Yep, it is day 3 of the new year and I still feel sluggish, confused as to what day it is and, did I say, sluggish?. The socializing and eating marathon of the festive season has now pretty much passed. Perhaps there will be a few soirees this weekend for Epiphany but most people are taking down the decorations, throwing out the last of the leftovers and stowing away the new socks and sweaters. So how was your season? Did it meet your expectations? Did you sing every carol at least twice? Did you see every one you wanted to see? Did you avoid political arguments at the dinner table? Did you make resolutions?
As I lolled about during the days between Christmas and New Year’s Day I got to thinking about traditions. This is a season laden with tradition – some traditions spread across the cultures and come from ages of story telling and generations of repetition. In this I am thinking about exchanging gifts and family gathering. Other traditions are quite specific to each family. One family I know would always go to church on Christmas Eve and then go home and order in Chinese food. It seemed odd to me but that was their tradition. Some traditions are enduring – like singing carols and eating shortbread while others happen once but then are cemented into the family’s shared memory of “this is how we ALWAYS do Christmas”. Some we love, like decorating the tree and some are endured, like having turnip for Christmas dinner.
Whatever the tradition, it is a tradition because it brings echoes of years passed. Traditions stir memories of gatherings from the years gone by. Through those memories reverberates the voices of the elders and the ancestors. I think traditions are important – even ones we don’t like – because we need to feel that connection with history, specifically our history. Some how traditions and history root us. Roots keep us stable. Roots help us grow. This of course brings me to fresh starts and new life and the new year.
What’s up for you for 2020? What of 2019 will you carry with you? What will you drop to the wayside as you begin the new journey? Are you carrying good rich traditions or is it baggage that you can’t shake off? Any watershed moment is a good time for reflection and re-calibrating. Fresh start, new page, new chapter, uncharted waters … how ever you want to describe it – it is now and it is yours. May you be blessed with many opportunities.
