Holiday Poems

In today's world we are inundated with images of Christmas from the media. We are told that it is all about buying expensive gifts for each other. In today's challenging economic times it is a tragedy that parents spend way more than they can afford to try to please their children. The sad truth is that, "money can't buy you love". A holiday is about the time spent together with loved ones. It is about gifts that come from the heart, and it is the about the thousands of years of tradition that mark the holiday season.

Father's Day is not as respected and popularly observed as Mother's Day. There is a simple reason for this. Although almost everyone has difficult issues with their mothers, there is no doubt as to their mother's love. The same is not true for fathers. Because men have a more difficult time expressing their feelings to their children, many children go through life with the mistaken notion that their fathers don't love them. This is a tragedy because fathers generally love their children dearly and often work long hours so that they can raise their children in comfort.

Many people may not know that this day exists. Some may choose to ignore it. They may think, "must we have a day for every person in the universe, when does all this day naming end?". Sadly, those people probably did not have an opportunity to develop a relationship with their grandparents. They don't understand the gifts that a grandparents can give. Grandparents can provide a sense of continuity and roots to their grandchildren. They can provide a sense that life matters, and the ability to see life within a larger context of time. Happy Grandparents Day!

Although Halloween began as a holiday for individuals who practiced the occult, it has since turned into something completely different. Halloween has really become all about the kids. It is about the fun of dressing up and pretending to be someone else for a night. It is about children gorging themselves on way too much candy. Unfortunately, there is also a sinister aspect to the holiday that has to do with children believing that they are entitled to received candy and vandalizing property when they don't get what they want.

Holidays are many things to many people. For some, the primary function of a holiday is its religious significance. It is a time when specific spiritual opportunities are available to experience. For others holidays are primarily about family getting together. Most people do not work and so there is an opportunity to renew family bonds. Relatives that you haven't seen in a while join together with you to celebrate the family that you belong too. People that do not have large families or may not want to join together with them may celebrate with friends.

Mother's Day comes once a year. Some think that if they buy their mother flowers and a card that they have fulfilled their obligation for the rest of the year. If we only comprehended a 10th of what our mothers did for us as children, and how they would literally die for us if needed, we would realize that one day is not sufficient. Mothers Day should be a time to remind us that we have been neglecting our duties as sons and daughters. This relationship is sacred let us honor our mothers.

The new year is a time to celebrate new beginnings. It is time to celebrate having a clean slate. Anything is possible because the past doesn't matter. It has become a time to celebrate our romantic relationships by kissing at the moment that the new year begins. Many of us also celebrate by getting totally wasted. Hey, don't knock it until you try it. But please don't drink and drive. Celebrating the new year by saying that your life and the lives of others on the streets are not important is not exactly life affirming

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday with wonderful food. It is a time to celebrate that G-d has given us so much bounty that we can stuff ourselves with food. It is also a time to get together with family, eat delicious food, and in general feel good about ourselves. We loosen our belt buckles a notch, settle into the couch and enjoy a couple of football games. What could be more American than Thanksgiving. It is the American Holiday that is celebrated more than any other.