A VERSION of Santanalia

by the bloody nos

HEAR HEAR

Now is the time to celebrate Santanalia!



Q: Why is Santanalia here?

A: Because Christian celebration is monopolizing this land. Many Christmas-celebrators simply have no idea that other cultures exist. Media sources tell us that the assertion of Happy Holidays is a sting in this side, the refusal to step down from empire status. Other folks celebrating other Holidays may likewise resist blending, but they do not have the experience of totally possessing a culture with their emblems and assertions. Above and beyond this social interplay, the land is steeped in longer and longer nights, shadow swallowing us in greater and greater darkness. Let us look into that darkness.



American Christian Empire forces an emphasis on light. The need to understand death is eclipsed by the reassurance of afterlife. Death outright frightens, and media pantomimes expose a cultural unwillingness to accept it. Thus culture is youth-obsessed, driven to increasing diversions, and collapsing under excess waste.



The new light is born upon the land: let us look upon the new light, sayeth the Christians. This is not the actual timing of the event in question, of course, but a natural tactic to place the ritual initiation of their empire in the midst of 1. extant celebrations and 2. the center of earth darkness (northern hemisphere).



Thus the season was hijacked. My impression is that early celebration of the new "Christmas" (year xxx) went along generally as before, regional celebrations based on local traditions, responding to the imposed rituals gradually or jarringly… after all, you cannot tell a man how to celebrate!



Or can you? Advent of electric entertainment cloaking corporate advertisement suddenly broadcast in all KINDS of instructions. Brands soothe, technology titillates. Products climb out of the glass face and populate our worlds. How we love our objects! It is only reasonable that, in a season given to communal reassurance, we share our feeling by giving beloved objects to people. This is the culture, and this is a fine thing. Santa, of course, approves – but Santa is dead now.



Santa has gone the way of Jupiter, hanging his great snowy face in the sky. He is a myth of a man, CEO among untermenschen, impossibly wealthy and apparently resourceful, even magical in his will to gift.



But Santa is dead now, going the way of the snow itself, and it falls upon our harried populace to tax their means and gift in the honor of Santa!



Santa-in-us agitates, mashes us up against each other. We are driven to co-mingle and dust off the old pagan traditions of Saturnalia: solstice awareness, disintegration of class, mischief and jolly-ness. For in the time of deepest night, the sought animal warmth of community omits any safety, except that which we respectfully incline towards each other.



That is a folk notion, and was the essential socialist idea (X) behind Christianity itself… but apparently, in latter days, this does not extend to folk beyond one's own cultural circle. In these times of post-globalization we must change the very practice of holiday celebration to participate in human community again.



In this way, we embrace the commonly extant holidays: Dark Solstice, Regal Chaunkkah, Pious Christmas, Righteous Kwanzaa & Crystal New Year. In that all impart gifts upon their celebrator, they are already practitioners of the Great Santanalia. And further – to the Muslims, the Atheists, the Hindis, the Satanist, the monks & acolytes – whose present body confers status in the Human Community.*



* Santa's rumored whiteness is based only on practical knowledge (North Pole exists in a tundra), but completely ignores the Hollow Earth theory, which has been discredited only by photographs. Santa could have been any kind of dude, really.



TAKE BACK THE HOLIDAYS



Santanalia is a three-week period beginning 21 days before the last day of Kwanzaa. Celebration styles vary widely, but invariably include social activity, preparation of objects & object exchange, and examination of the significant and daily occurrences of the preceding year. In the omnipresence of the night, it is potent time to participate in one's inner life. (Life changes might occur, but it is best not to force them.) It is from this interior practice that we generate the energy to fully celebrate, as well as prepare intentionally for the coming year.



RITES (in whatever order)



On the cusp of New Year, make a wish in the name of Santalia.



Gift-giving is most certainly NOT withheld for one particular day. The whole Holiday is ripe for receiving, and make certain to save some wrapped gift for January.



It is appropriate to overlap Santanalia with your traditional style of celebration. Santanalia is known soother for particular Holiday Hangover.



If commerce situations freak you out, it is totally acceptable to handcraft gift from the waste and excess of the past year.



Notice the birds and animals that actively scoutabout in this season. Give gifts to your favorite (they like simple food).



Give special thanks to an evergreen plant by decorating it while it is still in the ground. This includes cactus and other regional variance. There is also plenty of time to rescue cut trees from anxious Christmas-only households.



Santanalia lights are blues & indigoes.



Bend class rules at work holiday parties.



The importance of the Object was predominant to Santa, so shall it be to us. Use Santanalia as a time to revere all Objects – complex tools of perpetual use (home, vehicle, electronics) and simple Objects at hand; acknowledge them as people, ask how you can serve them.