbling and babbling here and there and then a return to the corner for further thought and silent musing.

I shall of course always dance merrily 'round such a beautiful tree as you have erected here so welcoming and for the usual quieting of mind and inspirational thought.