Celebration is an ancient ritual. It gives us a way to feel good about ourselves, and our accomplishments. When we celebrate, we are reinforcing something important to us. Without it we simply maintain the status quo and candidly have a lot less fun. Celebrating is good for people. It is an opportunity for activity, conversation, laughter, and excitement. Parties can mean games and singing, and even dancing. Celebrations create a circle of life. When we rejoice in the presence and accomplishments of others, they feel uplifted. Research has shown that acts of gratitude encourage those around us, creating a circle of reciprocal love. We celebrate because it reminds us of milestones in our lives or traditions in our culture. One way of distinguishing one culture from another is through the celebrations we hold every year. This, in a way, builds our identity and strengthens our connection to our traditional roots. Celebrated milestones, big or small things can make you aware and acknowledge something you did not even know you had. This will you learn to appreciate and cherish these things. Celebrating is essential to nurture our inner wellbeing. It sets us up for greater success and brings us a sense of belonging and reward. Celebration is gratitude in action and celebration is good for us. It adds fun and excitement to our lives. Celebrations can be incredibly fun and provide us with the perfect opportunity to engage in joy. Celebrations pave the way for future success. When we celebrate, we generate momentum for future efforts. Celebrating can mean to honor or to praise something publicly.
Celebrations are most often social gatherings to mark a birthday, anniversary, holiday, vacation, or big milestone in people’s lives. Celebrations are for connecting with people you know, usually at a big gathering. How about the concept that celebrations are a connection and acknowledgement for you and your life. ‘You can celebrate alone, on social media, with friends and or family. You can celebrate big and small occasions.
So often we only connect with people during expected occasions and not regularly during the year. Is that by choice or by obligation or by not having celebrations a priority in your life? If it is by obligation, then read my previous article in Steller Magazine on Am I Living My Life or Someone Else’s.
Are you celebrating to be acknowledged or share your victory? So often people spend thousands of dollars to look good at a wedding, an anniversary, or another occasion and forget about why they are celebrating. Are you connecting when you celebrate?
Do you celebrate others for the occasions they keep? My work just sent an email out to the staff and reminded others that there are many holidays in the winter not just Christmas and New Year. For many years people would say to me Merry Christmas or ask what I will be doing for Christmas not realizing that I do not celebrate Christmas. I am not offended when I get Christmas cards, or someone invites me to a Christmas celebration just as I hope that they can celebrate with me on my holidays for my traditions. Diwali is in part celebrated as it signifies victory of good over evil, of knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair. The triumph of light over darkness.
Honor individual beliefs and identities. Mutual respect is a two-way commitment, requiring each of us to embrace our individual values while supporting others with different perspectives. This includes the celebrations and why people celebrate due to their holidays, religion, race, sexual or gender indents, politician views, or other aspects of their lives that are important to the individual.
Connect with people on a regular basis, those you want to connect with, to find out not only what is going on with them but what celebrations are important to them. Even better to plan a celebration together. I was unable due to my work schedule to go to the annual Friendsgiving potluck my friend holds, so my work Thanksgiving potluck was my celebration. I was able to see how many cultures cook and celebrate Thanksgiving (an American holiday) this year due to the work potluck. A celebration does not have to cost much. The price of an ordinary meal you would share with friends. A card can be your celebration or even dessert alone.
One of my favorite celebrations is an accumulation of small celebrations. How much weight did I lose this year (hit my goal this year), how many times did I meditate this year, how many times did I work out, journal, and how did my life change this year for my celebrated victories. In a previous Stellar Magazine article, I authored the article Celebrating Small Victories about celebrating along your way to something bigger.
Celebrations do not have to have gifts attached to them. So often gifts are expected at celebrations. One of my traditions on my birthday is to give gifts to those that have helped me or contributed to my life during that year.
Celebrations can literally mean that I am still alive. When I celebrated my big 60 this year, I was so glad to be alive, healthy, in love, and employed something that other than alive had not been celebrated all together for several years. Celebrations can be reflective, I achieved this milestone, so what is next.
Gratitude should be a big part of celebrations, you lived another year, you have a relationship for that year, you worked at a goal for that year, you were sober for that year, and if you journal gratitude, you can look back at each day to celebrate your life. Many holidays during the fall and winter months are ways for us to gather with those we love and care about and express our gratitude.
When you think about celebration. It is about what we celebrate in our lives. So, when we celebrate our birthday, we are celebrating life. When you are celebrating an achievement, we are still celebrating a thing. So,celebrating life, when celebrating your breath, when you are celebrating your life force, your energy, your soul, the ability to love, the ability to be kind. The ability to have relational exchanges. That is what you celebrate. Celebrating because no matter how hard life gets at least you are you. Celebrate yourself for your personal victories because no one else knows and no one else understands what it took you to achieve what you are celebrating. You deserve it and you have earned it, so celebrate it.
So, think about the times you have not celebrated when others win, you do not clap, or you do not applaud, and you do not praise others when they are doing well. Those are missed celebrations. Celebrate not only victories but overcoming and things new in life. When you celebrate others, others can celebrate and celebrate yourself. We rise by lifting others up. There is room at the top for everyone.
Surround yourself with people who celebrate and appreciate you! Surround yourself with people that are not afraid to brag about you. Surround yourself and treat your win like their win. They are not jealous. They are not mad. They do not hate. They are not using you. They got evidence that they were there in the beginning. They got evidence when your dream was not a reality. They got evidence they were there in the struggle. They were there when there was no money. They were there when there was no success. Surround yourself with people that just have genuine love for you. They will show up. They are the person behind you. They take pictures. They are the ones who leave a long message telling you how much they appreciate you publicly. They like your videos and share them. Surround yourself with love. Acknowledge the people who show up to your celebrations not the ones who did not show.
Stop celebrating yourself only once a year! Every day is a day to celebrate life and yourself. Society celebrates the start and the finish. The people who win are the ones who master the middle. Where you just keep going one step at a time. When you love the path more than the destination goes further than one who only loves the end.
Celebrate because you only get one time around the earth, you are unique and you deserve to be celebrated, celebrating yourself is self-care, some people wish that they could get to the age that you are, the day to acknowledge that you are here, and you are special.
Celebrations have benefits:
• Boots mood
• Increase feelings of happiness
• Positive emotions
• Social bonding
• Building stronger relationships
• Contribute to your overall wellbeing.
• Stress reduction and anxiety
• Promotes mindfulness.
• Sense of accomplishment
• Sense of satisfaction
• Boost self-esteem.
• Boost confidence
• Meaningful experiences
• Provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment.
• Festive atmosphere
• Sense of comfort
• Brings abundance – you attract what you celebrate.
Celebrations feel good, they connect us, they are important to us, and they bring appreciation as well as to honor or to praise something publicly even it is for something small or just by yourself. So, in this season of celebrations during the fall and winter months remember that celebrations are ways for us to gather with those we love and care about and express our gratitude.