Which Holidays?

I grew up in a family that celebrated Christmas, and I was under the mistaken impression that Hanukah was pretty much just like Christmas, except that kids in Jewish families got presents for 8 days instead of 1. In fact, while the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus is a major holiday for most Christians, Hanukah is a relatively minor holiday in the Jewish calendar. It celebrates the re-dedication (hence the name from the root meaning “to dedicate”) of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem which had been seized by the Syrian-Greek military and used to worship Zeus. At that time practicing Judaism was punishable by death – so in one sense this holiday is about religious freedom.

Along with our traditional holiday customs, I'd like to suggest that this year we add a spiritual practice of openness. What would it be like to make space in our hearts and minds for family and neighbors who are celebrating a different holiday, or who celebrate a familiar holiday in a different way? According to a NY Times article by Naomi Schaefer Riley, about 45 percent of American couples married since the year 2000 are interfaith. Even among the Christian faiths there is variety of traditions; Jehovah’s Witnesses, for example, do not celebrate Christmas at all. Chances are, someone you know has a way of celebrating the winter holidays that is new to you. And while this interplay of faith traditions can be challenging, it can also be a great opportunity to learn more about the people we care about and their beliefs and traditions.

As part of your practice this Holiday season, I invite you to open your minds and get curious about the great diversity of religious practice. Here are some starter questions to ask this Holiday Season:

• What holidays do you celebrate?
• What are your favorite holiday traditions?
• What do those traditions mean to you?

Maybe you will even have the opportunity to participate in a different tradition. I often light a menorah with Jewish family or friends, or go to Christmas Mass with my Husband’s family, though neither of those are part of my own tradition. If you are invited to be part of a celebration from your friend or neighbor’s tradition, feel free to ask questions like:

•  Is there anything I need to know to participate in this tradition?

Ask yourself:

• How does it feel to experience my friend’s tradition?
• How is this different from my own traditions and how is it similar?

Sharing religious traditions with family and friends is a privilege -- to witness someone reaching out to the divine is an intimate and sacred thing. That reaching out we share is a common ground we can cultivate. By opening myself to new experiences, I may come to understand something about the world, about my own faith and about the Spirit of Life which is always as close as our own breath.