A Pagan Version of Christmas in America

It is one of the unfortunate truths of the season, that before the American Thanksgiving holiday is over, arguments about "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" ensue. I am ridiculously lucky because, although my family does celebrate in some (and ironically contrasting) ways, I have been raised that December is more than just a celebration of any one Religion, but it is the Ultimate Family Reunion:

All over the world, people gather together to participate in particular events together; to eat special foods together; to share wonderful memories of days past, loved ones gone on, and how to make future ones even better. Excuse me, but "Christmas" is THE Family Holiday.

From the time I was little, Grandpa went out of his way to make Christmas about celebrating family, just as hard as Grandma worked to actually celebrate it! Everything centered around a Christmas Eve gathering, where children got to practice their manners, stories were told even as funnier ones were made, and peace settled on our souls.

As the family grew we discovered that the date of these gatherings was completely un-important. Grandma and Grandpa's house was always the preferred location, but we learned that North Carolina served every bit as well as Ohio. Even the players in the drama could change, but as other families shared our holiday traditions, they began to carry them to other places as well. The traditions have grown over time and place, but they all started off very simply:

No matter how much planning parents do, there always seems too much left to do and too little time between the kids going to bed and Santa arriving. After observing many a child battle with being able to stay both dressed up and awake, the decision was made to not only dress them up, but to stuff their bellies as well. Pay careful attention! For best results, your dinner MUST include: Turkey (as if you couldn't guess) AND ham (because some of the visitors would be committing cannibalism otherwise!) REAL mashed potatoes (lumps included-real butter, pepper & salt-nice & simple!) Make some gravy from the turkey droppings, but you'll also need creamed corn for those who prefer it for ladling over their potatoes (and this meal is the ONLY time I eat that particular combination!) If you need more vegetables there will be green beans (because they are my favorite) and Brussels sprouts (since everyone HAS to eat at least one, I am fairly certain this is where the "baby Tylenol" goes!) If there are any left, make room on the table for the veggie (cauliflower, broccoli, celery, carrots, and cheese cubes) and relish (pickles, olives and pickled beets) trays. Yummy hot yeast rolls on the side.

Never mind that there is barely room on the table for your Christmas Punch (equal parts of Hawaiian Punch & 7-Up-don't tell Grandma and you can get away with a little extra punch to your punch!) There must be not only the decorative candle salad made from a banana in a pineapple ring with a cherry flame on a bed of lettuce held together by Miracle Whip (NOT mayonnaise!), but you absolutely, and I mean ABSOLUTELY MUST have the candles, by which to eat!

Ah yes! All that yummy food tucked in bellies beneath those stuffy clothes, digesting through the gentle glow of candlelight, most often to the dulcet strains of the easy-listening artist du jour is NOT ENOUGH!

IF you have dared to sample the multitude of pies, cookies, candies and an Auntie's home-made cheesecake, you may get out of the clean-up stage. HOWEVER, after coffee for the Elders, it is off too look at the lights!

Mind you it is IMPERATIVE that you have NO CLUE where you want to go to look at the lights. That's really not the point. There may be a few nifty windows or displays downtown, and certainly there are communities with at least a couple lovely houses along the way. If you are lucky, someone will even have heard of a Griswold-ish house that is a "must see!" They won't know how to get there, of course.

But these things are all in the fun! If you are lucky, at the end of the venture you will have sung
tunes you didn't know all the words to, in a car with no heater in freezing weather, and nearly peed yourself from laughing so much! Each vehicle MUST have a good story-teller, even if they aren't always quite true.

At long last is the drive home, no matter what the hour, there was no sleeping because EVERYONE MUST watch for Rudolph's nose. Never mind everyone in the acknowledged that Rudolph was a fictional character. Once again, that was not the point!

And for many long years, parents throughout the family were insured of at least a few hours quiet rush to complete all of Santa's tasks.

As we have grown in age, size and ideas, it is this gathering of FAMILY that has has remained constant with us all. Today I call it Christmas, and I still put out milk and cookies for Santa although we have no children in the house (AND I expect him to eat them too!) I deck my halls, walls and every surface I can, with Pagan holly and mistletoe that is sacred. I cherish each memory represented by the ornaments I put on my Yule tree. As the nights grow longer and darker and colder, I keep myself warm with holiday stories of MANY traditions.

Although we have grown in different directions, my cousins and I still value the traditions of Family set by the winter holidays. It was during our darkest times, those first days when not everyone was able to be home for the holiday, the we started my favorite tradition. It doesn't matter if we put up a fake Christmas tree or a live Yule tree. Each of us has a candelabra made by Grandpa. It took a few tries to get the perfect design but on a lazy susan is a pyramid of candles, each one designated for a family member, all leading up to the two who started all this, and the One Great Creator. As we light our candles, we give thanks to the Creator for the Blessings bestowed upon us, and we share our hopes for coming year. We light candles for those who are not with us and for those who are gone. I cannot speak for my cousins, but this is a tradition I do not participate in only during December, but it is EVERYTHING this holiday season means to me.