Hina-matsuri or Festival of Peach Blossoms

Any one aware of my life-long love of dolls probably would be surprised that I chose to write about the Martisor traditions before posting any information about the Japanese Hina-matsuri Festival of Dolls.

In Japan, on the 3rd of March, the Festival of Peach Blossoms or 'Girls' Festival' is celebrated. Originally a Shinto festival, it has become a secular tradition in Japan. 'Hina' dolls dressed in the costumes of the ancient rulers of Japan are displayed on a dais covered with red carpet from the end of February until the 3rd of March. 'Tea parties' are held with special food ostensibly prepared for the dolls but consumed by the young girls. Peach blossoms, special sweet rice cakes and
white wine are the traditional offerings placed before the hina dolls.

In some places, there are ceremonies wherein dolls are placed in boats and set adrift on the water. Through this act, illness and bad fortune was assumed by the dolls rather than the owners. In another variation of this ancient form of magic, the dolls were burned.

Dolls made of paper, using the origami technique often are placed in tiny boats that are set afloat. The Japanese Harvest Moon game, Magical Melody, includes a festival called the Star Festival that probably was based on Hina-matsuri. At the Star Festival, wishes are placed in boats that are set afloat on the river.

The most ancient form of the festival probably was similar to the European festivals at the beginning of March, wherein people bade farewell to the old year or Winter by burning a figure, throwing it in the river or driving it from the village.

It originally was the custom for men, women and children alike to make dolls from paper, transferring their illness, pain and misfortune to the dolls, then casting them into the nearest river or stream.

Even now, at Awashima Shrine on the 3rd of March, the 'Momo no Sekku' or Peach Blossom Festival is celebrated by placing hina dolls into a small boat and sending the dolls off to sea from the Kada shore. Through this act, they are cleansed of 'kegare' (defilement) and 'byoma' (evil disease). On the 8th of February each year, a similar service is held at the same shrine for unwanted sewing needles.

Later in the Edo period, the custom of displaying hina dolls dressed as an ancient emperor, empress and their entourage supplanted the older custom in most places. The traditional number of dolls displayed on the dais is 15. The Dairi-sama, representing the Emperor and Empress traditionally are attended by two ministers, three court ladies (kanjo) and five court musicians. The display can be created at the end of February but should not be kept after 3 March. Showing respect and homage to the ancestors is a Shinto tradition and one of the foundations of the religion.

The Hina-matsuri Festival is the day on which parents demonstrate their hopes for the future of their daughters. It is said that if one leaves the dolls on display after 3 March, the future marriage of the girl will be delayed; thus, the festival is one of making wishes for a happy marriage for every girl.

During the period before the Second World War, the Hina-matsuri Festival was a day on which girls were allowed to have their own party, inviting their friends for a 'tea party' with their dolls. Instead of tea, however, they were allowed to drink a mild sweet rice wine called shiro-zake.

The traditional diamond-shaped cake prepared for the Festival is called hishi mochi or sakura mochi. It is a rice cake filled with sweet bean paste. It is interesting to note that beans always have been part of ancient New Year celebrations in the month of March. The bean symbolises a link between this world and the next, and often was included in funerary offerings throughout the ancient world. The old folktale of 'Jack and the Beanstalk' originally was a story about a 'ladder to heaven', a means by which a shaman could reach the Other realm.

Food offerings for Hina-matsuri often are coloured red. The sweet beans used in the hishi moshi are red, in fact. Red is an auspicious colour for the New Year in every culture.

Although it is known as the 'Peach Blossom Festival', peach trees do not flower this early in the year. Like the Martisor, therefore, this festival anticipates the Spring and is a declaration of hope in the future.

Dollhouses always have appealed to people, but they originally had a religious significance. The ancient Egyptians included entire cities in miniature in their tombs, believing that the scenes depicted would become real in the afterlife. The ancient Romans had their household gods, and sometimes these would be displayed much like the hina dolls in Japan. When I visited Thailand as a child, I was entranced by the beautiful 'spirit houses' that could be seen outside every temple and many private homes as well. What is considered child's play in contemporary Western society has deep roots in universal spiritual traditions. The idea that one can maintain an unbroken and even powerful connection to the past through remembrance of ancestors or heroes is very appealing. Some 'monotheistic' religions are extremely hostile to the concept of 'idols', but representations of gods, saints, heroes and ancestors are focal points for spiritual power and that power is not intrinsically negative nor is it 'evil' in any sense. In any event, it would be a very small, very insecure 'god' who would be threatened by a statue or doll! I always felt that the old Hebrew prohibition against 'idols' was absurd and could have nothing to do with any true directive from a real God.

My mother once confessed to me that she could find peace and relief from anxiety in the simple act of cleaning the dollhouse. It is absolutely true. Entering into a miniature world that can be brought into order and perfection in a relatively brief period of time can be a form of spiritual meditation. Coupled with aesthetic appreciation is a sense of control and completion. When our real lives often are messy, our ambitions unfulfilled or at least incomplete, concentration on a microcosm like a dollhouse can be very therapeutic. I believe that the 'zen rock garden' provides a similar outlet for people.

Even if divorced from any spiritual significance, the hina dolls are considered heirlooms, to be passed from mother to daughter, from generation to generation. In this fashion, the heritage of Japan is preserved.

Gung Hay Fat Choy! Happy New Year!

'Gung Hay Fat Choy!' is a tradition New year salutation but the meaning is 'Congratulations and be prosperous' rather than 'Have a Happy New Year!'

Although my own heritage is not Chinese, I have been involved in traditional Chinese New Year celebrations since childhood. I travelled and lived in Asia when I was a young girl and after that, studied Asian martial arts. Although my own martial arts discipline was Korean rather than Chinese, my study began at University where all Asian martial arts clubs and students became close friends. I therefore received invitations every year to traditional New Year banquets and participated in many of the customs. Although Koreans and Vietnamese celebrate the Lunar New Year as well, most banquets I attended were hosted by Chinese or Malaysian organisations.

Even now, I always am aware of the New Year and decorate the house with banners whenever possible as well as participating in whatever customs are appropriate for a 'foreigner'.

The Asian New Year for China, like many ancient festivals of its kind, is not limited to one day, but is a celebration that extends from the New Moon to the Full Moon. It therefore lasts an entire fortnight and culminates with the Festival of Lanterns on the 15th day. Today, 18 February is the first day of the New Year. In Vietnam, it is known as 'Tet'.

In Malaysia, the New Year is celebrated for 15 days from the New Moon to the Full Moon and the celebration of Chap Goh Mei marks the end of the New Year festivities.

Like many ancient cultures, the Chinese and others who celebrate the lunar New Year prepare for it by cleaning their homes. Muslims do the same when preparing for the Islamic New Year, incidentally. Dirt should not be swept out the door with a broom, as that action would sweep the good fortune out as well. Instead, the dirt is collected in the centre of the room and carried out of the house instead.

During the New Year, it is considered unlucky to cut hair or use sharp implements. Hair in many cultures is a symbol of life as well as symbolising the rays of the sun in terms of sympathetic magic. To cut one's hair therefore would be tantamount to cutting the light short. As the origin of New Year Festivals is rooted in a human desire to encourage the sun to return after the darkness of Winter, it would be unfortunate indeed to perform acts that would operate to weaken the power of life and light.

The predominant colour of the New Year is red, as red is the colour of life and prosperity. Red is the symbol both of blood and of fire. Fire is a purifying element as well as one that protects. It is fire that drives away the darkness, and the New Year by heralding the Spring season, is a festival celebrating the triumph of light over darkness.

Banners with statements relating to happiness and good fortune for the New Year are painted or printed on red paper and displayed on walls both in private homes and in businesses and public places. 'Gung Hay Fat Choy' (Cantonese) is a common message. 'Gong xi fa cai!' is the Mandarin equivalent.

The New Year is a time when gifts are exchanged. Red envelopes containing money either in the form of coins or more significant sums are given to children and family members usually by the male head of the household. Often, a token coin will be wrapped in red paper and given to guests at traditional banquets as a symbol of good luck rather than an actual financial gift. For family members, however, the money gift or 'lai see' can be a substantial amount.

An even number of coins or notes, or an amount representing an 'even' rather than 'odd' sum is considered auspicious.

In Malaysia, the red envelopes given are known as 'ang pow'. Malaysians and Chinese follow many of the same traditions at the New Year.

Small oranges such as clementines and tangerines are traditional symbols of 'happiness in abundance' at the New Year. People bring tangerines and oranges to friends and relatives when visiting during this festival season. A piece of fruit given with its leaves intact is considered to be a sign of a relationship that will remain secure during the year to come. Often people will give or display a small orange tree decorated with red envelopes and other red good luck charms during the New Year. Plum trees are purchased and displayed at the New Year as well.

Red and pink flowers are displayed and each has a special significance. Narcissus symbolises prosperity. Camillia represents springtime. Evergreens symbolise everlasting life. Peach blossoms are a symbol of longevity and Buddha hand citron signifies happiness.

Cards are sent and exchanged that show traditional symbols of good fortune and prosperity. Among these are fish, boats, dragons and chrysanthemums. Amulets made of metal or plastic in the shapes of good luck symbols are common. Usually they will be red and gold and may be painted, decorated with gilt or red velvet and often ornamented with red tassels. Amulets or chocolate amulets in the shape of old Chinese coins, firecrackers, fish, and money bars are displayed or given as tokens during this holiday. Another shape that can be seen in amulets made of chocolate, plastic or even solid gold is that of the ancient gold nugget. In appearance, it resembles a house boat. One can find this form in the windows of many Chinese jewelry shops as well as in the less valuable charms that are sold and displayed at the New Year.

A traditional tray filled with sweetmeats called the 'Tray of Togetherness' often is displayed and shared with guests. It contains a number of symbolic offerings: Candied melon represents growth, physical strength and good health; melon seeds dyed red symbolise happiness, joy, sincerity and truth; watermelon seeds symbolise wealth. Lychee nuts represent strong family ties; qumquat symbolises prosperity; coconut represents togetherness and unity; peanuts for long life and lastly, longnan for many good sons. Ginger represents sharpness of mind and intelligence.

Other traditional foods for the New Year are a cake named 'go', the Cantonese word for 'high'. The cake is dark brown and made of sweet pastry. It signifies good fortune.

A vegetarian dish named 'jai' or 'monk stew' is a traditional symbolic New Year dish prepared in the belief that the New Year should begin with a pure dish made solely from vegetables.

In many kitchens, a picture of the Kitchen God hangs upon the wall. According to ancient custom, he is believed to visit the Jade Emperor in heaven at the end of each year to report on all the good and bad deeds of the family. On the 24th day of the last month of the year, a ceremony may be performed wherein honey is smeared on the mouth of the Kitchen God to make certain that he will say only 'sweet' words. Wine is poured on his mouth as well to make him intoxicated so that he will forget any bad deeds he is supposed to report to heaven. The picture then is taken down and brought out to the garden with much ceremony, then burned in order to allow the Kitchen God to rise to heaven. A new portrait of the Kitchen God then is placed on the wall for the next year.

On New Year's Eve, people often would stay awake as late as possible, believing that this would prolong their parents' lives. At midnight, fireworks are set off.

During the festival of the New Year, people wear new clothes. Red is the preferred colour, naturally.

In traditional Chinese communities worldwide, the festival of the New Year lasts a fortnight and parades often are held on the night of the Full Moon. The Festival of Lanterns is based on legends from the Han Dynasty and is over 2000 years old. There are a number of different legends to explain the festival and like many ancient traditions, no one is entirely certain of its real origins.

In one legend, the Jade Emperor in Heaven was furious because a town had killed his favourite goose. He decided to destroy the town with fire as punishment for this offence. A good-hearted fairy discovered the plan and warned the people of the village to light lanterns on the day appointed for their destruction. The people did so and the Emperor, seeing blazing lights throughout the village, believed that his orders had been carried out, and his loss thus had been avenged. He therefore made no move to send fire down upon the village.

In memory of their deliverance, people thereafter held a Festival of Lanterns each year at the first Full Moon of the year. In these parades, lanterns of different shapes and colours are carried through the streets, and dragon and lion dances as well as fireworks are part of the parade celebrations.

In fact, this tale shares common elements with New Year myths from other cultures. The goose almost universally has been considered a guardian of the people, an animal who with its strident voice warns against invaders. The goose is an ancient symbol of the Goddess as well and is connected with ancient worship of the Moon.

In ancient Greece, the goddess Aphrodite was depicted as standing upon a goose with outstretched wings. This in fact may be the prototype of our 'Mother Goose'. The goddess Hecate was associated with the goose as well.

In Egyptian mythology, one creation story features the birth of the Sun from the cosmic egg laid by the Nile goose. Hymns have been found to the goose as 'great chatterer', the 'creator of the world'.

Even earlier, the Bird Goddess of Paleolithic times has connections with the goose. In terms of the association of the Triple Goddess with the moon as well as the Seasons of the year, Robert Graves in 'The White Goddess' wrote: 'In the New Moon or Spring she was girl; as the Full Moon or Summer she was woman; as the Old Moon or Winter she was hag.'

In the context of ancient correspondences of the Goose with the Sun, Moon and labyrinth leading from death to rebirth, there is a fascinating discussion of the Phaistos Disc by H. Peter Aleff which can be found online at:.


http://www.recoveredscience.com/Phaistos1summary.htm


Following his logic, it is possible that the old phrase of 'wild goose chase' denotes an ancient ritual game intended to bring individuals safely into the afterworld.

Be this as it may, it is probably that the Chinese tale of the Jade Emperor and his favourite goose is a very debased version of a far more ancient tale of death and rebirth. Fire, of course, is a symbol of immortality, a symbol of the indestructible soul. It is traditionally a 'guardian' of the gates of the Other Realms, as witnessed in the tale of the sleeping Valkyrie Brunnhilde who is guarded by a ring of fire.

In another myth, the New Year Festival of Lanterns commemorates victory over a man-eating monster from the mountains known as Nian. Discovering that the predatory creature was afraid only of loud noises and the colour red, they gained their safety by setting off explosions of fireworks and decorating the village in red. 'GuoNian' means 'passing over the Nian'.

In any event, whatever its origins in myth, the Festival of the Lanterns that is celebrated on the occasion of the first full moon of the New Year is a glorious event. Lights and noisemakers (fire and fireworks) always were believed to have the power to drive away both demons and the Darkness itself. Although most contemporary cultures have discarded their old traditional belief systems, fireworks and lights continue to be central in most New Year celebrations throughout the world.

One final note about the legend of the Jade Emperor and his goose: this is only one of a multitude of tales wherein human beings are able to deceive or trick a god into believing that a sacrifice has been performed or expiation made. In most cases, from the periodic sacrifice of the Apis Bull in lieu of the Pharoah to the lanterns that deceived the Emperor into believing that the village was being consumed by flames, this trickery is a means by which the salvation either of one human being or all of humanity is procured. The idea that the gods can be deceived may be bizarre to those who believe in an omniscient deity, but many ancient religions considered gods only to be a superior, more-powerful type of human being, therefore attributing human characteristics and motivations to them. Many ancient 'hero tales' extol the cleverness of the hero in being able to trick a god or monster in order to save himself, a designated 'sacrificial victim' or sometimes even the entire world.

The heads of state in many nations today have joined the people to usher in the Year of the Pig with traditional activities designed to bring good fortune and goodwill to all.

In the People's Republic of Korea, school children performed traditional dances and songs and played folk games. In Korean tradition, the New Year celebrations begin at home. 'Sae hae bok mani baduhseyo!' is the traditional Korean New Year salutation. People visit and honour the elders of their extended households on the first day of the New Year. The elders often distribute packets containing money in a manner similar to the Chinese.

It is not uncommon for Koreans to consult a mansin or fortuneteller who will offer divinations at the beginning of the New Year. The Sul-Nahl is the first day of the New Year. Like the Chinese, the New Year festival lasts a fortnight. Its climax occurs at the Full Moon. On that night, women in traditional clothing join in a special circle dance known as the kang-gang suolae.

The most ancient custom in Korea is a fire ritual, originally performed in every village for an abundant harvest and the continuing welfare of the village. Performed not to an universal deity but to local tutelary spirits, the rite began with the lighting of a candle or bonfire.

Food and drink then would be offered to the beings of the spirit world. The most important part of the ritual then followed. Each man would hold a strip of thin paper in his hands, then ignite it at the common fire. He would hold it until it became too hot, then toss it into the air. If the paper soared upwards into the sky and burned completely to ashes, it was considered most auspicious.

Other traditional Korean Full Moon New Year customs were scarecrows or five grain rice placed at crossroads or a ritual of burning pine nuts beneath the moon.

The Vietnamese ordinarily celebrate the New Year or Tet Nguyen-Dan for three days rather than an entire fortnight. In Vietnam, Tet occurred after the rice crop was harvested and before the next crop was planted. It therefore was primarily an agricultural festival. Even now, it may be the most important holiday of the year for the Vietnamese.

Families often save throughout the year for the expenses of Tet. Houses are repaired, cleaned and sometimes even repainted or renovated. Decorations of peach and plum branches are displayed with banners on which New Year wishes have been written.

In the countryside, tall bamboo poles are erected in front of homes and festooned with amulets to ward off evil spirits and flags to attract the ancestors. Altars to the ancestors are set up in most homes with incense and candles. Visits to the cemetary are made, and graves of the ancestors are cleaned and decorated.

At midnight at the start of the New Year, firecrackers are set off. Small altars with offerings of flowers and food are placed in front of houses, and family elders recite prayers to bid farewell to the old year and herald in the new. Incense is burned and ancestors are invited to join in the celebrations.

New Year is a time when every one is expected to be on his/her best behaviour. An angry or unkind word is believed to bring ill fortune.

As with the Chinese, Tet is a time when visits are paid to family and friends. It is believed that the first person to visit a house may be responsible for the success or failure of the entire household in the coming year. Many families therefore try to make certain that the first guest is a friend or relative of great virtue and high social standing.

For the first day of the New Year, a traditional fair was held today in Ditan Park in Beijing, there were operatic performances. Vendors sold pork dumplings and sweets sculpted in the shape of pigs. President Hu Jintao visited remote villages in western Gansu and northern Liaoning provinces. On the outskirts of Dingxi city, he fried dough twists with farmers, helped cut traditional red paper banners and accepted a basket of potatoes from a farmer in keeping with the spirit of the New Year.

In every place where the New Year is being celebrated, temples are crowded and incense is burned. In some, coins are thrown towards the incense burner in the hope that they will land inside the pot, bringing good fortune for the year.

Ancestor worship is very much a part of traditional Asian New Year celebrations, pursuant to the belief that deceased family members exist in a spiritual realm where they act as guardian spirits for the living as long as they are honoured and remembered.

Other traditional elements of New Year celebrations are the Lion Dance and the Procession of the Golden Dragon.

The Lion traditionally symbolises courage, stability and superiority. The Lion Dance is a masqued dance that has its roots in ancient warfare. Originally, it was performed during battle to bring courage to the troops and consternation to the enemy. Accompanied by the clashing of cymbals and the beating of drums, the stylised movements of the Lions are very martial in nature. The Lion Dance may have been used in war first by the Sung dynasty. During the period in which the Ming Dynasty ruled, performance of the Lion Dance was expanded to chase away ghosts and evil spirits rather than being used simply in times of war.

The Profession of the Mythical Golden Dragon became a lavish spectacle in the Han period. The Mythical Golden Dragon possessed extraordinary powers and was the source of all natural elements of water, wind and fire, the custodian of the seaons and the guardian of life and prosperity. Any individual who came into contact with this being would be blessed in all aspects of life.

The Dragon Dance requires superb acrobatic skills. At the climax of the dance, the Golden Dragon climbs a pole to retrieve the 'Ang Pow', the red envelope tied to the end of the pole. Coins traditionally were placed in the Ang Pow and believed to be symbols of good fortune. If the Dragon retrieves the envelope successfully, the entire community will be blessed with good fortune in the year to come.

As in most lunar festivals, celebrations began last night.

The Chinese New Year is not the last 'New Year' celebration in our solar calendar. That distinction is reserved for Nawroz, the Iranian New Year, occurring at the Spring Equinox. The Iranian festival of Nawroz has its roots in ancient Sumerian traditions but primarily is based on Zoroastrian beliefs as delineated in the Sassanid period. Characteristic of the Zoroaster belief system was a belief in two warring gods, one of God and the other of evil, engaged in a struggle for supremacy. Ahura Mazda, lord of all Good was the eternal adversary of Ahriman, lord of Evil and proponents of the faity often were known as fire-worshippers as they believed fire to be the visible embodiment of the Divine. The Chinese Festival of Lanterns obviously was a fire festival initially. As previously noted, fire is perceived universally as a symbol of life force and purification. I intend to explore Nawroz and Zoroastrian beliefs further at the time of the Equinox, along with Eostre and other festivals of the Vernal Equinox.

Another New Year: Year of the Boar or Pig

The Chinese Lunar New Year begins on 18 February 2007. The Moon will usher in the Year of the Boar, or Year of the Pig. Actually, the Chinese have two different systems by which the years are designated. There is the Animal system which is a twelve-year rotation, with a different animal as guardian or symbol of each year. The other system is the 'Stem-Branch' system, with a cycle of 60 years. Using this system, the year that begins on 18 February 2007 would be the 8th year of the cycle with the name DingHai. Most people accept this to be the 4705th year in the Chinese Calendar, demonstrating its great antiquity.

Both the Pig and the Boar have been considered to be powerful and sacred animals in many different cultures and myths. The pig was sacred to Demeter and were a central part of the Eleusian mysteries. Demeter often was depicted carrying a pig. As a symbol of the Great Goddess herself, the pig is an Animal with the power both of life and death. A mother pig can choose either to suckle or devour her young. Furthermore, like the Great Earth herself, the pig consumes all, transforming it into compost in which new life can be brought into being and sustained.

The Attic Thesmophoria was an autumn festival, celebrated only by women in October, but its rites featured the pig. The festival commemorated the descent of Persephone into the Underworld and her subsequent return to the Earth. During the Thesmophoria, pigs, cakes of dough and branches of pine-trees were thrown 'into the chasms of Demeter and Persephone'. Serpents within these sacred caverns or vaults guarded them and consumed the offerings. The festival was an annual affair and every year women designated as 'drawers' would purify themeselves ritually for three days then descend into the caverns, clap their hands to keep the serpents at a distance and bring up the decayed remains of the pigs, cakes and pine-branches from the previous year. These remains, after having been blessed on the alter, would be sown with the seed-corn at sowing time.

In the 'Golden Bough', Sir James Frazer makes a comprehensive study of the Boar, Sow and Pig both as embodiments of the corn-spirit and as Deities in animal form.

In Thüringen, when the wind sets the young corn in motion, Frazer writes that the inhabitants say that, 'The Boar is rushing through the corn.' In Estonia, the last sheaf was named the 'Ryeboar', and the man who cut it would be saluted with a cry: 'You have the Rye-boar on your back!' Frazer provides numerous examples of this custom in different forms. Throughout most of Northern Europe, the last sheaf of grain cut was named 'the Sow' or 'the Boar'. In many cases, the man who cut the last sheaf actually was bound into a sheaf himself with ropes and dragged by a rope along the ground. Other custome including the blackening of the face of the man, shutting him in the pig-sty or feeding him special delicacies while calling to him as one would call to the pigs. Obviously, the man who cut the last sheaf was deemed to play the role of the ancient 'sacrificed god'. Rather than being killed, he would participate in rituals of substitution. In other cases, a real pig was sacrificed at the time of sowing the grain. The Thuringian salutation describing the man with the RyeBoar on his back is a graphic description of a magical synthesis of human with sacrificial god.

In one district in Germany, there was a specific bone of the pig that featured in a special ritual. The flesh from this bone would be boiled on Shrove Tuesday, but the bone itself would be placed among the ashes which the neighbours exchanged as gifts on St. Peter’s Day (22 February, then mixed with the seedcorn.

In many parts of Northern Europe, there was an old custom of eating pea-soup with dried pig-ribs on Ash Wednesday or Candlemas. The ribs then would be collected and hung in the room till sowing-time, when they would be inserted into the sown field or in the seed-bag amongst the flax seed.

As demonstrated by all these old customs, the pig was believed to be a sacred symbol of fertility and blessing.

The Scandinavian custom of the Yule Boar is somewhat familiar in the West. At Yule, it was customary to bake a loaf in the form of a boar-pig and to name it the Yule Boar. The corn from the last sheaf often was used to make this loaf of bread. Throughout Yuletide, the Yule Boar would stand on the table and often would be kept even until sowing time in Spring, when part would be mixed iwth the seed-corn and part given to the ploughman and plough animals to eat. This was believed to bring a good harvest. This custom was derived from the more ancient custom of sacrificing a real boar at Yule as well as the custom of sacrificing a man in the character of a Yule Boar. Even in the 19th century in Sweden, there were places where a man would be wrapped in a skin, carrying a wisp of straw in his mouth so that the straws projecting from his mouth would give the appearance of boar bristles. A knife would be brought to an old woman who, with her face blackened then would pretend to sacrifice him.

Throughout Eastern Europe, old customs of baking loaves from the last sheaf of grain that would be designated as the 'Boar' would be kept on a table, then divided to be used, partly at the New Year and partly at sowing time.

All these folk customs are derived from ancient beliefs in the divinity or sacred nature of the Pig or Boar.

In many ancient religions, the God represented by an Animal would be slain by that animal ultimately, a sacrifice of 'himself to himself.' The worshippers of Attis abtained from eating the flesh of swine, as the boar or pig was believed to be the embodiment of Attis, who in another legend slew the god hero. In various tales, Dionysus took the form of a boar or was slain by a boar. (Bear in mind the fact that these gods were slain in different ways in different legends. This may represent the various sacrificial rituals performed at different seasons, or it may reflect a synthesis of diverse ancient mystery religions.)

Frazer argued most convincingly that an animal regarded as taboo often originally was regarded as sacred rather than 'unclean'. Even in the case of the ancient Hebrews, whose contemporary attitudes towards pork are known throughout the world, Frazer writes:
'The attitude of the Jews to the pig was as ambiguous as that of the heathen Syrians towards the same animal. The Greeks could not decide whether the Jews worshipped swine or abominated them. On the one hand they might not eat swine; but on the other hand they might not kill them. And if the former rule speaks for the uncleanness, the latter speaks still more strongly for the sanctity of the animal. For whereas both rules may, and one rule must, be explained on the supposition that the pig was sacred; neither rule must, and one rule cannot, be explained on the supposition that the pig was unclean. If, therefore, we prefer the former supposition, we must conclude that, originally at least, the pig was revered rather than abhorred by the Israelites. We are confirmed in this opinion by observing that down to the time of Isaiah some of the Jews used to meet secretly in gardens to eat the flesh of swine and mice as a religious rite. Doubtless this was a very ancient ceremony, dating from a time when both the pig and the mouse were venerated as divine, and when their flesh was partaken of sacramentally on rare and solemn occasions as the body and blood of gods. And in general it may perhaps be said that all so-called unclean animals were originally sacred; the reason for not eating them was that they were divine.'

In similar fashion, in ancient Egypt, the pig which ordinarily was shunned as unclean, was given special consideration in an annual festival wherein:

'once a year the Egyptians sacrificed pigs to the moon and to Osiris, and not only sacrificed them, but ate of their flesh, though on any other day of the year they would neither sacrifice them nor taste of their flesh. Those who were too poor to offer a pig on this day baked cakes of dough, and offered them instead. This can hardly be explained except by the supposition that the pig was a sacred animal which was eaten sacramentally by his worshippers once a year.'

As this festival occurred on the day when Osiris was believed to have been slain by Set, it is evident that the pig in this festival represented the god Osiris himself.

Later myths identified Typhon, enemy of the god with the pig, declaring that it was in the shape of a black boar that Typhon had injured the eye of the god Horus and in a different myth, that it was when hunting boars that Typhon discovered and mutilated the body of the dead god Osiris. Despite this, it was the pig who was revered as sacrificial victim at the feast commemorating the death of Osiris and thus ultimately, the Pig or Boar represented the god himself. In the same fashion, the baby pigs who were thrown into the chasm representing the entrance to the Underworld were symbols of the goddess Persephone herself.

Even in Christian traditions, the pig is a symbol of good luck. In Europe, pigs made of peppermint are smashed (sacrificed) and the pieces distributed at New Year. Charms or ornaments in the form of pigs are considered to be good luck symbols. The expression 'a pig in clover' combines two traditional symbols of good fortune and signifies happiness and fulfillment of need. Personal 'money banks' often are made in the form of pigs: thus, the 'piggybank' familiar to children throughout the Western world.

The Boar is an ancient Northern symbol of courage as well as prosperity. Freyr's boar Gullinbristi or 'Gold Bristle', one of the magical gifts of the dwarves to the gods, was the ultimate symbol of protection and good fortune. In fact, the Gold Boar was a symbol of the Sun itself, giver of warmth and life. The goddess Freyja rode on a boar Hildisvini when not using her chariot. She transformed her lover Ottar into a boar to conceal his identity. The boar was a symbol of the Vanir, gods of fertility and rulers of earth forces.

One could give innumerable examples from myth and folktale. Suffice it to say here that the pig has attained a negative reputation unfairly. Although, like the dog, pigs are useful consumers of waste materials and therefore have served in many cultures as purifiers of the environment, they are not 'dirty' by nature any more than Nature herself is 'dirty'.

The Year of the Pig therefore should be a year of great good fortune for all. I will write about the Chines astrological significance of the Pig tomorrow when the New Year actually begins.

A Mother's Day...

People often discuss the raison d'etre of blogs and the motivations of those who create and sustain them. I do not think that today is Mother's Day in any culture, but it is my own Mother's birthday. What prompts me to wish her a very happy Birthday on an internet site she probably never will see? Who knows? I will speak to her by telephone later to convey my wishes to her directly in any case, provided I am able to reach her. She is almost insanely busy at all times and I seldom am able to gain access to her. I shan't make a moral judgement on the life of some one who is available always to society but not to family members, but I will say that it is one reason I never wished to become involved in 'public life'. I feel that such a role takes a person hostage, that privacy is flung out the window along with many of the ordinary pleasures and priorities of ordinary individuals. What is even more peculiar is the fact that many of those who devote their lives to 'society' are not even known or recognised beyond their tiny frames of reference. Nonetheless, small ponds are often densely populated with large fish vying for supremacy or at any rate, attention.

Our parents obviously do influence us for better or worse. One of the reasons that I value solitude so highly is the fact that I seldom enjoyed it as a child. Our house was filled with people almost constantly and the loud voices of intoxicated academics was a poor substitute for a lullaby. On the positive side, I did meet some individuals who were brilliant as well as famous and I was required to perform in circles usually unknown to young children and adolescents. Nonetheless...

To my mother, however, I owe the gift of life itself. To my mother, I probably owe my appreciation of art and all that is exquisite. To my mother, I owe my personal acquaintance with the magic of holidays and festivals. Although, oddly enough, she always scorned 'fantasy' in the realm of literature, she was able to create fantasies on holidays and to make us believe in magic.

I remember an incident a few years ago on New Year's Day actually. A little girl and her brother were at a family affair that I attended and the little girl was bored. I suggested that she have a tea party. She protested that she didn't have any toys with her and certainly no tea set. I told her she could pretend and was appalled and saddened to discover that this child never had experienced any forays into the realm of the imagination.

All children have the capacity to 'make-believe' and this little girl was no exception. I was able to create a little world for her and her brother within the space of a few minutes and she was more excited by her tea party than she would have been with another new toy.

One would think that children would possess this power naturally and would need no prompting by an adult. Apparently not. My mother was fond of speaking of 'opening a door' when she spoke of a new opportunity or possibility. 'I always tried to open doors for my children' she would (and still does) declare. One of those doors that a parent should open for his/her child is the door to the world of the imagination. Once opened, the child can populate that world without any aid, but perhaps he/she needs to be shown that the door exists.

I worked briefly on Saturdays in a local doll shop and was rather shocked by the horrible tales of destruction and mayhem that mothers, aunts and grandmothers would relate to me. They would speak of their offsprings' cruelty towards dolls and stuffed toys as if relating tales from the Inquisition or the Reign of Terror. They never perceived their own responsibility at all! A child is not born careful, nor is a child born merciful. Children need to be taught compassion and care.

When a child drops her favourite doll or toy, she should feel empathy with it. A child who is taught to feel compassion may say: 'Oh Baby, are you hurt?' Treat the symbol of a child or animal with care and compassion and you will treat the real child or animal with compassion as well. When a child is taught by adults that 'it's only a toy', that child is denied the valuable gift of empathy.

The disease of contemporary consumerism and greed is apparent in the way in which children view their possessions. When I heard of children selling their toys and dolls for a profit and bragging of their cleverness in transforming a sentimental object into hard cash, I was filled with dismay and sorrow for the generation of the future. I worked at the doll shop at the height of the 'collectable' fever that raged throughout the West, and parents would buy dolls and toys for their children, then deny them access to them. 'Oh no, you mustn't EVER take it out of the box!' A beautiful doll would remain imprisoned behind plastic, forever unapproachable, without any opportunity to establish any relationship with its owner. No wonder children viewed their toys and dolls as commodities rather than best friends and companions.

Now, of course, reality takes its revenge on these 'collectors' who are presented with wardrobes stuffed with dolls and toys (NRFB: Never Removed From Box) that take up far too much space and yet have not reached their supposed full value as 'collectables'. As they have no sentimental value either, these poor creatures are condemned to eternal darkness... Did these 'collectors' not realise that, by consigning these items to a future sale, they would be forced to compete with every other 'collector' who had done the same. All those hundreds of people who queued up for the 'Holiday Barbie' year after year, to buy not one but five or six of the dolls, now will be forced to dispose of them somehow...

I much rather would have one doll or toy who experienced childhood with me, even if she had lost some of her original 'mint' condition.

A clever woman wrote a book entitled 'Barbie Forever' in which she made a comparison between Barbie dolls and the prehistoric goddess figurines. I do believe that we demonstrate our nature in the manner in which we treat our possessions and icons. Dolls and toys that are purchased simply for future monetary value and consigned to a dark wardrobe are not loved and have no connection whatsoever with existence.

A doll or toy who is loved and cherished becomes a friend or companion, the repository of confidences and secrets, a comforter in times of sorrow or pain. The doll or object that is set on a shelf to be admired has a relationship with its owner as well. It is akin to the idol or votive figure set in a niche in the wall. It becomes a sort of god of the hearth, a symbol of the home and the spirit of its occupants. As the years pass, it serves as a repository of memories, a touchstone to the past. The object that is set in a safe or wardrobe, never even to be seen again until it is taken out for disposal is NOTHING.

My mother gave me my love of dolls and my love of toys. When I went to work in the dollshop on Saturdays, I had an extraordinary experience. Dolls were displayed in cases and when sold, would be replaced in their original boxes. The first time I did this, I was overpowered by the force of the past. The doll in question was the creation of a dollmaker who has made dolls for almost a century. The colour of the box as well as the tissue paper within had not changed, nor had the logo and company design. I suddenly was taken back to Christmas as a child, when I opened a box like it to find my Christmas gift within. The memory was visceral, and all the senses were swept back to that magical moment.

Childhood is not an altogether happy time for many of us. It is a very difficult time and there are periods we probably would forget completely if we could. The magic of childhood, however, seldom can be duplicated in adulthood. When one is fortunate enough to experience that same magic again, one is twice blessed.

I would like to thank my mother for giving me this magic.

A New Year

By tradition, the New Year is a time of new beginnings. Today may not be every one's New Year, but it is New Year by the current solar calendar, although I am very fond of the lunar Chinese New Year. In fact, I had the privilege of celebrating the Chinese New Year in traditional fashion when I trained actively and regularly in martial arts. I have celebrated the Islamic New Year and Nawroz as well.

In any case, the concept of a New Year's Resolution is not a bad one, but I shan't air my dirty laundry or my weaknesses and failings in public. Suffice it to say that I hope to achieve something truly worthy this year. When I use the word 'worthy' I am reminded of a scene in Lawrence of Arabia when a proud Bedouin chieftain pronounced a war trophy in the form of a beautiful stallion as far more 'worthy' than any amount of 'filthy lucre'. For better or worse, I am inclined to agree with that assessment. In my case, however, I would like to make a contribution in the realm of literature, whether or not this results in any pecuniary gain. (Sorry, Fleming. I know you will shake your head sadly at this and wish that I would be more practical. Perhaps I can kill two birds with the proverbial stone this year and write something that eases my material circumstances and still be defined as 'worthy'.)

Calendars are strange really. From the complexity of the Aztec Calendar to the simplicity of a prehistoric lunar calendar consisting of no more than a few scratches on a rock, it appears that humanity always has sought control over time. Regimentation is part of it, but it goes far beyond that. It is a desire to have power over the future as much as a need to define the past.

Obviously, the sun, moon and planets do follow a natural course and the 'dance of the planets' is one that has fascinated humanity since the dawn of time. Many of the most beautiful religious verses are concerned with the movement of those natural heavenly bodies and their effect on our lives. People throughout the ages have sworn oaths by the Sun, Moon and Stars. Seasons are determined by the effect that these bodies have on the earth and cultures were shaped accordingly.

In the deserts, the Sun often was seen as a powerful adversary, a cruel Deity rather than a Protector. Sekmet was a typical Sun Deity, cruel and merciless.

In the North, however, the Sun usually was perceived as a Golden Deity bringing warmth, light and life, dispelling the forces of darkness. In desert cultures, the attributes of kindness and mercy belonged to the Moon. Her gentle light illuminated the time when human beings could move freely across the landscape, and the cool nights were times of celebration and socialisation. One sought refuge from the Sun in the desert, rather than welcoming the Day. In fact, many Islamic festivals still occur at night, even when transplanted to other climates.

Traditional Christmas celebrations are festivals of the North. In a place like Australia, where Christmas occurs in summer, evergreen trees, holly and mistletoe are strange reminders of a distant homeland. Even in Southern California, home of Hollywood, where eucalyptus grows more plentifully now than pines or fir trees, the idea of a 'White Christmas' is a product more of fantasy than reality. It is a powerful fantasy, nonetheless and there are many Southern Californians who undergo an annual pilgrimage to the mountains during the Yuletide season simply to experience the magic of snow.

Snow seldom falls on Christmas in many Northern lands actually. On the east coast of the States, snow falls more often in January or even February than it does in December. The little talisman of the 'snow globe' where figures inside a glass globe experience the magic of falling snow is as close as many people come to the experience of a 'White Christmas'. Is the similarity of the glass globe to a crystal ball deliberate or accidental? As a child, I often meditated at Yule using a snow globe, imagining myself a part of the tiny world encapsulated within. It was a world that pain and sorrow (not to mention modernisation, that scourge of civilisation detested by Tolkien) could not touch.

New Year's Eve

For those who may be alone on New Year's Eve, here are my suggestions for a very jolly celebration:

If you have a copy of Mr. Bean's New Year's Eve episode, watch it. It is priceless and far better amusement than standing outside in a cold city or village square with a crowd of drunken revelers.

If you have a DS and a copy of Animal Crossing Wild World, go to your Town Square to obtain a sparkler or Roman candle from Mayor Tortimer and watch the 'countdown' to the New Year on the digital clock there. At midnight, proceed to exchange New Year wishes with all your neighbours and friends while watching the glorious fireworks display in the heavens. If you have been a creative player, you will be able to recognise all the constellations you created in the sky above you!

Tortimer will give you a New Year Fortune and you should receive a letter from your Mum with a bag of bells as well.

For more New Year's Eve laughs, watch the New Year's Eve episode of Absolutely Fabulous.

I am compiling a Yuletide Comedy programme that includes:

2 episodes of 'Vicar of Dibley' (Christmas Pageant and Christmas Dinners)
1 episode of 'Rising Damp' (Christmas)
2 episodes of 'Are you Being Served?' (Christmas)
1 episode of 'Mother and Son' (Christmas, my absolute favourite, apart from Mr. Bean)
2 episodes of 'Mr. Bean' (Christmas and New Year's Eve)
1 episode of 'Father Ted' (Christmas)
1 episode of 'Britta's Empire'
3 episodes of 'Only Fools and Horses' (Christmas)
1 episode of 'Keeping Up Appearances' (Christmas)
1 episode of 'Absolutely Fabulous' (New Year's Eve)

I am trying to find more good comedies for future Yuletide programmes. When I was in my teens, we were allowed to stay up all night on New Year's Eve. In fact, there was a local art cinema that traditionally had a New Year's Marathon of classical films that lasted from New Year's Eve through all of New Year's Day. We often attended that with friends and a token adult who would put in an occasional appearance. It was a small cinema and few strangers ever were in evidence there. This was a different world I suppose from the one in which we now live... or else we were more innocent!

In any case, some of my best New Year's Eve memories have been associated with cinema and/or film.