Last year, I wrote an outline of the holidays, what one is supposed to do, etc etc. This year, I wanted to talk about the holidays in a more poetic sense. As such, this post won't be so Bible-heavy as my other ones. It's more about my observations and feelings towards the Holidays in general, but especially the ones in fall.
When I was a Christian, I missed something about holidays in general.; when I read stories about older religions, I appreciated the connection of their holy days to the time of year. This seemed to imbue the days with special significance. Rather than just existing in space, as it seemed the Christian holidays mostly did, these other holidays were tied to the earth, to how life was being lived. I have come to deeply appreciate how the Israelite/Biblical Holidays are tied to the season--not just in "when", but in "how", and "what about".
For example, today, we are celebrating the Day of Atonement (also called Yom Kippur). On this day, we do absolutely no work, nor do we eat or drink. It gives one a lot of time to think. I like that this day is in the fall. It is a slow day, a solemn day, and it fits with the general weather. The leaves are dying, and we consider our lives. It's rather solitary. Also, because this day takes place during the general "harvest" time, it seems like a more momentous task. There are tomatoes ripening on my tomato plants, but I will not pick them today. There are many, but I will not turn them into a pasta. Not today. I think it highlights the strict feeling we're supposed to have about the holiday.
Sukkot, for a happier example, is also perfect for the fall. It is during the harvest, as well, but it is a festival. A feast. It's time for us to whip out our most daring recipes and share them with others. It's a time for family and also friends. The best part of Sukkot, in my opinion, is the combination of sleeping outside and the full moon. Every year, a full moon! It adds excitement. If we are celebrating with other people, it allows for late nights, singing around the fire, and then having an easy time walking to our tent. The weather is very nice for camping, all seasons considered. Though it rained buckets last year, typically, it is dry, breezy, and decent-temperatured. Sleeping outside, you get to observe the changes in the world; was there dew in the morning? How loud were the crickets? Was it colder this morning than yesterday morning? And since this Feast lasts an entire week, it tends to stand out in memory as the season moves to winter. [Fun fact: Thanksgiving is thought to come from Sukkkot! The pilgrims read about the holiday in their Bibles and wanted to do something similar. (you can do your own research here)]
When I first became an Israelite, I was a little surprised to learn there was not a holiday in the winter. America/Christianity has three! Christmas, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day! But, upon considering, it makes sense for there not to be a holiday in winter. First of all, not much of religious significance happened in the winter (Israelite/Biblical holidays are based on significant occurrences in the Bible), which makes sense, because people, naturally, in the winter, don't do much. It's too stinking cold. Also, seasonally, in winter, the world is dead. What would there be to celebrate? Symbolically, not much. And then, in spring, after the barley is green, we see the return of the holidays with the Spring Feasts. Winter, I think, is a bit like the day of Atonement. Serious, slow, and with much time for thinking. It's strange to move through winter as just a season when everywhere around, people are bustling here and there to prepare for Christmas, and then New Year's. It makes it feel like we have so much more time, to be honest. We're less constrained, more free. We don't have to make travel plans in the horrid weather. We don't have to be a certain place at a certain time. We get to just watch the season pass.
I could keep going, but I'm wanting to keep this post short as it's not really about anything of dire importance; I'm just sharing my feelings. I like how the holidays I celebrate tie in to the Bible, to history, and to the world around me. I like how they allow God to exist in a more 'real' way. With the Biblical Holidays, he's tied to the world, not choked in a vacuum. If you don't celebrate the Biblical holidays, but follow the Bible, I highly suggest you try them out. There's something special about them, and Sukkot, after all, is just around the corner.
When I was a Christian, I missed something about holidays in general.; when I read stories about older religions, I appreciated the connection of their holy days to the time of year. This seemed to imbue the days with special significance. Rather than just existing in space, as it seemed the Christian holidays mostly did, these other holidays were tied to the earth, to how life was being lived. I have come to deeply appreciate how the Israelite/Biblical Holidays are tied to the season--not just in "when", but in "how", and "what about".
For example, today, we are celebrating the Day of Atonement (also called Yom Kippur). On this day, we do absolutely no work, nor do we eat or drink. It gives one a lot of time to think. I like that this day is in the fall. It is a slow day, a solemn day, and it fits with the general weather. The leaves are dying, and we consider our lives. It's rather solitary. Also, because this day takes place during the general "harvest" time, it seems like a more momentous task. There are tomatoes ripening on my tomato plants, but I will not pick them today. There are many, but I will not turn them into a pasta. Not today. I think it highlights the strict feeling we're supposed to have about the holiday.
Sukkot, for a happier example, is also perfect for the fall. It is during the harvest, as well, but it is a festival. A feast. It's time for us to whip out our most daring recipes and share them with others. It's a time for family and also friends. The best part of Sukkot, in my opinion, is the combination of sleeping outside and the full moon. Every year, a full moon! It adds excitement. If we are celebrating with other people, it allows for late nights, singing around the fire, and then having an easy time walking to our tent. The weather is very nice for camping, all seasons considered. Though it rained buckets last year, typically, it is dry, breezy, and decent-temperatured. Sleeping outside, you get to observe the changes in the world; was there dew in the morning? How loud were the crickets? Was it colder this morning than yesterday morning? And since this Feast lasts an entire week, it tends to stand out in memory as the season moves to winter. [Fun fact: Thanksgiving is thought to come from Sukkkot! The pilgrims read about the holiday in their Bibles and wanted to do something similar. (you can do your own research here)]
When I first became an Israelite, I was a little surprised to learn there was not a holiday in the winter. America/Christianity has three! Christmas, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day! But, upon considering, it makes sense for there not to be a holiday in winter. First of all, not much of religious significance happened in the winter (Israelite/Biblical holidays are based on significant occurrences in the Bible), which makes sense, because people, naturally, in the winter, don't do much. It's too stinking cold. Also, seasonally, in winter, the world is dead. What would there be to celebrate? Symbolically, not much. And then, in spring, after the barley is green, we see the return of the holidays with the Spring Feasts. Winter, I think, is a bit like the day of Atonement. Serious, slow, and with much time for thinking. It's strange to move through winter as just a season when everywhere around, people are bustling here and there to prepare for Christmas, and then New Year's. It makes it feel like we have so much more time, to be honest. We're less constrained, more free. We don't have to make travel plans in the horrid weather. We don't have to be a certain place at a certain time. We get to just watch the season pass.
I could keep going, but I'm wanting to keep this post short as it's not really about anything of dire importance; I'm just sharing my feelings. I like how the holidays I celebrate tie in to the Bible, to history, and to the world around me. I like how they allow God to exist in a more 'real' way. With the Biblical Holidays, he's tied to the world, not choked in a vacuum. If you don't celebrate the Biblical holidays, but follow the Bible, I highly suggest you try them out. There's something special about them, and Sukkot, after all, is just around the corner.
Great post, thanks for sharing
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