December is full of wonderful, magical holidays including Hanukkah, Milad un Nabi, Yule or Winter Solstice, and Kwanzaa. Many share the fundamental belief of either celebrating a miracle, harvest, the birth of a Messiah , Prophet, or sun-god. They very often involve feasts, gifts, celebrations, helping the poor, and giving to others. In the U.S. many feel there is a “war on Christmas” by saying Happy Holidays, but many don’t recognize or realize the fact there are many holidays in December not just Christmas. If they would just understand the basic premise and symbolism is related we could all just get along and enjoy the holiday season. But where is the fun in that for the naysayers. Why do we have to keep fighting instead of loving and accepting one another? Why does your religion or holiday have to be the only one?
So what is a witch or Pagan(or for that matter any other non-christian)religion to do especially when children or family love the secular Christmas. There are many ways as a parent or someone with Christian or even secular family you can work your magick. Your options are many… You can celebrate your holiday only, but attend family, school etc events, while educating them on your beliefs, holidays even others holidays. You could just celebrate your holiday however you choose without involving others. You could just celebrate the secular holiday. You could attend a UU church holiday festivities or develop some of your own that recognizes all the December holidays and celebrates them in some way. The options are vast even though sometimes we feel like we are in a corner.
In The Dragon’s Keep family we celebrate by sacrificing children just kidding had to lighten the mood so serious. Holidays should be about love and giving to each other, not fighting. Oh wait I get it fundamental Christian’s are like the youngest siblings everything has to be about them lol. I am just joking I love my Christian friends and family. Any who back on topic over the years Emerald and I have really developed our family’s celebration and we love it. Before starting the store, which takes up a lot of our Sundays we would attend North Parish UU Church in N. Andover. We would give back by helping with the giving tree and Project Bethlehem to benefit the Lazarus House a Christian organization that helps many in Lawrence Massachusetts, Rubywolf and I would sing in choir in multiple holiday celebrations, and we would attend and enjoy multiple services about various holidays. Throughout the season we would acknowledge and learn about other holidays including the story of Jesus, we even have a menorah. Princess Spitfire was even an angel in the nativity play at our UU church. For school when children are younger we would offer to come in to talk about our holiday. As, children get older and the schools ask for kids to do a project on holidays in home so we would do one on Yule or Winter Solstice. As a family we attend SEF PFC Yule and Rubywolf and Emerald attend teen/tween ritual. At home we celebrate both Yule/Winter Solstice and Christmas. The celebration of Christmas is more in a secular way and is mostly about the magick of Santa. For Yule the Holy King comes and brings us gifts we can use or magickal gifts. We have a small family ritual, then extended family comes for gifts and feast. For Christmas we make sure we give to those less fortunate. Santa comes, we have the awful Elf on Shelf (kicking myself on that one) and it is more toys,movies, and clothes. We are usually poop at this point so we try to stay home a recuperate ie order Chinese Food. So done cooking and baking at this point.
This has been a big evolution of our celebration in the beginning wanted to just celebrate Yule but our family had a kanipsh so we started with Yule as the smaller holiday, then it changed to equal but only could handle that for 1 or 2 years too much way too much. now for us Yule is the bigger holiday. Honestly you have to evaluate your beliefs and what is important to you and your family. My sanity could not handle celebrating all the holidays I tried one year instead we decided to recognize and honor them. Even doing a big Yule and Christmas was too much so how our holiday celebrations came to be.
Don’t forget check out The Dragon’s Keep for all your holiday needs. 20% off. Free site to store. Free Shipping $100 or over. We have Yule Cards and 2017 Calendars. Share with us how you have manage the craziness of December and how you celebrate your holidays. Can’t wait to hear from you.
