Holiday Season Poem



The end of the year contains so many amazing opportunities to come together.  This poem contains references to some of the events celebrated around that time.  

The Winter Solstice occurs when we are tilted at our furthest away from the Sun.  This makes our longest night of the year.  For centuries, people have celebrated this event.  Some people, such as the naturalist and Wicca,  still celebrate the solstice itself as a welcome of the returning Sun.  Certain cultures believed that the Sun was a wheel that rolled away and celebrated its turnaround at the Winter Solstice.  This was often done with fire, a symbol of the Sun.  Thus we have a Yule log, lights on the Christmas tree, Kwanzaa candles, etc.... Ancient cultures saw this as a sign of rebirth as the Sun was swinging back towards the Earth.  

In Buddhism, the Buddha found enlightenment after meditating under a ficus tree until he found peace and freedom from suffering.   This is celebrated in December.

Hanukah is a minor Jewish holiday.  It is called the Festival of Lights.  It is a celebration of the rededication of the Holy Temple after being reclaimed by the Maccabees in 139 BC, accompanied by a miracle of a one-day supply of oil for the alter fire lasting eight days.

In Christianity,  Christmas is celebrated to reflect the birth of Jesus, its messiah, who preached of love, forgiveness, and peace.  

Evergreens are often used as symbols during this time because when most other vegetation has turned brown or lost its leaves, these stay green and lush, a symbol of hope.

New Year's Eve and New Year's Day fall on December 31 and January 1 for those cultures using the Gregorian calendar.  Some traditions include gathering to count down until midnight, kiss someone at midnight, and sing Auld Lang Syne (In Scottish, this translates to "For the Old Times".  People often make resolutions (promises or goals to achieve in the next year).  A common New Year's meal in the American South is black-eyes peas (for luck), hog jowl (for prosperity and progress), and cabbage (for health and wealth, and sometimes this can be replaced with collard greens or mustard greens).  Some other cultures eat similar meals as well with similar symbolism.  

Every year represents a chance for us to grow, individually, as a community, and as a species.  Learning from the difficulties of the past year; continuing with the things that brought us joy, happiness, and love; setting aside disagreements and judgment and embracing and learning the differences among us; and sharing ourselves with others in meaningful ways all help us keep on track. A New Year is a great opportunity to reach out to old acquaintances and make some new ones.  

Here is the poem:

Solstice, Reborn

From the longest night
--Reborn
Like the Sun wheel’s log
--We burn
Until the third watch at the Bodhi ficus
Noble truths and the path to timeless
--and enlightenment
Spinning orbs set the tempo
Rededication of the temple
--eight lights lit

From the Eastern sky
--Star burns
In a small trough lies
--Peace born
A new age in the rising sun
Eternal hope to everyone
--and enlightenment
Passing lives set the tempo
Music roams and deep notes echo
-Our hearts’ imprint

10-9-8-7
Raise your glass
6-5-4
Sing of old times past
3-2-1
A hopeful kiss
Resolve to make it last


Cabbage, Hog jowl, and black-eyed peas
Communal meals with seconds please


Neighbors and strangers celebrate
No matter what your deal or faith
The longest night
Breeds new light
Memories
Like evergreens
Become love on New Year’s Day

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