Holiday Survivor: Reasons for the Season

The most intense concentration of winter holidays cluster in the six weeks between Thankgiving and New Years. They also center on the Winter Solstice, the day with least sun and most darkness for those of us in the northern hemisphere. Why do we gather now to celebrate our deepest religious convictions, express love and generosity, give thanks, and begin anew?

Winter is a season of challenge for life forms ranging from algae to alligators, hedgehogs to humans. Virtually the entire web of life depends upon the sun for energy, transformed by plants into food for animals and so on up the food chain. During the time of year that sun is most scarce, the living world has reason for collective concern. Our ancestors in the far north developed ceremonies that bid farewell to the sun and reminded it to return in spring. Even today, we know that mood can be affected by darkness and recent headlines declare that no one gets enough Vitamin D, the “sunshine vitamin in winter.

Outside of the tropics, winter is also a season of cold. Plants die or go dormant with freezing temperatures. Animals migrate or hibernate or shift their strategies to deal with lack of warmth and food. Humans layer on the clothes, crank up the heat, and make travel plans for Arizona, Florida, and the Caribbean.

It is no coincidence that we have generated traditions that generate festivity and celebration in mid-winter, when we need it most. This is just the right time to give thanks for our blessings,including the fruits of fall harvest. It is a perfect time to remember our most inspiring beliefs and to connect with our source of meaning and purpose. And, as the darkest day comes and goes, we are enlivened by optimism. The sunlight is returning...and we declare a New Year. Because we are a social species, we share these experiences of gratitude, faith, and renewal with those we love the most.

Last week you named three core holiday values--your personal reasons for the season. What worked well with actions you committed to take this week? What did you learn about the challenge of setting priorities and keeping promises to yourself? What three actions do you want to take next week? How will you strengthen the likelihood of success? Consider sharing your experiences here, in support of wellbuddies with similar challenges.

Until the next time, go well.

Pam