By Gina Long
We are halfway through the craziest time of the year, which for my family begins with Halloween and ends with Valentine’s Day.
In between, we celebrate Thanksgiving, Yule, Christmas and New Years, followed by Martin Luther King, Jr Day, which we dedicate to community service. Finally, we wrap it up with Valentine’s Day, which is more candy-oriented than romantic.
This year’s December is special, though, because Hanukkah began on Christmas Day, the first time since 2005 and only the fourth time since 1900.
An often overlooked observance which begins on December 26 and continues through January 1 is Kwanzaa, celebrated predominantly within the African-American community.
I had the opportunity to attend the third day celebration on Saturday evening, and I will publish a longer and more detailed article about the tradition- and symbol-rich Kwanzaa observance, but I was struck by the thoughtful and honest discussion surrounding each day’s theme. Many attendees were young Hutchinson residents, and their voices are often dismissed, shouted down and ignored.
Listening to their thoughtful analysis and their hopes and fears with full attention and respect is an act sorely missing in our everyday behavior.
The normal journalistic interview with asking questions and settling in to be a “dispassionate observer” quickly became an intimate quiet space for sharing, a new manner of experiencing a celebration without the preparatory frantic activity involved with many other observances and commemorations.
After a quiet Thanksgiving and a stressful pre-Christmas during which my car decided to break down catastrophically, I am hoping for a tame New Year’s. The raucous huge extended family get-togethers are in the past, and sometimes we just need some rest. The good weather made this year’s preparations much easier than normal, even with an ailing automobile. My post-Covid lagging fatigue has demanded some extra sleep, too.
I wish our readers a happy celebratory season, with good tidings to all. And maybe some snow!
