When you hear the word celebration, what words come to mind?
I imagine many of us conjure up images of parties, events, balloons, decorations, food, and large gatherings.
And while the word celebrate can be defined as marking something with festivities or parties. Search the word “celebrate” in Merriam-Webster, and you find the first two definitions are
- to perform (a sacrament or solemn ceremony) publicly and with appropriate rites
- to honor (an occasion, such as a holiday), especially by solemn ceremonies or by refraining from ordinary business
Notice the use of words like refrain, solemn, sacrament, and ceremony. These are likely not words that came to mind when you thought about celebration.
So, why does it matter that the definition of celebrate includes words like solemn or sacrament?
Well, I am glad you asked.
It matters because not all of us are wired for parties and big festivities. And while our extraverted or party-loving friends and family appear to know how to celebrate, we introverted and unskilled party hosts can feel lacking in our ability to celebrate.
It matters because even those of us who love to throw and/or attend parties can find ourselves in seasons where life feels too much, or we carry grief, and celebrating feels like something we cannot handle.
It matters because, in our lack of understanding of the meaning behind a word, we can miss out on what matters most about celebrating.
Celebration is about honoring an occasion
Joy Marker
by altering our rhythms and routines.
The end of each calendar year brings with it a plethora of opportunities to celebrate. In December alone, we can choose to observe:
Dec. 5, St. Nicolas Day, also known as the Feast of Saint Nicholas, is when Christians honor Saint Nicholas’s birthday.
Dec. 8, Catholics celebrate the day of Immaculate Conception to honor the Virgin Mary.
Dec. 8 is also Rohatsu; this Buddhist tradition honors the day Buddha—Siddartha Gautama—is said to have achieved enlightenment.
Dec. 12, for those with Mexican heritage, is the Feast Day of Our Lady Guadalupe.
Hanukkah begins Dec. 18. A central part of the Jewish Traditions.
Dec. 25th, Christmas Day, while traditionally a Christian holiday, is now celebrated by many regardless of religious affiliation with gift exchanges and the arrival of Santa Claus.
Dec. 26th, the week-long holiday of Kwanzaa begins, honoring African-American heritage.
Dec. 31st, New Year’s Eve, celebrates the end of one calendar year with the anticipation of the new year ahead.
This list, likely incomplete, does not include birthday celebrations or random days like a national cookie-cutter day or tree lighting ceremonies.
There are endless opportunities for celebration, and if we only define celebrations as parties and events, we can quickly become bogged down in activities. Or we can become overwhelmed and miss out on participating in any celebration.
So, how can we enjoy this season’s celebrations while honoring our capacity and not becoming soul-weary?
Let’s start by naming what matters most. What are the events, activities, and holidays that are priorities in this season?
Then, ask what our capacity is this season. What can I handle in terms of time, and what are my emotional, physical, and financial resources?
What does celebration look like in this particular stage of life? Do we need calm, quiet, intimate gatherings, or can we enjoy large events and more party-like festivities? Perhaps there is room for a little of both.
What traditions carry value for our family? What expectations can we release?
The beauty of celebration is that it does not have to look one particular way.
While some holidays carry different customs or rituals,
how we honor and practice those traditions can be adjusted
to accommodate our needs in this particular season.
As we enter the final month of this year, a month filled with opportunity to celebrate, may we pause to consider what we are celebrating and how we might best celebrate in this season of life.
May we celebrate in a life-giving way and not allow our rhythms to cause us to become soul-weary.
