Old Rituals

When I was a kid, trick or treating wasn't a deal. In Bible-belt country (and most of the U.S. was Bible-belt country back then) Halloween wasn't even on the radar. Small local communities might have the annual gimme candy festivities, but most didn't. I think I went trick or treating twice in my life.

By the time my children were old enough to be interested, it was a big deal, both in the communities where we lived and in their schools. Then came the poison candy scares and the allergy scares and the no-kid-is-safe-anywhere scares and trick or treating is slowly dying out in favor of private parties. We haven't had any trick or treaters here in the last three years.

Most of the television programs I catch are produced and set overseas so I get a flavor of how various holidays are celebrated outside the U.S. Their customs are vastly different than here. With a bit of ingenuity and research I can figure out most of them, but the variety completely amazes me.

The other thing that I find interesting is the shift in observing various holidays. For instance, when I was a kid, Easter was probably the highest, most important holiday, even more so than Christmas. There were numerous rituals and observances attached to that week. Now it's difficult to find anyone who even notices.

Christmas has been reduced to an orgy of buying and greed. Thanksgiving is a feast of gluttony. And our patriotic holidays--Memorial Day and Independence Day are picnics and fireworks. Flag Day...well, who flies a flag? Who owns one? As for parades, those are reserved for Santa and football.

In the past--two or three centuries ago--there were no doubt very different celebrations and observances. I suppose human nature dictates changes and the passing of old rituals and memories. But for every ritual lost, we also give up a bit of our human history. There were reasons the old rituals and celebrations existed. With their loss, we lose a bit of ourselves.

I wonder. What will the face of our celebrations look like in fifty years? Will we be gathered in stadiums, cheering for the gladiators and lions? Or will we be hiding in caves to serve our gods in secret?

Maybe, there will be no rituals at all...

anny

Monday When It Isn't

Today is probably one of the most disputed holidays we have in the USA. Columbus Day. Revisionist history now declares Columbus anathema blaming him for all sorts of crimes against the native population of the Americas. I think it's all bologna sausage.

He was one--ONE--of many explorers that came to the Americas. ONE. Not the first. Not the last. Nor even the most important. What he did have going for him was a fantastic public relations campaign.

Others arrived in the Americas with little fanfare. As a matter of fact, North and South America have been populated by succeeding waves of settlers for thousands of years and our shores have been visited by folks from both the east and the west.

Some left evidence of their visits in the form of ceramics, art, the exchange of plants and even animals. Indisputable evidence of their visits--DNA--proves they had SOME interaction with the populations that dotted the coasts.

This pattern has been repeated world wide for centuries stretching back before history. To single out one explorer for vilification at this point is unjust. Hindsight is a fine thing, but we cannot go back to change history, nor can we change the results.

Exploration is often based on greed, regardless of the ethnicity of the explorer. Migration follows exploration. And that is based on the basic desires for food, shelter, water, and homes. Neither are peaceful. When you look back through history, you find waves of warfare followed by new settlement. And regardless of the location, the individuals with the more advanced technology usually win.

To impose our twenty-first century values on the past is a mistake. We cannot go back. That way is to direct our energies to an impossible goal.

What we CAN do is go forward. We can work to eliminate hunger, thirst, homelessness, poverty, illness, and pain.

Do we need Columbus Day? Nah. We could call it Explorer's Day. Or maybe we could call it Reparation Day. Both of those choices look back, though. Maybe we should call it National Sales Day. That would be more honest.

anny