What are Holidays For?

I remember when we moved in to a jungle tribe near the borders of Indonesia, the people said we would learn their language by eating their native food.  They believed the local food would teach us the tribal tongue, an unwritten language we sought to understand. 

Truth is, it’s the time spent around the village fires, with all the activities and observations and sharing life that opens us up to learn. It’s cultivating relationships and sharing our stories. Yes, that happens when we eat together.

Everything that we are, all that we hold dear in belief, belonging, and behavior, we experience as a life-long journey with the people we love. Created for community, the sharing makes us truly rich and soulfully healthy.

It’s no wonder all our holidays have a huge focus on the food and the mealtimes.  It’s not just about the savory flavors of stuffing and pie, but the cherished memories they stir to life.

I love to make rolled sugar cookies just the way my mother made them. There’s no question, these are “the best” when the dough chills for three hours and I roll them out on a floured board. I cut them into stars and angels, frost with white icing, and add a light coating of colored sprinkles.

The more they resemble my mother’s Christmas cookies or her perfectly fluted pie crusts, the more beautiful they are! They take me back home, and revive treasured memories. You see, my parents have been gone nearly 40 years, but making, smelling and enjoying these foods is delightful.

Holidays are heaven-sent reminders of what’s important in life. Whether it’s a birthday such as the one I had before New Year’s, or Christmas, or Hanukkah, which I celebrated with my son’s family this month, we light candles and sing and make a lot of noise.

We gather together with the people we love (and don’t always get to be with) to exchange gifts and party! We rehearse the old stories, laugh at things nearly forgotten, and remember who we are. In the midst of all the gala and festivities, our roots grow deeper.