Embracing Life: Traditions, Rituals, and Reflections

I'm ending my October with a baptism in Seville and a wedding in Copenhagen, and this has made me think a lot about the meaning of celebrations, ceremonies, and rituals and how much they contribute to our daily lives.

There are celebrations that endure in our memory over time. One of my favorites in my family was the "Arepazo." Every December, we would gather on a special date, and year after year, a different family would take charge of organizing this event in their home. The other family members would bring various fillings for the arepas. It was an excuse to reconnect, play games, sing, and dance.

Before you continue reading, I'd love for you to close your eyes and remember a tradition or celebration in your family that made you or still makes you happy.

According to UNESCO, "Social customs, rituals, and festivities play a fundamental role in the organization of the life of communities and groups. These cultural practices serve the valuable function of marking the passage of seasons, indicating the agricultural work seasons, and commemorating crucial milestones in people's lives."

It's quite crazy to think that here I am writing about celebration in times of war. But life is full of contrasts. Somewhere in the world, someone is celebrating a birth right now, while another person is at a ceremony to bid farewell to a loved one. This is the concept that the writer Clarissa Pinkola talks so much about: Life - Death - Life.

As an immigrant today, I appreciate celebrations that invite us to connect with our loved ones more.

I believe strongly in gatherings and in fostering quality time to celebrate life. In this moment of my life these celebrations connect me to joy, introduce me to new people, give me hope, and make me dance. It brings me joy to see people I haven't seen in a long time, and it fuels my curiosity to visit places I've never been to.

We should promote family celebrations and rituals, with friends, partners. Let me share an anecdote: when I sold my beachfront apartment in Venezuela, the real estate agency made an incredible gesture to the new owners. They welcomed the new buyers with a violinist, and everyone celebrated the new acquisition with drinks, live music, and food. I found this spectacular; it blew my mind!

I have a friend and her partner who maintain a tradition where every Friday is pizza night, and she tells me it's a tradition that comes from her father. Connecting with enthusiasm, celebrating the milestones in our lives, celebrating the culmination of a successful week, inviting friends, and infusing love into gatherings are all important.

One of the celebrations I really enjoy these days is the women's circle, where each meeting becomes something very intimate, where we connect and simply be. It's a ritual for the soul for them and for me as well.

In the book "Women Who Run with the Wolves," Clarissa Pinkola emphasizes the importance of rituals and celebrations as a way to reconnect with our instinctive nature. She argues that rituals can be a powerful way to express, reclaim authenticity, release emotions, connect with ancestral wisdom, and celebrate life in all its dimensions.

What about celebrating death and endings? I once heard a psychologist say that relationships should end with the same emotion with which they began, and this made me remember that there are cultures like the Mexican and Balinese cultures where they celebrate death, where death is both a beginning and a celebration.

I was born in a culture where death is seen as negative and sad. However, I want to start celebrating endings. Maybe I'll write down ideas at some point on how I would like my death to be celebrated because my life has been very glorious. This month, I celebrated my grandmother for all her teachings and the moments we shared, for the delicious sweets and the thousand stories she always told me. Her birthday was on October 19th.

I'd love to read your comments. Are you connected to celebration? How do you see the celebration of life and death? How do you celebrate your life's milestones? Have you celebrated any endings? Are you excited about the upcoming celebration you'll be attending, like a Halloween party, wedding, anniversary, or baptism?

Amazonia Arroyo

Naked Woman