Witching You a Happy
Holiday Season
When I was asked to do a blog with the topic, Witching You a
Happy Holiday Season, I wasn’t at all certain I would be able to do the subject
justice—especially as it was associated to my recently released novel, A
Witch’s Tale. Then I recalled a
“conversation” I recently had with one of my followers on Facebook.
The subject was, not surprisingly, about the upcoming
holiday season. This person, who I don’t
actually know personally, made the comment how terrible it was that people
thought it was okay to wish someone Happy Holidays instead of Merry
Christmas. Her comment made me stop and
think for a moment.
As a self described Christian, I have spent a lifetime wishing
others Merry Christmas. For the most part over all those years, I have almost
always been greeted with the same sentiment.
Now, more and more often I am hearing, Happy Holidays.
I’m personally fine with this—more than fine, actually. More often than not I have no idea what
another person’s personal faith is.
True, they may be Christian, but they may just as well be Jewish. After all, the Jewish faith celebrates
Hanukah during the same period of time that we Christians celebrate the birth
of Christ.
The person I am speaking to may even be Wiccan, the religion
of my female protagonist in A Witch’s Tale. One of Wiccan’s most important
celebrations is the Winter Solstice.
Again, it is celebrated very close to Christmas.
After researching the Wiccan faith for the writing of this
book, and also after getting to know some absolutely wonderful Jews, I have to
ask myself why we cannot wish others happiness in their own faiths. I came to know Cassie, my little Wiccan hero,
as a sweet, gentle woman. I’m happy to have
known her, even though it was only in my mind and on the written page. I feel more tolerant of others’ beliefs after
watching the torment Cassie was forced to endure simply because she worshipped
in a different way than most of her neighbors.
I have one more, very short, story about how we celebrate
the holidays. Once, several years ago, I
was working for a company that encouraged their employees to enjoy the holidays
at work as well as at home. Being the
secretary (and oldest member of the group) the task of organizing the
decorations fell to me. I don’t remember
much about what our decorations looked like that year. But I remember clearly asking our tallest guy
to put the lights on the tree.
Mark did a magnificent job.
After he had plugged the lights in and we all oohed and aaahed, he
grinned and said, “You know what? That’s
the first time I’ve ever helped decorate a Christmas tree.” It wasn’t until he’d made that comment that I
remembered that Mark was Jewish. I
started to apologize for being so thoughtless in asking him to participate in
decorating our tree, but he stopped me mid-sentence. “I loved doing it,” he said. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
That was the year my daughter and I attended our first
Hanukah party. Yes, it was at Mark’s
home. He and his friends and family made
us feel as welcome as Mark had when he hung those lights for our little team.
So, my friends, whatever your faith might be let me wish you
very happy holidays. I wish you nothing
but the best now and in the coming year.
A Witch's Tale
by Maralee Lowder
ISBN-13: 978-1481023979
ISBN-10: 1481023977
Publisher: Taylor Street Books
When hard-bittern reporter Mac McCormick is sent to Port Bellmont to report on the chilling death of the popular Reverend Elkins who has been found ritually sacrificed in a field just outside the town, he encounters an enraged crowd baying for the blood of a coven of witches whom it believes responsible for the crime.
About the Author:
Maralee Lowder found so much pleasure in reading such a wide spectrum of romance genres, she has never been able to write in just one. Her novels run the gamut of contemporary, historical, humorous, horror, paranormal and suspense.
Look for the sequel to "The Morticians Wife" coming soon
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