Sunday, January 6, 2019

traditions and celebrations

 Yesterday the Lions club took the Christmas lights down from the utility poles here in Greensboro. That is their contribution to the town's decorations along with a " Christmas tree " floating in the river. It's not a real tree, just lights strung in the shape of a tree. At night it looks wonderful though. I recall a year when we had a storm and the tree broke loose from it moorings and went down river. It was recovered and brought back. With the taking down of those items, Christmas has left for this year. Technically I guess you could say Christmas hasn't arrived this year. Well whichever way you look at it, it's all over. There will be a few yards still decorated. I've noticed people are a lot quicker to put that stuff up than to take it back down. The weather has been quite pleasant for this time of year and so I'm surprised more  haven't taken advantage of that. I know I did. Yes, we have some folks that will leave the lights up year round! They don't turn them on but they are still there in July. It's alright I've noticed that lights are becoming popular for more holidays in the last few years. I've seen Halloween lights, strings of pumpkins or witches faces, that type of thing. Put them on the shelf, somebody will buy them. That's the thinking in my opinion anyway. The 21st is MLK day. There will be parades but I don't believe I've seen any decorations for that; yet. Give it time.
 Yesterday was also the twelfth day of Christmas. It isn't something I am really aware of, other than the song. I do believe it is the beginning of Epiphany. It wasn't practiced in my house but I hear some folks have a party of sorts on twelfth night. I was raised in the Episcopal church and don't recall anything about it. I do recall the Liturgical calendar which includes Lent, Advent, Pentecost along with Epiphany. Those names were posted above the hymns we were to sing in church on any given Sunday. You know the board that told you the page numbers. I read where the Lutherans and Roman Catholics celebrate the twelve days of Christmas. Interesting how we can all believe in the same God but have such a variety of worship styles. That has become even more pronounced in recent years. In 2006 a list of denominations was complied and included 217 different ones. There are over 20,000 Catholic church buildings in America, 193 of them are considered Cathedrals. A Cathedral is where you will find the Bishop of a Diocese. The protestants have greater than 300,000 church buildings. Approximately 75% of the population of America identify as Christians, yet it is said we are not a Christian nation. Interesting isn't it? But I won't go into that again. I have my personal beliefs about all of that.
 It's always fun to learn something new, that is actually old. I wasn't aware that people held actual parties and celebrations on the twelfth night of Christmas. Guess I've been living under a rock. I knew others that were Catholics. When I was young I used to see them with that spot of ash on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday. I knew that they could pray to the saints for help but not directly to God. I was told that was why they had to confess their sins to a priest, they couldn't speak directly to God. The rest of us just named our churches after those saints. Now I'm wondering how many still celebrate twelfth night? I know a little about human nature and people don't like to miss a chance to have a party so I'm thinking they still do that. I can't say as I know any Catholics to ask that question. Maybe that is because I never really paid any attention to what church you went to. It wasn't a big topic of discussion when I was growing up. Yeah we usually had welsh rare bit or fish on Fridays on the school lunch menu because Catholics couldn't eat meat on Friday. Well that was until the Pope changed his mind and told them they could do that, no problem. It wasn't sinful anymore. Like I said, I never paid much attention to it. Didn't bother me in the least that the lunch menu was like that, I wasn't offended or put out in any fashion.
 I hear that the Muslims don't like bacon or pork products of any kind. I wonder if the school lunches take that into account? There must be Muslim children going to our public schools. I wonder how that is working out? I know about kids a little bit and know they are the cruelest creatures around. Kids were like that when I went to school, and I'm certain it hasn't changed much. If you are different in any way you will be teased. If you look different, speak different or dress different you are in for it! It isn't right but it is real. I just haven't heard much about that. Of course now they serve breakfast and lunch in the school and things are quite a bit different than when I went. Could be they have worked that all out. I read where 2% of the American population now consider themselves Muslims. The Jewish folk are at 2.1%. There is concern from that group about the rising Muslim population and you can't blame them for that. In a general sense the Jews and Muslims aren't real tolerant and friendly with each other. I'm not certain what my grandchildren will be celebrating, or allowed to celebrate openly. I can see a change in dynamics. I'm thinking it is the same for every generation as we watch the old ways get dismissed. As a rule, people don't like change, unless they are the ones changing it. The only problem with that is, those doing the changing don't learn their mistakes until it is too late! It's the paradox of living a long life. You start out amazed and in awe of everything. Then you learn about things and immediately want to change it. Then you become nostalgic for the " good old days. " You spend your days justifying your choices from yesterday while praying for today. In the end you realize that most things, the really important things, remain the same. And that is what that smile you see on old folks faces is all about. It's an inner knowledge that can't be shared with anyone else and doesn't need to be. The best part is knowing, there is always something new to discover, something you missed. 

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