  Spiritual
This week: Angels and Ancestors Edited by: KimChi  
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The Spring Festival of Chinese New Year "bursts" with ancient traditions and modern twists. No one believes the monster Nian will eat children if we don't wear red and set off firecrackers. Few of us believe that cutting noodles will cut your life short. Yet we follow the traditions of the ancestors out of respect for their sacrifices and gifts.
Chinese New Year starts January 3rd and ends January 18th. 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit. |
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Chinese New Year is fast becoming one of my favorite holidays. It feels like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year's all rolled into one. I like all the specifics--the way each food has a meaningful homonym, the visiting of the elders, the birthday of dogs on the second day and the birthday of humans on the seventh. What impresses me most about the holiday is the ongoing veneration of the ancestors.
There's nothing like it in American traditions. If you ask my husband, he'll say all religions are superstition and nonsense; yet forgetting to set a plate for his ancestors is unthinkable--it would dishonor all those who came before, who literally made us who we are, knocked-knees, big nose and all.
Their blood is our blood; we owe our very lives to the strength of their genes and the determination in their hearts. One of the faceless ancestors granted me double jointed arms while another gave me thick brown hair. I may never learn their names, but I thank them anyway, for the determination to keep searching is also my birthright.
Ancestor veneration varies by region and family. At my home, we simply burn some incense, light two red candles, and say a short prayer at midnight on New Year's Eve. On New Year's day, the ancestors are invited to the big feast, and my husband tosses two coins after dinner. If the coins land on opposite sides, they've finished eating. If not, perhaps they're digesting, soaking in the ambiance of home? 
Do these angels hear us? Do the grandparents get to see my daughter learning, growing? I'm not sure it matters. The spiritual aspect lies not in the rituals, but in the connection. Remembering the sacrifices of our forbears gives us courage and hope. Remembering their honor keeps us honest. Remembering their lives gives us one more reason to live ours to the fullest.
Our family trees are stuffed with rogues and kings, famous actors and hidden scandals waiting to be revealed. Pictures, diaries, and genealogy sites bring us one step closer to strong men and women who lived through war and disease before the invention of antibiotics. From the amazing spy adventures of Uncle Earl to the small ears inherited from Great-great Grandma Bessie, our ancestors bring inspiration for stories and poems. What greater honor than to immortalize them in ink?
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Wisdom of the Ancestors
Greedy as most for identity,
I took on the family tree.
I imagined a yew,
celtic and knotty
with profound, dangerous roots
On my mother's piano there sits
a faded black and white photograph
pressed behind glass
resting in an antique frame.
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Let me tell you how powerful you are,
bred from a lineage of lionesses
standing strong and proud with their young at their sides
carving a home out of solid stone with their fingernails,
blood, sweat, and tears.
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Sarah Brave Deer stopped at the edge of the burial ground of her ancestors. She admonished herself for not living up to her birth name, she was generally much braver than this, but venturing near the sacred grounds robbed her of that bravery. The arrival of dusk didn't help matters, nor did the crowding timber that encircled the sacred home of her dead ancestors.
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"I never, ever would have believed there was so many interesting and totally fascinating people in your family!" The excitement in her voice punctuated the statement. "Why didn't you tell me all these unbelievable characters were hanging in your family tree?"
Climbing in the branches of my family tree,
this thought has recently occurred to me,
that times have changed and we've forgotten
the ancestors who sailed across the sea.
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Comments
Question from "Spiritual Newsletter (December 28, 2010)"
What reminders do you use to keep on track with your life? A journal, calendar, or devotional calendar? Notes posted around the house? Daily meditation, reflection, prayer?
BIG BAD WOLF is Howling  says: I keep track by what I write.
trdill13 claims: For almost all of my organizational needs, I depend on my Blackberry, otherwise known as "The Crackberry".
Since I got my IPhone, I no longer need all the dry erase boards, corkboards, and calendars. Technology rocks.
{user:gautam.gigoo) says: Thank you.
You are most welcome.
{user:shepherd46} comments: I like your phrase, ""If you want to change your life, move 27 things in your home." And, your article is very interesting and helpful!
Toni Star
The phrase is from ancient China, but thanks for your feedback!
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What subjects would you like to see in this newsletter? Open for suggestions!
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Spiritual: January 26, 2011 Issue [#4203]
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