pomegranateandivy:

There’s this interesting dynamic in my house during this time of year. My ‘sister’ grew up celebrating Christmas. My brother and I grew up Christian, but not celebrating Christmas. Beau is Christian. Many of our friends and family celebrate Christmas.

So we end up in this odd place, where Christmas is both not ours, and part of our traditions all at the same time. Amanda and I celebrate our own religious holidays during this time of year, but we also want to be involved in the celebrations of those closest to us. 

If anyone asks us, we tell them that we don’t celebrate Christmas. I’ll explain to people who prompt further that my fiance does, as do most of our family and so we join them for celebrations, but we don’t observe Christmas ourselves.

We end up blending our traditions. The things each of us observes, the things that are important to us during this time of year, the traditions we observe, they all blend together into this conglomerate celebration that allows us to fit everyone’s celebrations into a single day. Sometimes it feels perfect. Sometimes I feel a bit odd, that my house is decked out in Christmas decor, but it’s all the wrong colors and imagery. There’s pine, ivy, flowers, and winter fruits everywhere. Candles and lanterns set on tables. Gilded bits of nature adorn every surface, and our altar is proudly displayed as a focal point of the room. Stocking hang above our entertainment center, boxes piled under fake trees, and piles of cookies are sitting on the counter.

Beau prays to Jehovah, and we pour out libations to Zeus and Hera, to Hestia, Demeter, Dionysos, Artemis, and Persephone. We sit friends and family at our table, and we leave aside a small portion of food that never gets touched–a roll, a bit of meat, a slice of fruit. 

We save our prayers until everyone has left. Until after gifts have been exchanged and candy consumed. Until after we’ve hugged everyone and said goodnight. There aren’t any grand gestures of faith from anyone until the door closes behind the last guest.

This is our compromise. Hellenic tradition dressed up in Christmas. Christmas bedecked in Hellenic symbols. There isn’t an easy name for what we celebrate. But it’s ours, and our family has built it together.