Homemade Holiday

Christmas commercialism got you down? Frustrated with the conflation of religion and merchandising? Or perhaps you want something a little different this year. Winter is the darkest, and sometimes the most depressing time of the year. If you don't have a holiday to bring you some cheer, I am going to show you how to make your own. I promised I would show you how, and here is the recipe! All you need is a few props, some reasons to celebrate and some people to participate, and you can make your very own holiday cheer!

THE RECIPE

LIGHT - This is a time of darkness, so banish it with light. That is the first ingredient. You can light candles, a fire in the fireplace, a bonfire, or electric lights. You can light a candelabra, a chandelier, or just leave a nightlight on.

COLORS AND SYMBOLS – symbols are sometimes a little difficult, but you can choose colors to represent your holiday – pick colors that make you feel good or challenge yourself by choosing colors you don't usually use – be aware that this might not work. I tried it and now I have a holiday card that warns me that I will never like combinations of pink, fuschia, red and purple.

PROPS – these are decorations that change your environment to let you and other people know that it is a special time. You can bring in fresh greens if you live near a forest, or make paper decoration like origami or cut-outs. You can borrow decorations from other holidays – if you like easter eggs, bring them out for your homemade holiday! Just be prepared to explain their significance to your friends and family – even if the explanation consists of “because I like it.”

FOOD – what celebration is complete without special food? Invent or find a new recipe, or borrow one from another holiday. Make your beloved string bean casserole into a holiday special!

PARTICIPANTS – of course you will want to share your holiday. Invite friends and family over to share it with you. Have your explanation (and a sense of humor) ready. Most people love an excuse to celebrate, and if you manage it right, they will see your holiday as a way to escape from the stress of the traditional holidays of the winter.

A NAME/REASON – most people, including you, will want to know why and/or what you are celebrating. Give your holiday a creative name, like “Because I Felt Like It” day, or “First Snow” day, or “I Need To Relax” day. No good? Here are some wiki to help: Fictional Holidays, Muppet Holidays,and of course there is the Seinfeld holiday Festivus. Other good sources for holiday names are band or song names: how about Nightwish Day? Or Strawberry Fields Day?

RITUAL - you will want to have a ritual, such as the lighting of candles or the singing of songs, or reading from a book. You could even have a ritual of watching a special video. No holiday is complete without rituals. You could look up rituals or make up your own. There are sites like this one on Family Rituals that describe how to do it. 

Well, now you have the ingredients – all that's left to do is come up with your own special combination of elements and then you can pick a day and start celebrating! Let me know what you come up with! Comment here and inspire others!

Dorinku is a Japanese transliteration of the word drink. To drink in Japanese is nomu, but that didn't sound right for a holiday. Normally when I invent words I change them from the original language, but this time I didn't need to change much. I wanted a hot drink holiday, hence Ha for hot and dorinku for drink. That covers both the food and the name of the holiday. On Hadorinku you drink your favorite hot drink. I think I will make my light be votives or candles in wine glass shaped holders to celebrate the comfort of a warm drink on a cold night. The candles will provide both warmth and light for the celbration. I think candles all around the room can serve as the props too.

For colors I choose the colors of fire - white, orange, blue yellow and red. I will have candles in all those colors in the holders. I would invite my friends - my family is too far away, but perhaps I could make cards and send them.

I think I would choose the day after Solstice as my day to celebrate - a moment after the darkest night of the year but before the Christmas last minute madness takes hold.

The ritual will be lighting the candles, singing some songs (even if we have to use christmas carols) and finally drinking the special drink - mine is eggnog, but I will have alternatives such as mulled cider and wassail. We will sit in comfortable seats and drink warm drinks and listen to music or just watch the candles burn. At the end we will exchange warm greetings and wish each other more moments of peace during the holidays.

As time passes the celebration and the ritual will have things added until it becomes a family tradition.