I am surprised whenever I learn how other countries have secularized the holidays. By this I am not speaking of adding diversity to the holidays being celebrated as that is a great thing - that my four year old now knows a small bit of the Jewish, Islamic and African experience at this time of year is a marvel. No, I mean the stripping by secular demand of the trump card of community celebration, whether it is a celebration of faith as at Christmas or tradition as at Halloween or simply community as at Labour Day - placing work demand over all else.   It is the loss of the reason to simply not do.   Being immigrants from Scotland, our traditions differ a little at this time of year, different root vegetables on the plate and Hogmanay rather than New Years.  Regardless, those traditions make us stop.  Whatever the cause touching you, we each should embrace these reasons to stop and should stop more often.

I am happy to say that Canada pretty much stops today, Friday, at noon and picks it up a bit on Monday but only really is fully open for business next Wednesday...sort of. Practically speaking, we are all on holiday hours of some sort or another until Tuesday, January 4th, eleven days of priorities reversed or at least challenged. This is good. I understand our neighbours to the south do not have the same expanse of time to themselves, missing Boxing Day for sure and perhaps fewer getting days in lieu for the special day that falls on a weekend. You know, it is with good reason that few families have home movies of laundry day or the folks going off to work. It is not as important as the reasons we find to be idle at these times and not as important as the idleness itself. Go be idle, read a book, lay on the carpet and play with children's toys or allow yourself a good long snooze. Happy holidays.