We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving where I come from. Yet, it has become one of my favorite holidays, and I have wholeheartedly incorporated it into our family traditions, and wish of course all people around me a very happy Thanksgiving. When we lived in Hong Kong in the late 1980s everyone wished us a happy lunar new year, and we reciprocated the wish, even though it’s not one of our holidays.
Christmastime is very joyful in America, filled with parties, opulent decorations, twinkle lights everywhere, and cheerful Christmas music. Offices and organizations have staff and member parties to celebrate the season, friends get together for feast and fun, it’s convivial and inclusive even if you don’t celebrate the underlying religious reason, or don’t celebrate Christmas at all. For us Christmas has always been more a cultural than a religious celebration, and I just love getting carried away in this sparkly, red and green tide, and all the togetherness.
In recent years we have all tried so hard to be politically correct by wishing everyone happy holidays, afraid to offend or exclude those who don’t celebrate Christmas. It’s impossible to please everyone, and every wish comes from the heart and is well meant. Hence, I wish all of you, whatever you believe, whatever your cultural background, a very merry Christmas, because it’s a joyful time of year, full of light and laughter and sparkle and togetherness, and that’s what I wish you.
P.S. Please check the website for the latest workshop and talk dates.