| Part of being a spiritual person is being "in tune" with God. Part of being "in tune" with this divine entity is observing the commands it has administered to mankind. In Judaism, to have a right relationship with God, one must observe a set of 613 laws called mitzvot (commandments). These commands are outlined in the Torah and elaborated upon in the oral Torah. Therefore in such a tradition, being in tune with God involves observing commandments. In Christianity in order to be in tune with God, one must profess a sincere faith in Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Believing and trusting in Jesus is the path one must take to having a healthy relationship of salvation with the divine. Buddhism and similar dharmic religions focus on being spiritual through living a non violent lifestyle dictated by karma. Parts of reaching the spiritual state of "nirvana" or "moksha"are practicing proper concentration and acting in a compassionate manner. All of these methods of felling better about yourself and following whatever God you imagine you are worshiping (or not worshipping) involve laboring towards the divine cause on a daily basis. Working for God is similar to going to work or school. For many it can get old, or perhaps not stagnant in a negative way, but reliable in a neutral and sometimes tiresome way. All religions however have days or periods of general spiritual novelty. These days are called festivals or holidays. These days differ in origin, observance, and type ranging from solemn and penitent, to giddy and almost sacrilegious. The type and origin of the days is not however as important as the function of these days. They offer a type of spiritual novelty when being a good Christian or Jew or Hindu involves an every day cycle. These days are for celebration and enjoyment. They are sometimes days of introspection, but these festivals and holy days are always days in which observant individuals can celebrate their religion in a not so ordinary way. Holidays in many ways are the highlights or most focused on portions of the year. Being a patriot in America is an every day role, but surely an American would tell you to visit on the 4th of July to witness true patriotism. Giving and charity are part of every day spiritual life (or should be) but one should visit a western country during Christmastide to witness exceptional compassion and good will. The point of course being that holidays make up the days in which we are exceptionally happy, exceptionally, joyful, exceptionally holy. |