When Your Sense of Belonging Is Blurred by the Flashing Christmas Lights
Colonialism cancelled my culture. My ancestors were colonized by Europeans for 400 years in our homeland of India. Christianity was used to indoctrinate my people during this time. I have not, and cannot, celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ as a result. I am also not a Christian.
How can I celebrate an occasion that was used to spread colonialism across the planet?
How is it that western culture deems this atrocity a statutory holiday, with annual school and work “holiday” vacations – it baffles my mind that this is normalized. That this is ok. Colonialism is alive and “well” folks. Signs of this “holiday” are EVERYWHERE. We just can’t seem to get away from it.
I understand how people want, and perhaps need, something to celebrate, a reason to get together, and how structures of capitalism (aka: colonialism) benefit from the consumerist culture and mass consumption of this “holiday”. There’s so much pressure to conform to the masses. And if you don’t, you are considered “a party pooper”. Aka: being an outsider with your sense of belonging blurred by the flashing Christmas lights.
The energetics of the planet gathering with loved ones to share “holiday” moments at this time of year is everywhere.
So I gather with people I love, share a homemade meal, and create a new ritual – bonfire on the beach, mountain hike, an ocean canoe, a winter camp out, a snow shoe journey, etc. Moments that celebrate the elements and our connection to them – and doesn’t include consumerism, mass consumption, and the perpetuation of the capitalist/colonialist society we live in. Rather, going back to the land like our deep time ancestors – for ritual, medicine, and taking in its wisdom, as a source of support in the dark of winter.
There are so many forms of grief that surface during the “holidays”, and this is just one of the many.
What’s your present grief?
Come bring your sorrows and share some focused time with other grievers, while tending your grief at Tending the Heart: Online Grief Vigil, happening 6:30pm – 7:45pm PST (Thursday, December 14).
All forms of loss are welcome at this vigil. While death is the most commonly recognized source of grief, many other life experiences result in grief that deserve to be tended to.
Benefits of attending:
- Feel Heard & Seen: your sorrow, loss, and pain are all acknowledged and valid.
- Transform Your Relationship with Grief: Move towards understanding and befriending your grief, turning it from overwhelming despair into a gentle companion.
- Actively Grieve: Through reading, writing, or simple resting, you can create a contained space to be with your loss.
- Sense of Belonging: Be part of a kind, compassionate community that acknowledges, understands, and accepts your grief journey.