My study window looks out over the neighborhood park.  I have logged hundreds of miles in laps around that park over the past 24 years, and yet, there is something magical about walking through it during the first snow of the season.  The cold has a distinct smell and taste. There is a mystical quality to the quiet stillness created by the gently drifting flakes, the quiet interrupted only by the fairylike tinkling of lacy frozen crystals settling on dry, frozen leaves.  Every tree and branch, the detail of every house is outlined.  Edges are softened.  As part of the landscape, I am merely a figure on a vast canvas, another detail in nature’s masterpiece.

I have a habit of viewing everything in terms of relationships and the arts.  Perhaps it is an occupational hazard of my professional training in the former and my passion for the latter.  Or it may be because it is through relationships and the arts that we communicate who we are, what we believe, what we value, what we need, want, desire, and who we want to become.  Then again it might be the result of my deep conviction that both relationships and the arts are essential to our survival. 

As we approach the celebrations taking place over the next couple of months, with all the associated sights, sounds, scents, flavors, and feelings, I find myself wondering, what would the holidays be without the arts?  Would there even be holidays without the arts?

Holidays are an outgrowth of our beliefs, but how would we express and perpetuate those beliefs without the arts?  Would it be possible without the oral tradition of storytelling or the written word?  Can you even imagine celebrating without music?  How would we know that something special is happening without visual symbols and cues?  What about the dances, the dramas, the preparation and presentation of food?  I cannot think of a single aspect of the holidays that is not steeped in the arts. 

Through the arts, we convey what is being celebrated and why.  The arts provide an outward expression of our beliefs and values.  It is through our interactions, in relationship to one another, that these outward expressions gain meaning and significance.  The arts allow us to define and perpetuate our identity.  Sue Monk Kidd wrote that, “Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can’t remember who we are or why we’re here.”  The arts communicate our stories through literature, music, dance, theatre, culinary and visual art.  They are integral to our holiday celebrations. 

Consider what the holiday you celebrate means to you.  Recall your earliest memories of this holiday.  What traditions did your family practice?  What was their significance?  How did you know?  What feelings were inspired by the celebration?  What beliefs were preserved?  How do those beliefs impact you daily?  How did participating in this holiday affect the person you have become?       

Explore how the arts allow you to express the meaning of this holiday.  Look around your home.  What symbols are displayed?  What stories are told?  What books or passages are read?  Will you listen to music composed for this holiday?  Will you attend dance or dramatic performances that are specific to this holiday?  Are there special dishes that will be prepared?  How would your experience of this holiday change without these artistic elements?          

Determine whether or not you are effectively communicating the meaning through your celebration.  Do your children know what you are celebrating and why?  
Ask them.  If they are unsure or confused, explain the significance of this holiday.  Identify the symbols and what they represent.  Clarify the beliefs underlying your celebration.  Children of all ages enjoy the telling and, over the years, will come to understand more with each retelling.  Be aware of how the arts help make this holiday come to life for your children.     

We are in the midst of a season intended to inspire us to reaffirm our beliefs, become improved versions of our former selves, honor and strengthen our significant relationships, and dedicate ourselves to making a worthwhile difference.  Each of us is endowed with the power to do these things. We need only choose to do so.  The masterpiece we create is of our own making.