Christmas

Yes, I celebrate Christmas... I get that question a lot. I was raised in a Presbyterian Church, then transferred to the Spiritualist Church (where I became a licensed ordained minister), and have since transferred to the new entity - Wolfe Island Aboriginal Interfaith. A sister-in-law felt I couldn't be a "real" minister because we didn't have a building. Hmmm. A church to me, is the body of people of like-minded belief, rather than a fancy building to celebrate those beliefs. It wouldn't matter if we did have a building, that sister-in-law doesn't believe anyone outside the Baptist tradition is legitimate anyway. So racism exists within our own family.

Being now an interfaith minister, who specializes in native traditions, I get to participate in lots of mind-expanding experiences, and not just Christian ones... I have Baha'i friends, Buddhists, Jewish, one Muslim, Zoroastrian, Jainists, neo-pagans, Paleo-pagans and Spiritualists- among many, many others. I'd love to use my interfaith status to celebrate them all, but not without honest study and the integrity of active participation.... No, I'm a native specialist, and as such do the solstice/New Years things, and honour the special traditions of Christmas with my blended family.

A holiday bug? Don't mess with Christmas trees... leave them be. Our various holiday traditions overlap now, so they mean lots of things to lots of different people. A holiday temptation? Shortbread. Egad, I love shortbread. I love it so much that except for our gathering this year, I haven't made it in 20+ years because I would eat it. And I love exchanging presents....