Hari New Candlemas

It is comforting to appreciate the quasi-miracle that people around the world have always observed the same natural phenomena, the same seasonal changes, and woven parallel strands of mythology and folklore to commemorate what the heavens have splashed across our canvasses of cultures. Especially in a time when humanity appears to be ailing, ruminating about our commonness instead of difference can be therapeutic. That is why as we approach Chinese New Year, a season of cleansing, celebration and renewal, I also think of Imbolg, Candlemas, Hari Raya, and so forth. I imagine an era centuries ago, when those inspired and guided by the spirit of nature would light up a marvellous array of candles and dance to the rhythm of rolling wheels and ancient flutes. I imagine the prophet Muhammed strident atop a mountain, proclaiming the edicts of celebration to his people. And I certainly imagine the Chinese, my very own ancestors, frolicking in their monster costumes and smashing their drums in a primitively admirable attempt to vanquish imagined demons. As we prepare to dust away the cobwebs of yesteryear and consign them to our archives of memory, may we also ponder about the magic of how our cultural specificity could actually be a blessed piece of the overall jigsaw puzzle of humanity, and utter a soft prayer for the human spirit to grow, to persevere, and to move to new levels of love, wisdom and compassion.