How To Celebrate The Holidays, With Mixed Religious Backgrounds And Traditions.

This holiday season a rare and, I’ll say it, almost magical event has occurred; Christmas Eve and Hanukkah fall on the same night.

Traditionally, most American tend to stick to one holiday, but as times change and American traditions, families, and holidays become more mixed the notion to celebrate them does too.

I fall into that category, a melting pot of couture and spirituality coming from a mixed Jewish and Christian household and I’m delighted.

To me, the holidays are a joyous time of happiness and love, but I recognize that for a lot of my  millennial melting pot friends, sometimes the holidays can become a bit of an identified crisis.

I understand that, sometimes the complexity of traditions, religious guidelines, and social pressure can be overwhelming.
Truly without specific regulations or guidelines as to what one should be celebrated and not celebrating depending on one’s level of belief can be complex. However, It’s not the end of the world to be a multifaceted person or to be questioning which aspects of a religion to accept and celebrate.

That’s what makes you, uniquely special. To decided to be a “snowflake” amongst all the cookie cutter gingerbread men. It’s truly a beautiful human moment of growth to question philosophy, tradition, spirituality, and religion. So don’t hold back, embrace the tangled net of holidays approaching us, and in that jumble you just might find yourself.

For me, dear readers, the aspect of the holidays I will be celebrating the most is the concept of light.

My favorite Arizona tradition is the lighting of the luminaries, a traditionally western candle lighting, where streets and drive ways are filled with delicate paper bags and tea candles, lighting the path for Santa.

It’s only fitting that this Christmas Eve we light Luminaries as we light the Hanukkah candles, because maybe what we all need right now is a little unity though light.