What "Different" holidays do you celebrate?

[Freedomelf]

I was curious today about other people's holiday traditions in new or lesser known religions. What holidays/holy days do you celebrate that few people have ever heard of?

For me, today is Watchtower Day, 5M Honor (December 8). It commemorates an event that occurred over two-thousand years ago, when 120 Elves held the Calyr Watchtower on the Plain of Eman-dal against thousands of Taryns. They fought for 36 hours until help arrived. The day celebrates courage, and it also is a day to pray for peace and safety throughout the world. I spent this day reading about it, but afterward, the boys and I all cooked our supper meal together, since food shared is one of the best ways to promote peace and the strengthening ties of family. (I confess that I usually do all the cooking in the house, but this is one day when the guys get in the kitchen too. )

Some people play "pick up sticks" with popsicle sticks, and construct the Calyr tower. This is fun if your kids are little, but mine are grown.

May everyone, no matter which God you worship (or none at all) find safety and peace within their lives in the year ahead.

I look forward to hearing about your holiday traditions! Elf

 

[Reptillian]

[youtube]HQFLqMyo0fo[/youtube]
Festivus - YouTube

 

[Revoltingest]

Festivus
Towel Day
Chinese New Year
Revoltingtines Day

 

[Freedomelf]

rofl! I must be living under a rock; I've never heard of Festivus.

 

[Freedomelf]

Ah yes, Towel Day. Loved Hitchhiker's. Glad they still celebrate it.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

My family gets together on Memorial Day (not sure if anyone else celebrates it)

 

[Freedomelf]

When I was a kid, we usually went to visit Grandma's grave on Memorial Day. Not one of my favorite holidays, but it's nice that you celebrate it in some way. People need to be remembered.

There must be a lot of holidays I've never heard of. I'll try to give frubies for those I don't know. (btw, does anyone know how many frubies one can give in a day? I don't count; I just know I've reached my limit when I can't post any more.)

 

[The Sum of Awe]

When I was a kid, we usually went to visit Grandma's grave on Memorial Day. Not one of my favorite holidays, but it's nice that you celebrate it in some way. People need to be remembered.

There must be a lot of holidays I've never heard of. I'll try to give frubies for those I don't know. (btw, does anyone know how many frubies one can give in a day? I don't count; I just know I've reached my limit when I can't post any more.)

We celebrate it as if it were some sort of a family reunion day

 

[Freedomelf]

Remembering relatives and friends, either living or dead, is a good thing.

 

[Quintessence]

I honor events in nature that have no formal recognition as holidays, even amongst Neopagans as far as I can tell. Whenever any kind of Storm Spirit visits, whether it brings rain or snow, it is celebrated by me.

 

[Sylvan]

What form do those celebrations take Q?

I usually make a big deal out of Imbolc. What can I say? I love Brigid! Also I think it is a good way to get roused out of the winter slumber.

 

[Quintessence]

I tend to be pretty informal much of the time so I do not have a set ritual. Over time I tend to do the same sorts of things, though, so I suppose you could call that a ritual, but it's not very ceremonial. When I'm able, I will watch the storm rolling in from the direction it comes from and get a sense of its personality. Each one is a bit different. I'll welcome it to these lands and say I'm happy to see it. Sometimes I will light up some incense as an offering and play a tune on my flute that is specific to honoring Storm Spirit. When the storm arrives, sometimes I will let it soak me. Sometimes I will use the energy to charge/imbue charms and such. Sometimes I will also say some more words that honor the essence of Storm. Usually words about ecstasy, power, awe, humility, and wrath.

Snow Spirit is technically a class of Storm Spirit, but they're so different that I do not usually refer to snowy weather as a Storm Spirit. I do the same sort of watching and mindfulness, the same sort of feeling the personality of the Spirit. Some snows are wrathful, but by and large they are quiet things that encourage one to stop, sit still, and shut up. So that is what I do. And I snowflake watch. Once you start snowflake watching, it is near impossible to stop. It's practically an addictive compulsion. If it snows, I have to go outside and look at the snow crystals. It's kind of like the sky spewing an entire art gallery onto the land; I can't pass that up.

With all the drought this past year, I took to celebrating every Rain Spirit too. Rain is supposed to visit here roughly once a week. When it doesn't visit for months, you almost forget what rain sounds like. When we finally did get rain again, it was like a symphony. I missed those sounds, those smells. In general, much of my path is about a mindfulness of what's going on in my local environment and giving thanks to the magic and divinity of "ordinary" things. When you do that a lot, you get used to the patterns of things. When those patterns are broken, things really feel off. The patterns of things have felt "off" for an entire year now. Some deviations and extremes are expected, but a persistent aberration of temperatures well above average plus dry conditions... it... it makes me very uneasy.

 

[Freedomelf]

That's lovely, Quint, it makes me miss the rain too. I live in the desert but was raised in Illinois, so I long for the rain again. (PS, wouldn't let me give you a frubie; says I have to pass them around to others first. But great post!)

 

[Freedomelf]

Ah, Sylvan, good one! I'm Irish, so you know I like it.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

I tend to be pretty informal much of the time so I do not have a set ritual. Over time I tend to do the same sorts of things, though, so I suppose you could call that a ritual, but it's not very ceremonial. When I'm able, I will watch the storm rolling in from the direction it comes from and get a sense of its personality. Each one is a bit different. I'll welcome it to these lands and say I'm happy to see it. Sometimes I will light up some incense as an offering and play a tune on my flute that is specific to honoring Storm Spirit. When the storm arrives, sometimes I will let it soak me. Sometimes I will use the energy to charge/imbue charms and such. Sometimes I will also say some more words that honor the essence of Storm. Usually words about ecstasy, power, awe, humility, and wrath.

Snow Spirit is technically a class of Storm Spirit, but they're so different that I do not usually refer to snowy weather as a Storm Spirit. I do the same sort of watching and mindfulness, the same sort of feeling the personality of the Spirit. Some snows are wrathful, but by and large they are quiet things that encourage one to stop, sit still, and shut up. So that is what I do. And I snowflake watch. Once you start snowflake watching, it is near impossible to stop. It's practically an addictive compulsion. If it snows, I have to go outside and look at the snow crystals. It's kind of like the sky spewing an entire art gallery onto the land; I can't pass that up.

With all the drought this past year, I took to celebrating every Rain Spirit too. Rain is supposed to visit here roughly once a week. When it doesn't visit for months, you almost forget what rain sounds like. When we finally did get rain again, it was like a symphony. I missed those sounds, those smells. In general, much of my path is about a mindfulness of what's going on in my local environment and giving thanks to the magic and divinity of "ordinary" things. When you do that a lot, you get used to the patterns of things. When those patterns are broken, things really feel off. The patterns of things have felt "off" for an entire year now. Some deviations and extremes are expected, but a persistent aberration of temperatures well above average plus dry conditions... it... it makes me very uneasy.

Q, I like your approach. I do many similar things, but you are much more eloquent. Thank you.

 

[dyanaprajna2011]

December 8th seems to be important to many world religions. It's the feast day of Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in Lycea, who is today known as Santa Claus; he's the inspiration. December 8th is known as Rohatsu in Japanese Zen, or in general just as Bodhi day, where the enlightenment of the Buddha is celebrated, by...lots of meditation.

 

[Jainarayan]

Being the lazy sod that I am, I really don't celebrate anything, though I may commemorate in some way. I attended temple for the first time this year for Janmashtami, the birth of Krishna. That was the first and last time. The temple was mobbed, and people were getting edged out the door. I could not go for Diwali because I was recovering from shoulder surgery. If it's anything like Janmashtami, you won't catch me in temple for that either. For those festivals I'll light lights (oil lamps or candles) all over the house and fast for the day, and say prayers. Next year I'll probably commemorate Bodhi Day. For the 'American" holidays, I just sit around having a day off.

 

[Freedomelf]

Thanks, Dyanaprajna and Jainarayan. Very good points.

That's something that I find very strange as well, J. Why do people crowd the temples and churches on perceived holy days, but rarely go on other days? It seems to me that one can best pray and honor God in their own homes rather than face a mob on such holidays.

 

[Jainarayan]

I'm sure I don't know, Freedomelf. Last night and into this morning was a blow-out New Year celebration at temple, with all kinds of pujas, ceremonies and festivities from 7 pm to well after 6:30 this morning. Even if I didn't have any plans for NYE (well, I didn't) I do not think I would have gone for more than the first two abhishekams (ritual deity bathing and re-clothing), which would probably last no more than three hours, 7-10 pm. My guess is that the place was mobbed. I'll have to wait for the pictures to be posted on the temple website.

 

[Freedomelf]

That's the good thing about the internet; you can connect with your faith without facing mobs. And you can actually spend more time in contemplation, because you are not fighting traffic to get there. I personally think that the contemplation is better for the soul than the rituals. JMHO