December - The Month Of History - Let's make it a happy one.

INTRODUCTION:

Greetings to all. Oh yes, December is here. Each month of the year has some form of history attached to it. However, I think December has the most. We all know that December is a commercial and critical month for many businesses. Many businesses rely on the sales they make in December to carry them through for some time into the following year. Commercialism during the holiday season dates back decades. It will never go away. Many may believe it has gotten a bit out of control, but it is the season of giving. Giving your money to retail stores, online or in a brick-and-mortar store, is part of the process.

That, in itself, is history. However, I am referring to a different type of history. More than one religion celebrates it's faith during December. With the celebration of their faith comes history. A religious history that dates back centuries. Along with that faith comes tradition. Traditions within a particular religion, as well as family traditions.

HAVE WE TRANSCENDED?

Over the centuries, have we changed? Have we grown? Not in the sense of technology or as a society, but in how we do things or celebrate.

December is a month of thinking. So many factors have taken their toll on society. Whenever this occurs, it causes us to think. Think about what we are doing. We often do this by comparing it to what we have done in the past. Through this method, over time, we have developed traditions.

Family and/or religious traditions have been passed on from one generation to another for decades. Some for centuries. Yet, each year we think about what can or should be changed. In most cases, nothing changes. Tradition moves on.

Tradition is one of the driving forces in our society. However, a force that is slowly taking a back step to inflation, changes in society, and other factors. Is this a good thing? Even religion has made many changes to adapt to today's society and ways of thinking. However, we must remember that change is not bad and oftentimes results in transcending into something better.

There is nothing wrong with modifying traditions. Each person and family should define their own traditions. The most significant subject under discussion is what to make for the holidays. Here is where history begins. We all try to stick to the traditions of what our parents did each year. For the most part, we do, with some modifications. Being Italian, we had a huge fish dinner with the seven types of fish each Christmas Eve. Honestly, I did not like them all. After losing my parents, we modified that to some degree by only making the dishes we enjoyed. This is one method of how we all transcend. New traditions and history is made. Yet, the basic principles of tradition and history remain.

HISTORY AND TRADITION:

You see, history is what has taken place in the past. Tradition, in the manner in which that occurred. We are not changing history or traditions by modifying the internal components because those are based on history and tradition. We are simply redefining its components. So therefore, yes, we do transcend.

Each person and every religion that celebrates holidays during December does this throughout the entire month. We think we modify, we change, and we move on. That is the process. Why I say December is the month with the most history is simple. December holds what most consider to be the most prominent holiday season of the year. Store sales start the day after Thanksgiving. Advertising starts as soon as after Halloween. In addition, when it is all said and done, we move on to the next big event. Then only one week later, it is a New Year. Out with the old and in with the new.

People also spend a great deal of time thinking about the year that has passed. What they would have changed, or done, or done better. They think about and make plans to have a better new year. Realistically, of those who make a New Year's resolution, 75% are still successful in keeping it after one week. After two weeks, the number drops to 71%. After one month, the number drops again to 64%. And after 6 months, 46% of people who make a resolution are still successful in keeping it. (1) By the end of the next year, that number decreases further.

Why is that? Didn't we make a resolution because we wanted to change something in our life? In theory, that is correct. However, in the real world, history and tradition are powerful forces that, at some point, have become habits. Therefore, making a New Year's resolution involves breaking habits. Unfortunately, breaking habits is one of the hardest things to do. Therefore, that is why so many people are not ultimately successful.

What is amazing is all of this starts in November and weighs on us until the New Year. We struggle with both history and tradition the entire time. With that said, some of these struggles are enjoyable. Others, not so much. We now live in a mix of religions, cultures, and interracial relationships. All are adding to different histories and traditions. Which one wins out?

Actually, if approached correctly, neither is the complete winner. It is a simple matter of combining histories and traditions and making them into one. When you do that, you have transcended and are starting to create new history and traditions for yourself and your family.

This is what defines the beauty of the human species. Humans can adapt and overcome, unlike other species that never evolve or change their habits. The only prerequisite to doing this is the desire to do so. In the case of those who are religious., it is their faith that binds them together. Even when more than one faith is involved.