A forgotten ritual
Our ancestors had certain rituals for all occasions. And no holiday was without a preliminary, very consistent preparation. Our great-great-grandfathers sacredly believed: if you break the ritual, the world will collapse. Believe it or not, but these beliefs have been passed on to us and exist on a subconscious level. That’s why we dress up the New Year tree, give gifts and cook hearty dinners without realizing the meaning of these actions. True, one very important link has been lost: we buy decorations for the holiday, gifts and even treats more often. So after the holiday there remains a bitter residue of something missing, irrevocably lost.
– To make the holiday come to the house, it is necessary… to call it! – Elena Voznesenska, PhD in Psychology, President of the Ukrainian Art Therapy Association, is convinced. – Have you noticed how anxiously children wait for the New Year and thoroughly prepare for the holiday? All because the “mythological” consciousness, inherited from their ancestors, the kids have not yet been wiped by our stamps and “correct” upbringing. They believe in a miracle and do everything to make it happen!
The art therapist believes that adults should join in the “calling” of the holiday as well. There is nothing complicated about it. First, set the house to “winter time”. No, you don’t need to change the clocks. It is enough to update the “closet” of the dwelling. Critically review the contents of closets and drawers, shelves and chest of drawers: things that you have not touched during the year, most likely, you no longer need. Wash windows and mirrors, wipe dust in hard-to-reach places, and ventilate the room well. Bring the trappings of December into the house. What are they? Listen to your intuition. Perhaps it will “whisper” that the room needs a spruce “paw” with a cone, a branch of mountain ash or rose hips with fruits. In the corner of the living room put a tall vase. Braid it with silver wire and fill it with fluff (or synthepon): such a composition will remind you of winter, even if there is no snow in the yard. You can cover the ground in vases with indoor plants with absorbent cotton, and on the branch of a home tree “settle” a decorative bullfinch. Cover the beds with warm plaids in “winter” colors – so the home environment will immediately plunge into a fairy tale flair and set you up to create miracles.
Now it’s time to “ring in” the holiday. Start with snowflakes. Originally, this symbol of our ancestors personified the sky. A snowflake, resembling a wheel with six spokes, was the emblem of the thunder god Perun. Such a sign protected the house from lightning. Other snowflakes, whose ornate patterns trace geometric figures, personify the forces of nature and are considered security signs. By pasting paper snowflakes on windows, doors, walls, you create a powerful energy protection for your home. And the process of cutting them out is like meditation: you fully concentrate on the pattern and disconnect from the bustle of the outside world. You are creating! This is both creativity and spiritual renewal.
– It is very important to prepare all home decorations in a family circle. Then each craft is charged with the energy of unity,” says Elena Voznesenskaya. – It was the preparation for the holidays that brought the family together in the olden days. And how is it now? Dad and mom are always at work and come only to the table already set by grandma. Maybe that’s why so many families break up. But it is worth it for spouses to carve out a day for joint cooking and decorating, as they will immediately receive as a reward and mutual understanding and support of children.
Sparing no hands
You’re not gonna put up a Christmas tree? You don’t have to, just draw a tree. And don’t worry that you have no talent as an artist, just draw sticks and needles as you know how. But decorate without sparing your hands. Literally! Get your palms dirty with gouache or phosphorescent paints and “hang” colorful prints on the “Christmas tree”. Electric garlands will complete the “composition” in the room. Place them on the windowsill, tangle around the cachepots with indoor flowers and even “throw” under the bed. You will get the effect of a fairy-tale forest.
On a festively set table, place a crystal vase for fruit, fill it with water and let decorative candles float. These little “fireflies” will help to maintain energetic harmony. Fire will neutralize negative emotions and unite all the household.
Expecting guests or planning a visit yourself? Take care of cute souvenirs that you will present. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on expensive gifts! Sew little red bags (just like Santa Claus!) and put a little present in each one. For example, a tasty candy, a funny key chain or a porcelain bull – the symbol of the coming year.
– When making a gift, think about the person you are giving it to,” reminds Elena Voznesenskaya. – Turn on your imagination, remember fairy tales, think about good things. Then even an ordinary nut wrapped in foil will carry a charge of only positive emotions and will keep the flavor of a wonderful holiday for a long time.
The last New Year’s Eve touch will be incense or aroma lamp with pine and citrus odors. In the apartment, such aromas not only remind you of the holiday, but also invigorate you. They also kill pathogenic microbes in the air.
Three ideas for family crafting
- Candle Factory. If you have candle burns in your house (sometimes it’s a pity to throw away the wax figures that blazed on the birthday cake), give them a second life: collect them and mix them with bright beads put them in a flat glass, having previously greased it with sunflower oil. In the center of this composition place a wick – a harness of natural threads. One of its ends “anchor” a large bead at the bottom, and leave the other hanging from the edge. Place several paraffin translucent candles in a metal plate and place it in a water bath. When the paraffin melts, pour into the prepared mold. Take the glass out to the cold for a couple of hours, after which carefully remove the prepared candle.
- If you don’t have the energy to make a candle, decorate a bought one. Besides the candle itself (it is better to choose a thicker one) you will need a piece of twine and… bay leaves. Place the spice on the candle vertically, as if dressing it in a dress (here you can not do without help: the leaves are trying to slip, so call for help from the household), and fix the “outfit” with twine at the “waist”. Such a lamp is especially appropriate in the kitchen: heating up, the wax will “wake up” the laurel aroma.
- Frost painting. Do not spare for the decoration of the festive table transparent glasses — colorless nail polish or glue on their walls on the outside of some winter pattern (Christmas trees, snowflakes) and immediately sprinkle the drawings with semolina. When the work dries, you will get an imitation of the patterns on the windows, which appear in the frosty morning. If you “pass” over the grits with pearlescent varnish, the curls will look like a scattering of pearls. Red drinks – wine, juice, ouzvar, karkade tea – look very favorable in such dishes.
- Spicy Sunshine. Take a few large oranges or tangerines (it is important that the fruit is juicy and fresh) and decorate each with cloves. It’s very simple: take a clove and press it into the fruit. Spicy “screws” are very sharp, so it is better to work with gloves to avoid injury. Put the finished “products” on saucers and spread them all over the house. You can put the “hedgehogs” in a net and hang, for example, at the front door. The result is always unsurpassed: at least a week in the rooms will be a unique spicy-citrus aroma of the holiday! Only eat fruit after the session of “aromatherapy” is not worth it. They are very spicy!
Lyudmila KOVALCHUK
Shutterstock/FOTODOM UKRAINE photos were used
