Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and it is the season to be jolly, as the old saying goes. But it is much more than that. In Hawaii the Christmas spirit tends to continue all year thanks to the constant reminder that we choose to live aloha.
The basic teachings of Jesus, Buddha, Mohammad, Moses and other spiritual leaders all come together here. Diversity of cultures and faiths are generally respected. Faith, hope and love are emphasized in Judeo-Christian, Muslim and Hindu ethics. Buddhist teachings reflect this as well, but go one step further. Some folks may disagree, but as Buddha is quoted, “We are shaped by our thoughts: We become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.” Another perspective is that when our minds are filled with love, we have no room for hate. Put all this together and we have aloha!
Of course, there are big differences when it come to the traditional ideas of Christmas with snow, Santa Claus and presents like on the mainland and Europe. In Hawaii, we often see the same activities that we might see in July. The surf and beach are still the big attraction. Folks might even take the holidays to catch up on gardening projects.
Some folks enjoy the snow and the bite of frost in the air. Folks in Alaska enjoy the northern lights displays during the cold, dark days when all life is dormant. On the mainland, families enjoy the coziness of an open fireplace and the smell of turkey, goose, ham, lamb or roast beef cooking in the kitchen. South of the equator, Christmas arrives in the summer. The essence of Christmas is not our surroundings. It is what is in our hearts and how we care for one another.
Think about it. Most of the customs now associated with Christmas have little to do with the real meaning.
In fact, the very day we celebrate is probably not the actual birthdate of Jesus. In Europe this particular date was celebrated long before Christ was born. The celebration was associated with the winter solstice, or the shortest day of the year, and the fact that the days were getting longer.
Most of the customs now associated with Christmas go back thousands of years when people worshipped pagan gods. The use of the Christmas trees is believed to have originated in Germany. During the 8th century, a missionary, St. Boniface, was trying to stamp out the rite of sacrificing people to the oak tree. He led these tree-worshipping people into the forest in the dead of winter to show them the only tree with no cursing stain of blood upon it. This was the evergreen that lives and grows when earth is darkest. He showed them that the tree pointed upward toward the Christ child. He told them to take this tree into their homes as a symbol of their newfound faith. The holly for thousands of years has had all manner of mystical charms and qualities attributed to it. The use of holly at Christmas was likely to have come from the Teutonic custom of hanging holly in their houses. They did this so that the tree sprites might have a warm, safe shelter from winter storms.
The mistletoe originally had nothing to do with Christmas, it was considered sacred by those same tree worshippers because it grew on oaks. To this day in Europe, amulets and rings of mistletoe are worn as an antidote against sickness.
Since we can’t plant mistletoe over the threshold here, we may find joy in gardening. Yuletide gardening can be the top activity for us through the holidays. Spending some time in the garden whether it is yours or another’s, brings a sense of peace and tranquility. That is when we really find lessons of our faith and the spirit of aloha. Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, too!