"The sharp division of work from play and the natural from the supernatural has turned holy days into holidays."
___ Jacquetta Hawkes, "A Land"
For most people, holy days are now just holidays, periods when they do not work, perhaps enjoying themselves in a recreative way. There is little or no sacred element left in holidays anymore; they have become one-way streets, days to be spent solely in gratifying our own needs. In centuries past, holy days were two-way streets; time was spent not only in recreation but also in honoring the Holy Ones to whom the day was dedicated, with some part of the time set aside for spiritual communion, remembrance, and veneration.
Holy days are days outside mundane time and business, days when we give ourselves time to be present, soul to spirit, with our spiritual helpers. It is important that we celebrate the days that are holy to us, whether they be religious festivals, personal remembrances, memorials for friends and family no longer alive, the two equinoxes and two solstices, the four Celtic festivals, or days dedicated to inspirers and teachers who have changed our lives.
When spiritual and recreative observances each inform and delight the other, holy days and holidays take their rightful balance in our lives.
"Which holy days do you celebrate? If you could create a special holy day in the calendar, what would it be in aid of, what activities and celebrations would honor it, and on which day would you hold it?"
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]
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