Seasonal beliefs that drive cultures

Muse #338 - it is that time of the year

Bud and Spud in their Abominable Snowmen outfit Credit: https://unsplash.com/photos/-_gMskl-uoc

It is that time of the year. The Christmas season. The shopping season. The push hard to buy things season. The meet people season. The slow-down season. The Winter snow or the mid-summer season depending on where you are. The summer-winter solstice switch season. The flu season, though the flu has not got a back seat. The “be thankful” season, though I wonder why we are not thankful each day and we need a specific time to do it. The muted by the pandemic and going crazy season. The New Year season. The back to work after some holidays and the impending deja vu season.

And yet we do that year over year. Practicing rituals and practices that have been built up over a long period of time. Mirroring things that others do so that we fit in. Or not. Or watching from the sidelines. And making meaning of these constructs in a local context based on where one lives.

All rituals are based on beliefs. If it’s useful to someone there is nothing wrong with any of the rituals. What’s believed drives cultures after all. It’s a season of cultural rituals. Enjoy it any way you want to.