winter solstice

I kind of love Christmas. I know it’s corny and I should be much to old for it, but honestly I just love the whole pageantry of it.

But I kind of have a weird relationship to the motives behind Christmas.

I personally don’t celebrate Christmas, that is, I don’t celebrate the birth of Christ. Firstly, because he was born in April (I believe this is a fact) and secondly because I am not really religious in any way.

Not to say say anything despairing about religion, I am just not a fan of any set of rules that seek to restrict my life. Of cause it doesn’t help that I am gay and that is frown upon by most major religions.

So why do I celebrate with my family at the end of December if I don’t celebrate Christmas?

Well, believe it or not, in Denmark people have been celebrating Christmas, or as we call it “jul”, long before we were converted to Christianity. Actually one of the reasons for putting Christmas near the end of December was to have it coincide with the pagan winter solstice celebration.

Denmark in the winter is so sad, grey and cold that there isn’t much to look forward to. This is actually one of the reasons that I hate the annual death march that is January and February. These are months when it is just cold and not fun to be a Dane.

The reason that I can get through November and December is the fact that I have Christmas to look forward to.

So on December 24 when I eat myself silly, sing Christmas carols and receive gifts from people I care about, I will not be celebrating the birth of a deity, but rather the turning of the seasons. That for me is something to get excited for… damn, I miss summer