Inventing a holiday

I’m taking on the challenge of inventing a holiday and with that I have to create a reason for the holiday, include food, rituals, and traditions. This is a creative writing task, but this action is something that was actually already on my bucket list and in the past I had thought about doing this without a plan. I was planning to implement a compliment day, but because I didn’t have a plan I didn’t think that paying people compliments all day satisfied the requirement of crossing it off of my bucket list.

I have been commemorating the Christmas season by recognizing the winter solstice for years. Instead of wishing me a Merry Christmas, friends in the know wish me a Happy Win-Sol. I don’t necessarily celebrate Christmas traditions, so I send people Win-Sol gifts and tie all of the winter holiday charm into the day. This year I think I will actually celebrate it by completing this mission of creating a food, ritual, and tradition.

When I was young, I learned the trick of standing an egg on its head on the spring and fall equinox. For this reason, the egg should be a significant part of every solstice, winter included. Eggs will be eaten in different forms all day long, culminating with midnight custard. Midnight is significant because the winter solstice marks the longest night of the year. Eggs will also be colored deep blue (in an Easter sort of fashion) and displayed to represent twilight and the night sky.

Then there are some traditions that can be adhered to, but aren’t mandatory. First is the wearing of deep blue, the official color of the holiday. Also an attempt to stay awake well into the morning hours recounting the life of Humpty Dumpty.

While this holiday celebration is centered upon a true event/ observation, the rituals and traditions are all created for the purpose of celebrating a non religious winter holiday. No longer do people have to feel like hypocrites for not getting into the Christmas spirit!