Celebrating Yule

It's no coincidence that many religions celebrate festivals of light at this time of year. There's Hanukah and Christmas and Diwali, not to mention all those luminaria that light pathways during the holiday season. It's winter in the northern hemisphere … a time of darkness, cold and short days. With Lin's circle of Earth-centered friends, I celebrated the old pagan ritual of Yule in anticipation of the solstice. It's a time of contemplation and hope, knowing that eventually the lengthening days and light of spring will follow. The venue at the UU church in Milton, Massachusetts is the perfect setting for such celebrations.

We sang traditional yuletime songs with a fire blazing in the fireplace. We each lit our own candle in celebration of light. We spoke of the past year and things to come.

I always find the Earth-centered celebrations to be uplifting. I'm warmly welcomed by the group though my participation is sporadic. I usually try to bring something of what I've experienced or learned to share and this year I brought bindis, those little dots that Hindus wear on their foreheads. The bindi is said to retain energy and strengthen concentration. It represents the third eye and was created as a means to worship one's intellect. Used by both men and women, the bindi helps to ensure our thoughts, speech, actions, habits and ultimately our character become pure. A strong intellect can help one make noble decisions in life, be able to stand up to life's challenges with courage, and recognize and welcome good thoughts. The belief is that on this premise,  a strong individual, a strong family and a strong society can be formed. How can you go wrong with that?

As with all celebrations, we ended with a feast very much akin to a cruiser's potluck. Everyone contributed a dish or two. Everyone brought wine or a beverage to share. We ate and drank. We did a Pagan gift trade … aka  a Yankee swap. Music played in the background. The evening was filled with warm, spirited conversation and good karma. Bring on the holidays … I'm ready.

Christmas Tree, O, Christmas Tree

Choosing a Christmas tree in the past has always been about finding the perfect tree. Height is important … tall, but not too tall. We need room for the star on the top without hitting the ceiling. Full, but not so bushy that it stands 5 feet out from the wall. Shape is important … it needs to looks like the perfect triangular, evergreen Christmas tree. Those were the main criteria and we maintained a high standard. This year, however, was a bit different.

Lin and I were alone picking out the tree. It was cold and raw. Lin has just had foot surgery and is still in a walking cast. As we were perusing the tree inventory at the Christmas tree lot and shivering, I thought about getting it up the stairs and into her house. The weight of the Christmas tree all of a sudden became important. We traipsed around the lot lifting trees. If we couldn't lift it up in the lot, chances were we'd be pretty challenged getting it up the stairs, into the house and into the tree stand. We looked at trunk size … those big, thick trunks were weighty. We didn't want a Charlie Brown tree, but we needed to be able to get it into the house without risking a hernia or hiring a crane. This is kind of reminiscent of measuring a turkey in the supermarket before buying it to ensure I can fit it into the galley stove.

The cold was a definite incentive for making a quick decision. “That one!” Lin pointed at one that seemed perfect. It looked fine AND I could lift it by myself. To prove it, I toted it down the walking path and plopped it before a smiling lot attendant who trussed it up and tied it to the roof of the car.

I'm pleased to report, we got it into the house and into the stand without drama. I hauled the boxes of lights and ornaments up from the basement. Christmas music was playing and we were singing along … off-key and loud … an art we've mastered through the years. We were sipping hot apple cider laced with a wee bit of rum. We decorated slowly. There was no rush. There was a story associated with each ornament, a memory remembered, a family anecdote to be retold. Let the Christmas season begin.

Getting into the Spirit of the Season

We've missed celebrating quite a few holidays, so I was keen to make sure we got started celebrating Christmas early … especially since we'd be apart this year for Christmas. Yes, I'm heading home to Boston to spend the holidays with my sister, Lin. David is staying with his demanding mistress, Miss Nine of Cups, in hopes of repairing all we broke crossing the Indian Ocean. When I saw an ad on the Point Yacht Club website for a Durban City Orchestra holiday concert and a luncheon held at the yacht club, I exercised my option for this as as one of our negotiated afternoons off.

There's something about seeing Christmas decorations up in foreign countries that's always a surprise … as if they don't celebrate this holiday the way we do. South Africa certainly does celebrate, although like Australia, it's a summer holiday here and going to the beach for a braai (BBQ) is more reasonable than roasting a turkey in the oven. The downtown main streets in Durban are decorated with garlands and lights and all the shops have Christmas decorations and holiday sales going on.

The festivities were held upstairs in the yacht club and the turn-out was pretty impressive. We had a “cruiser table” which included Finnish, Australian and American sailors. Not quite a United Nations representation, but fun nevertheless. The luncheon was the usual buffet fare; nothing special, but edible (and I didn't have to cook it or do the dishes).

The concert began as soon as we sat to eat and continued all through the meal and dessert. I kind of wished all the meal hubbub was not concurrent with the concert as it was very disruptive and  rude to the orchestra. The Durban City Orchestra, with about 40 members, has been in existence since 1888 and is the second oldest symphony orchestra in South Africa. They were quite good, especially for an amateur group.

The arrangements of holiday music performed spanned  traditional standards like Silent Night and White Christmas to the upbeat score of Polar Express. A young singer contributed some vocals along the way. I was definitely in my element. I knew every word to every Christmas song and, like many others in the audience, I was singing along. David was tapping his feet and mouthed a few words to the songs he knew. I teared up when they played I'll Be Home For Christmas.

All in all, a good start to the holiday season though I boarded a flight to Boston within hours after the concert finished.  I have mixed emotions over being “home” with my sister and not “home” with David for the holidays. “Home” for me definitely spans two continents.