People love to celebrate holidays but some people on the other hand, find holidays to be unimportant or a waste of time. Holidays are a time where you can reach out to people in your life and where you can celebrate each other and express yourself however you want. Holidays are part of people and their lives just like breathing and eating.
Each culture has their own holiday celebrations, and they often do these yearly where they get together as a group and connect with each other.
Some witches have a hard time with holidays because they feel that since they have different beliefs of others that the holidays don’t really fit in their spiritual lives, and they feel that the culture and community leaves them disconnected from their friends and family and the celebration. Even though most people have celebrated these holidays their whole lives, once they start their magic, they feel that they no longer have the right to focus on that holiday and they do not realize that when they focus on the holiday as a family get together that it can be a fun and exciting time.
There are ways that you can look at holidays as a way of connecting instead of celebrating that exact holiday.
Wheel of the Year
People that practice magic often follow the wheel of year which means that there are eight holidays that are celebrated when the seasons change. These are celebrated with the changing of the season depending on where you live. Someone might celebrate a fall celebration in New England with the weather that is perfect for this celebration but someone in the south might not have the great fall weather and it might feel more like a summer celebration. When you follow the wheel of the year that is the problem with celebrating holidays and even though it is possible to celebrate without the environment lining up, you need to make sure that you are picking the right time to do these celebrations.
Sometimes also there are some seasons that will line up perfectly with the holiday, but the other thing is that not all parts of the world will have the same seasons which can mean something different for each of them. Summer in Arizona is a time where there are monsoons, and this is not a happy time, and it is not a time of harvest because of the heat and humidity. This is a time where people stay inside, and they don’t like to go out and celebrate. On the other hand, the winters are perfect and sometimes the temperatures are in the mid 60’s which allow them to go outside and have traditions. You have to find out what kind of environment you have when you are doing your magical practice and you can tune yourself to your environment.
Some people that live in good areas can line up their environment with the weather and it works out almost perfectly. You can use the wheel of the year to help you to stay in charge of the seasons and if you have places that are different than what you expect, it is okay, and you can put your energy into something else to use as holidays.
People that live in places that don’t work with the wheel of year might want to do something to change their holiday schedule. Some holidays need nothing changed such as the equinoxes and the solstices which are based only on how the planets change and not the seasons and so no matter where you live you can celebrate these things. You can set a date for yourself, and you can create new holidays based on the environment and you can have friends or families that will do this together if they practice witchcraft as well.
If you want to, you can do holidays based on the fruit harvest or how the seasons change, planting, snow, rain, or anything you want to do because it is fun and give you a sense of purpose.
Make Your Own Holiday
Even though this can sound like something hard to do, you live in a place where there are events that are going on around you all the time. These might not be holidays, per say, but you can choose to make a holiday that is personal for you. Just like birthdays and anniversaries that go on each and every year, you can create new things that you and your family and friends can do together and even name your own holiday. A holiday is a chance to get together with people you love and connect and do things together.
If you have a small community that you live in and they want to come together to celebrate, you can make up a witch holiday that you want. If you don’t have witches that you know around you, celebrate your own holiday and you might be surprised that even people that aren’t witches might want to bond with you and celebrate with you. This can be important and doesn’t have to be something magical if they don’t believe in it. Just take time to gather with people you love and bond with them.
Combine Holidays
Some people will celebrate holidays with the wheel of year, and this can happen close to each other such as Halloween and Samhain which are very related. You can celebrate the cultural holidays together. This can be a new holiday that you practice, and you can make it spiritual or not. Figure out how you can use your magic from each holiday to celebrate and find out who and how you want to celebrate. You don’t even have to know where these things come from, just get people together and connect.
Some holidays that are religious might bother some witches and you can still celebrate them with family and not make it a way of connecting with the religion. They are not the holiday, and you are just wanting to celebrate with them. Pick a different day to do it and then get together and create it in a way that it makes you comfortable. This is a way that you can still connect and gather, and you can even make it a festival that you do each year.
Connecting
Doing the holidays and celebrations are just about connecting with people that you love. The magic that you do can be your own connection and you can do it on your own or with other people. You can make sure that you are celebrating people and that you are not leaving people that you love behind because of your different ideas. Find a way to let your life be connected with people that don’t believe the same way as you. The connection should be with your pets, your family, friends, children and even your community. Use your magic to grow and create a good home but let your celebration go beyond your home.
If you feel disconnected from people that you love and your community, that is okay. Relationships are hard and it takes more than one to make the relationship work no matter what kind of relationship it is. Find people that accept you and those that want to be around you. If you live in a place that doesn’t have other witches, this can be hard, but you can learn to love yourself and people anyways.
Go out and volunteer your time and find activities where you can meet new people and connect with them. Even if people don’t have the same ideas that you have, these are people, and you need to have them in your life. Don’t be afraid to find new people and show them what you have to offer the world.
You can make a holiday that will be whatever you want but focus the idea of the holiday on connecting and it can be perfect. It doesn’t matter what it looks or feels like, just have fun. Even if no one has ever heard of your holiday, embrace it, and have fun with it and make joy out of it.
Find people that you love and that you want to celebrate and do it right!
This article is a beautifully written reminder of the importance of connection, regardless of one’s cultural or spiritual background. It underscores the essence of holidays as a time to bond with loved ones, encouraging us to create our own meaningful traditions. Embracing the flexibility of the Wheel of the Year and adapting holidays to fit our unique environments and beliefs is a refreshing perspective that fosters inclusivity and creativity. Truly, a heartwarming read!
This article offers a fascinating breakdown of how the Wheel of the Year can be adapted to different environments. It’s enlightening for anyone interested in incorporating seasonal celebrations into their practice.
What an enlightening article! The thoughtful exploration of how different cultures and spiritual practices might experience holidays is both insightful and compassionate. The suggestion to create personal holidays and adapt existing ones to better fit individual beliefs and environments is empowering. It also beautifully highlights the universal need for human connection, making it a valuable read for anyone feeling disconnected or isolated. A truly inspiring and uplifting piece!
The notion of creating your own holidays is interesting yet impractical. Not everyone has the time or community willing to engage in such personalized celebrations. Traditional holidays exist for a reason—they offer a sense of shared experience that homemade holidays cannot.
I really appreciate the reminder that holidays are not just about the specific events or rituals, but about connecting with those we care about. It’s a beautiful perspective that we can all benefit from adopting.
Ah, yes, because nothing says ‘magic’ quite like forcing your family to celebrate the ‘Great Midwinter Chocolate Festival’ just because you felt like it. Nice try, but I’m sticking to the real holidays.
Haha, Luna, you should try it! Imagine the look on everyone’s face when you declare ‘Chocolate Day’ an official holiday!
I find it quite tedious that the article assumes holidays are necessary for connection. Some of us prefer solitude and don’t need a holiday as an excuse for meaningful relationships.
The article provides an interesting perspective on how holidays can be flexible and adapted to fit individual beliefs and environments. It is important to remember that holidays are ultimately about connection and community, rather than strict adherence to tradition.
The discussion about combining cultural and spiritual holidays is intriguing. It highlights the importance of inclusivity and finding common ground, even when individuals have differing beliefs and practices.
I appreciate the idea of creating your own holidays based on personal significance and environmental factors. It promotes inclusivity and customization, allowing people to celebrate in ways that are meaningful to them.
It’s interesting that the article suggests making new holidays based on personal and environmental factors. How do you think this approach can impact communal and cultural cohesion?
Chickie, I believe it can enhance communal cohesion by allowing people to celebrate in ways that are meaningful to them, fostering a sense of belonging and inclusivity.
I agree, Tiffany. Personalizing holidays can bring people together by focusing on shared values and experiences, rather than rigid traditions.
The concept of the Wheel of the Year is fascinating, as it takes into account the natural cycles and environmental variations. However, I wonder how practical it is to align personal celebrations with these cycles in modern urban settings.
Indeed, modern lifestyles can make it challenging to follow natural cycles. Flexibility and creativity are key in adapting traditional celebrations to fit contemporary contexts.
That’s a valid point, Diane. Urban environments often lack the natural markers that rural settings provide. Perhaps urban dwellers can adapt the cycles in a more symbolic manner, focusing on the spirit of the seasons rather than the literal changes.