The thing about Christmas is that it really makes miss living in Israel.
I don’t mean the not having it part of living in Israel.
Though yeah, I have to say it was lovely not being forcibly submerged in that unbelievably grating seasonal soundtrack, or to have to look blankly at people wanting to know what my “plans for celebrating” are.
But what I mean is that I always liked Christmas in Israel.
Tradition.
I lived in Israel for just over ten years and five of those years were spent in bars.
Okay. Ten of those years were spent in bars, but five were spent working in bars.
And that’s where you go when you’re in Tel Aviv and you want to celebrate Christmas.
So wherever I was working, over the course of the day, some sort of marvelously unlikely gathering would emerge.
German tourists. All the South Africans who worked at the hostel down the street. The Scottish husband of a friend of one of our regulars. A couple of Israelis who had lived in Australia for a few years and missed the atmosphere.
Some years we’d string up lights and stuff. Other times we’d forget it was even going to happen until one of the waitresses would look up and wonder out loud where all the sad-looking foreigners were coming from.
We’d play The Pogues and then everything would get lost, jumbled, as the rush began. New Year’s Eve, we’d tell them. It will be a party.
Ritual.
There are so many kinds of rituals.
Some intentional. Some inherited.
Some a combination of appreciating a habit that already exists.
Some demand a sense of humor.
And some are born to meet a need.
I am a fan of most of these. Rituals make me happy, in general.
The ones with meaning and power, obviously. The ones that touch my heart. But also the ones that are silly, gleeful, unexpected.
Finding my place.
In my chosen family (that would be me, my duck and my gentleman friend), we do not celebrate Christmas and have no plans to.
We do a bazillion things for the various Jewish holidays, of course. And we can kind of get into the concept of doing something for the Solstice (who doesn’t like light?) but there’s also something about it that’s too … something.
I briefly got all excited to discover that Yule is fabulously pagan.
But it still sounds too much like decorated trees and such.
Anyway. Imagine how excited I was yesterday to learn about Zombie Yule.
Here! In the comments! The commenter mice here are the best.
Permission to hide.
This was from Ms Z:
“We decided a few years ago to bow out of the holidays and invent our own. We call it Zombie Yule.
“It started out as a silly excuse to not celebrate the holidays (I loathe the holidays) and have four days to just lay around and watch zombie movies, eat decadent food, drink good beer, and not clean the house for company (the apocalypse just happens whenever, you can’t plan for it and nobody cares if your toilet is clean).
“However, as happens with these things, it just kind of grew and grew. This is the third annual Zombie Yule — a time to gather together with as many uninfected as possible and celebrate getting through another year without the zombie apocalypse (you know it is GOING to happen).
“We watch zombie movies, sing zombie songs, and play zombie games. You even have the right to board up your house and keep everyone out. It is an all purpose holiday. With shovels.”
The main thing I got from this was “the right to board up your house and keep everyone out” … and my entire being just went oh huge sigh of relief.
Because of course. If I were going to invent a holiday?
It would be one that gave you permission to hide.
And to carve out space where you belong.
So … I don’t really do zombie movies.
Though watching Sean of the Dead and drinking whiskey could work for me. I sense a tradition coming on.
But the idea of taking intentional time off and then avoiding people and going into seclusion in a way that also makes you laugh … sounds really, really perfect.
Happy trying stuff.
Wherever you are, whatever you’re celebrating or not-celebrating, enjoying or avoiding (or both), whether theist, atheist or anti-theist (thank you, SF Slim), I wish you good stuff.
Good stuff like joy. And sovereignty. And patience. And playfulness. And time for yourself. And healthy boundaries.
And the ability to get better at practicing all this stuff, especially in situations where it really seems like you just don’t have any choices right now.
Happy Erev Zombie Yule, y’all.
Oh yes. I just said that.
EDIT: I just found out about the Last Night On Earth Zombie Gingerbread House and the Zombie Santa song. Clearly I am not up to date on anything.
So I will just say that my version of Zombie Yule is all about the avoidance and the drinking. No Santa. Though that gingerbread house is awesome.
Follow
Happy Zombie Yule, Havi! And happy whatever ritual, tradition or celebration nourishes your heart, everyone. here.
May light and dark offer their gifts with both hands this season.
Love, Hiro
.-= Hiro Boga´s last post … Sunday Poem #14: Buddhist Chronicles 4 =-.
Hiding.
Wow.
I have to take my Zombie Yule in 10 minute portions upstairs as I cook dinner for 2 families.
Maybe I could board up a closet upstairs just for the occasion.
Thanks for everything this year. Changed my life, you know.
.-= Andrew Lightheart @alightheart´s last post … How to make sure you fight at Christmas =-.
I am going to appropriate the Zombie Yule tomorrow for my own purposes. Apparently my heart needs to hide. Except I will substitute happy movies for zombie movies because otherwise I will have to hide in the bathroom for the entire movie. Which would sort of defeat the purpose of watching it. Come to think of it, I could watch 13 going on 30, which would sort of be the same as watching a zombie movie since they do the Thriller dance. Hee.
Happy Zombie Yule to you, Havi!
And I wish everyone here whatever they need most this season.
.-= elizabeth´s last post … wishing you every blessing =-.
I love traditions, and hearing about other people’s traditions, and starting traditions by virtue of declaring a new thing a Tradition! – but I especially love traditions with a sense of humor. Thank you, Havi! Wishing you a fabulous whatever-you-like and a happy new anything-that-makes-you-laugh.
.-= Tracy´s last post … Holding Zone =-.
Zombie Yule! I love it! 🙂
We’ve been trying harder and harder to avoid the holiday thing. So stressful. Plus, no one ever laughs when we walk in a room and say “Happy Capitalist Day!”
Last year, Portland’s “Arctic Blast 2008” gave us a good excuse to not participate and we were so happy.
This year, we’re opting out all on our own and are looking forward to a nice, relaxing movie day.
Cheers to intentional time off and avoiding people!
D.
Of course you’d post my favoritest evar christmas song!
I love that song! Dunno that I’ve ever seen the video, though, so thank you for sharing.
My favorite Christmas tradition is to hole up at my BFF’s house with him and his wife, and eat glorious food, drink delicious booze, and watch whatever we feel like on TV — all in our lounging-about clothes. I don’t get to do it every year, but the years we do are awesome! It’s a little bit like hiding, but with my favorite people ever.
.-= Amy Crook´s last post … Happy Christmas Commission =-.
Our Christmas tradition is to hibernate for a week. We stay home, open our presents, eat lovely food and immerse ourselves in a pile of books and films. If friends come round, that’s great but we don’t usually go out to parties. I also use this time between the years to reflect on what I’ve done during the year and plan for the coming one.
As an artist with a home studio, I find that work seeps into every part of my life so it’s important to have times when I take an actual holiday.
So I very much enjoy this time of year, largely because I always do exactly what I want and don’t get weighed down with other people’s expectations and demands. It seems to me that a lot of people just stress themselves out during the holiday season.
.-= Kirsty Hall´s last post … 3 Score & 10 =-.
Oh my. The Zombie Santa song is made of awesomeness.
Also, I have a Solstice tree. And a candle in front of my Buddha.
.-= Riin´s last post … Happy Fuzzy Yarn Sock Yarn Club and Fiber Club =-.
Reading “Erev Zombie Yule” gave me such a warm-heart feeling, an “I get the meaning of this and I don’t have to translate it for anyone else” feeling.
Then I feel a little bit mean, but y’know.. sometimes it’s good to get the joke without having to explain it. Especially in December.
.-= Pirate´s last post … In Which the Pirate Decreases. =-.
I would love a holiday that involved hiding away. I sometimes wonder if the folks who insist that everyone be social all the time realize that at least some of the the isolation is a reaction to having to be social.
It’s regrettable that “introvert” and “extrovert” have received such stereotyped connotations. We need new words for “likes people, but absolutely must have time to recharge” and “does just fine alone, but recharges by being around other people”.
.-= Chris Anthony´s last post … Depression and honesty =-.
I’m so on board for Zombie Yule! Of course, we’re a complicated household — we’ve already had Yule proper, tonight is Lessons and Carols, and tomorrow is sushi and a movie. But I’ve got serious plans to hibernate. In fact, I kind of think I shouldn’t talk to people between Thanksgiving and Imbolc, but that’s another topic for another time.
But now I have to tell you the worst joke of all time, because it’s relevant and still makes me laugh. What do vegan zombies eat? GRAAAAAAAAAAINS
@Julie – I am a huge sucker for bad jokes and yours is awesome, as bad jokes go. Plus – bonus because it’s fun to say!
Rituals and traditions keep popping up in my reading, and my struggling and my arguing with reality.
Probably means it’s time for me to work on my stuff around them, but I’m consciously avoiding that for the moment.
But holidays that are about “permission to hide” and “carving out space where you belong” sound like something I could handle.
.-= Victoria Brouhard´s last post … Ten Facts about Me That You May or May Not Find Interesting =-.
Love it, love it, LOVE IT.
Zombie Yule.
YES.
.-= Hayden Tompkins´s last post … The Magic of Christmas – Literally! =-.
Havi, I hope you get plenty of whatever you want because you have given me so much to think about, and I’m very grateful. I have you to thank for being able to stay home this year because I could finally admit out loud to myself and my sweetie that I would feel resentful if I traveled. The idea that it is perfectly okay to stay home and be happy is a huge gift, thank you! Happy Zombie Yule!
.-= Darcy´s last post … Day 54: Applesauce equation =-.
So glad that Zombie Yule is a thing, and that you get it. Sigh of relief.
@Darcy – that is the best thing I have ever heard. Wow. Thank you!
@Julie – *giggles* Vegan zombies are the funny.
@Elizabeth – zombie thriller dance! I know. I’m also way too highly sensitive to face the blood and gore. Maybe only vegan zombie stuff. Watch something extra-happy for me.
Internet hugs all around!
What an amazing coincidence–my precious daughter just made gingerbread zombies for us all! There’s some vast celestial zombie confluence . . . which ought to disturb me more. (The zombies can be seen on my blog)
I can only echo an earlier commenter: my favourite Christmas song! Thank you! 😀
I approve of Erev Zombie Yule, too. Totally. Wish I could get some hiding time tomorrow.
.-= Lucy Viret (aka randomling)´s last post … More mini-announcements! =-.
There’s nothing like new holiday traditions to give me hope of pulling out of this rut.
Or renewing old ones in unfamiliar contexts. A few years back, a good friend of mine taught kindergarten in Lahore, Pakistan for a year. Her roommate was really excited to have S. come live with her because it meant she would get to have a Christmas tree for the first time ever. After all, the roommate figured S. had to be Christian–she had a nice, Irish last name and was American. Oops: S. had just converted to Judaism. Not wanting to disappoint her roommate, however, S. took her Christmas tree shopping, and the Muslim and the Jew celebrated a lovely Christmas together.
Really, it reminded me of Dar Williams’s song “The Christians and the Pagans”–which, if you don’t know it, is definitely worth looking up.
.-= Leslie M-B´s last post … In which I warm up for Tuesday’s job interview by writing about rabbits =-.
Merry Christmas Beautiful oneI love reading about you, your Gentleman Friend and The Duck. May you havea blessed Christmas.
Jan
This is fabulous! I am so pleased that Zombie Yule is a tradition that offers the space you need this time of year. Erev Zombie Yule indeed!
A very merry Zombie Yule to you, Havi! May it be filled with zest, zaniness, and all the zzzzzzzz’s you desire!
I’m very happy right now, because I actually *got* the thing I wanted so much this year but didn’t think I was going to get, my own equivalent of the Red Ryder BB Gun — but in my case, it was the Procrastination Dissolve-o-Matic. So very grateful to my lovely, loving family for making my wish come true!
.-= Kathleen Avins @spiralsongkat´s last post … If blogging can be therapy, can it also be triage? =-.
Having 10 minutes of Zombie Yule time hiding upstairs after Christmas lunch.
GRAAAAINS!
.-= Andrew Lightheart @alightheart´s last post … How to make sure you fight at Christmas =-.
Must be something in the air, ’cause we’re hiding too!
But that doesn’t mean we don’t mean good wishes and holiday cheer to everyone, and most especially Havi, her gentleman friend and the wonderful community they have created on the intrawebs!
Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow: zombies!
Well, I don’t get zombie yule this year (GRAAAINSSSS!), but I did just get to tune my 2-year-old’s new ukulele. “My ‘tar, Mommy?” Yep, it’s your ‘tar. Yay!
Happy something, y’all!
I never had a name for what we do here on the holidays. . . . but you named it for me as you do so many things Havi.
I’ve noticed that during the holidays – which we’re out of step with as we’re Jewish – we have made a tradition of finding stuff to make on the Food Network and doing KP in the kitchen.
We always find new stuff – and rarely make the same thing twice – which is a lot of fun. Other than that, it’s PJ’s and whatever we want in terms of rest, activity, hiding from the world or staying in touch – we just go for whatever we feel like.
I love the holidays for just that reason – we make them our own!
xox
.-= Char´s last post … How The Littlest Things Can Make The Biggest Difference In Your Life and In Your Health =-.
Totally went into hiding this year.
Did not drive across Colorado-Kansas-Missouri in a blizzard to be with family.
Did not even accept an invite to Turkey Christmas dinner as one of the odd singles invited in from the cold.
I sleep in. And fixed myself my favorite egg-hashbrowns brunch. I took a walk in the snow. I smelled the roses I got for myself. I watched some Star Trek Deep Space Nine (they don’t have Christmas there).
And I wasted no time playing the pitiful-I’m-alone-on-Christmas tune.
It was remarkably sweet.
Meredith
Thank you havi. Loved the zombie yule and the zombie gingerbread. I think I’ll go write more of my novel, where the werewolves attack and cause massive death and destruction. That’s the kinda holiday I’m talking about.
Thanks Havi, I got a great laugh out of your entire concept. Zombie Yule is about one of the most fun and coolest new ideas I have heard in a while.. and believe me I hear plenty of zombie related ideas and storys on a regular basis.
I am kinda a zombie game and movie fan, a little kookie yes, but having fun and networking none the less. I think this has inspired me to make some zombie related holiday stuff. Thanks for the inspiration and I will be wishing a happy early Zombie Yule 🙂
Thanks for the fun article,
Dusty the Zombie fan