Christmas traditions

On the weekend I attended a seminar on the subject of mid-winter pagan traditions. It asked the question: “How much paganism is rooted in European customs and Christian celebrations?” Quite a bit it seems. My interest in early English history ensured that I was in for an enjoyable learning opportunity. What I didn’t expect was to start questioning the value of continuing to perform and sustain rituals and practices that are no longer relevant or meaningful to contemporary life. I found myself suffering a crisis, torn between a recognition of the historical (and evidential and informational) value of these traditions and a realisation that their original function has altered so much as to now be nonsensical. Mummers plays, blessing the plough ceremonies, the tradition of the “first-footers”, all these were ways of celebrating the turning of the season and of ensuring good luck for the coming year. Now we perform them because they’re historical. The reality of contemporary knowledge and contemporary life-styles means that beliefs and superstitions which found expression in these ritualistic forms are no longer relevant or even properly understood. Perhaps these traditional activities should be altered so that they resonate with contemporary life experiences, thereby giving back to the original form it’s original purpose.