Happy Not-dying-of-boredom Holiday

My family keeps sending me cards and poems telling me to remember "the reason for the season", and it's good that they do. I was reading one of these, and in my disappointment, thinking of ways to counter, when I realized a mythical baby in a manger has just as much to do with the season as the winter solstice. Well, kind of.

I had lapsed into thinking only of getting to go home, buying presents, and getting a break from non-stop work. But my grandmother's inflammatory email reminded me exactly why we do celebrate this time of year: Because it used to suck a lot.

While thinking of why my family was so wrong, I remembered that people were once so beholden to the seasons that we needed to create festivals when we couldn't work. Without festivals many of us would have died of boredom, despair and unrest. So it's good to remember that creating festivity just for fun is the reason for the season. Not that we all needed to be saved from our sins, or that somebody else reached enlightenment, just that we wanted to smile and have a good time. It's a nice thought no?

So, though I may still think Solstice is pretty cool, from now on I will celebrate the real reason for the season, making merriment because it's good for us. And for all of you who have held on to your winter festivals, I'm really glad you have. Whether it's Rohatsu, Solstice, Christmas, or any other winter celebration, spirits are boosted and people have an excuse to spread cheer and positive feelings. Now, if only we could all stop trying to tell everybody else how wrong they are while we're reminding them of the reason for the season, we could all celebrate that reason properly, with a great big party.

Merry Merriment everybody!


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