It’s holiday time! And with Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, the solstice, New Year’s and whatever else, it’s the season for much celebration. However, I have a hunch that a lot of Shaumbra play along with these holidays more out of habit than true commemoration, because most of what they are based on has lost its meaning for us. Therefore, I’ve decided it’s time to come up with some new holidays.

Come with me now, and let’s imagine 44 years into the future. Life on Earth has changed drastically. Most of the old power games have fizzled out. New levels of creativity has spawned incredible solutions for the planet. Those who call themselves Shaumbra are growing fewer and fewer, their mission completed. And the seldom seen but highly esteemed incarnate Masters have become an accepted segment of society. Religions have become irrelevant as humanity discovers their innate connection with the divine, and most churches have been repurposed as Community Celebration Centers. And, with the fall of religion, a number of new holidays have been born.

Crystalmas / crystalis – December 21

With a nod of nostalgia to its precursor, Christmas, this holiday celebrates the crystal clear clarity of realization. Legend has it that the very first modern-day Master experienced their ascension on this day, followed quickly by a wave of several dozen more. It was the beginning of the Age of the Masters. Crystalmas, also called Crystalis in recognition of the long awaited emergence of humanity from its cocoon, is celebrated with festive lights and by suspending crystals of every kind from not just trees but eaves, rafters, streetlights, awnings, bridges and anything else that can be imagined. In place of Santa Claus we now have fairies that bring gifts on solstice eve, their favorite being a perfectly faceted crystal.

New Year’s – January 1

Crystalmas is quickly followed by raucous New Year celebrations, a joyous time of bringing in, dancing with and choosing potentials for the coming year. In fact, many elaborate Choice Rituals have sprung up in different cultures around the world, all focused on new – and conscious – beginnings.

Creation Sunday – Late March

Bearing similarities to the outdated but popular Easter holiday, as well as ancient fertility rites, this is a day to celebrate creativity and (pro)creation. With the arrival of spring in the northern hemisphere, it is a time of renewal and life. Not surprisingly, a noticeable segment of the population celebrate their birthdays approximately nine months later, the births adding to the magic and blessing of Crystalmas. Creation Sunday is often preceded by several days of Seeker Games, where people find creative ways to conceal everyday items until the seeker discovers it was there all along. A popular variation of the Seeker Game is to hide something from oneself the night before, and see how long it takes to find it again. Whether played with others or with self, this game is a lighthearted acknowledgement of our disappearing mental acuity, which has evolved into a simple and relatively practical knowingness.

Independence Day – Varies

Originally celebrated by various countries to commemorate their military victories, Independence Day has gradually taken on a whole new significance. It is a day of good-natured anarchy, where celebrants review the preceding year and claim total if unwitting responsibility for their successes, failures, trials and triumphs. Communities and individuals light fireworks, and the slow-burning fuses followed by colorful explosions represent festering frustrations and then defiant “blowing up” of issues they have been struggling with. Independence Day has come to be a very satisfying way for individuals to mark both successes and failures, and is one of the most popular holidays worldwide. In fact, there is now a subculture of “Indies,” people who travel around the world to catch the Independence Day celebration of each country. It has been noted that particularly passionate celebrants usually see remarkable changes in their lives.

Zebra Day – November 11

This has become one of the most significant and solemn holidays, particularly for elders who remember the old days, and was initially based on the old “Veteran’s Day” of the United States. The namesake animal of “Zebra Day” has become a symbol of reconciliation – white and black, light and dark coexisting with neither conflict nor conformity. It is now a time to celebrate of the end of war, regional conflicts and even interpersonal arguments. Of course, humans still have plenty of disagreements, but more and more they are being resolved through such means as mediation, restitution and forgiveness. This date, 11/11, also happened to be the date of the one and only nuclear strike in the 21st century. The effect was so shocking and devastating that humans around the world came together in record-breaking protests, toppling leaders and ultimately disarming entire nations. Needless to say, Zebra Day is the most poignant holiday in modern memory.

Masters’ Days – varies

Although they were celebrated for hundreds of years, history books are now the only place to learn about the old “Saint’s Days,” commemorations of people whom the now defunct Catholic Church saw fit to canonize. Now, with the advent of incarnate Masters, a populist movement began to celebrate them (much to the chagrin of the Masters themselves). These holidays are generally celebrated on the day of realization or, if that is unknown, on the birthday, and are most exuberantly celebrated in the relevant Master’s home country. Most popular by far is Adamus’ Day, generally celebrated on September 5th, with Tobias’ Day (July 19) a close second.

Liya Day – February 14

Named for the widespread practice of Aliyah, this has come to replace, or at least be an adjunct to the old Valentine’s Day. Now, instead of high expectations from one’s partner for an acceptable Valentine celebration, it has become common for restaurants, florists, theatres and other businesses to cater to single individuals. Well-dressed solitary diners are a common sight on Liya day.

New Family Day – June 21

As more and more people recognize the importance of releasing their ancestral lineage, a new custom has popped up where individuals choose honorary family members – sisters, brothers, parents, grandparents, even children – to take the place of biological relatives with whom one no longer feels an affiliation. This custom is even starting to be recognized by communities, medical centers and even some government sectors, and is celebrated on the summer solstice.

Of course, this is only a partial list of our new holidays, for nearly all the old religious celebrations have been updated, outdated or simply forgotten. Add in the cheeky spoof celebrations of the old “holy” days – Christmas, Easter, Hanukkah, Ramadan and others – and it’s obvious we have become a society that revels in its celebrations! As they say, any reason to party is a good reason!

Oh, and in case you’re wondering about my personal favorite, after participating in the events of the last ninety-some years I have to say it is Emancipation Day, celebrated in mid April. It is similar to Independence Day, but at a very focused personal level. As the name suggests, it is a day to celebrate one’s personal freedom. Gifts are given to others, debts are settled, slights forgiven on this day of new beginnings.

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As you come back now to December 2015, I invite you to rethink the celebrations we take for granted. In this time of deep change and upheaval, wouldn’t it be amazing to create new celebrations that commemorate what’s really happening? It’s all a flight of fancy anyway, a fantasy of epic proportions. Let’s play!

Happy Holidays!