Step Into the Collective Energy of the Holidays

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to this week's episode of Three Cups in a Dash of Spirituality. On this week's episode, we're going to be talking about Christmas and belief systems around Christmas. You like what you hear, make sure you go and download all of the episodes and listen to them wherever you listen to your podcasts. Play the music.

SPEAKER_00 0:42

We're going to flow with it. And I'm just going to say ho, ho, ho, everybody. Merry Christmas. Because it's a Christmas episode. You got to get your enthusiasm up there, Stacy.

SPEAKER_01 0:52

Not just like, oh no, I'm kidding. You're perfect. You know, you know what happens when you hit the record button and then all of a sudden your brain just kind of stops functioning. Because that's literally what just happened. Because I was like, oh, it's me. I'm here. Hi, everybody. I don't know who I am.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

So what are we going to talk about this week? It's a Christmas episode, so I'm guessing it's everything Christmas.

SPEAKER_01 1:14

I I don't know if any, if many of our listeners have ever, you know, recorded a podcast or stuff like that. So what we do is we kind of talk about what we're going to talk about a little bit before. And we were kind of bouncing ideas back and forth. So we started kind of, at least I started researching a little bit of the spirituality around Christmas and, you know, kind of spun from there. I know one thing that I was thinking about, Michelle, and and I'm going to throw this to you because I just was fascinated by it, is the, and Carissa, is the interconnection between spirituality and the different religions with Christmas and the symbolism behind everything.

SPEAKER_00 1:52

Right. And, you know, I didn't really go into the religious aspects of it, but I kind of went around the world with it and did a little bit of research on what Christmas is like in different parts of the world. And I learned a lot. I'm surprised being Miss Christmas, as I call myself, that I've never done this before. Because really Christmas Day for us is December 25th, but it varies all over the world, starting anywhere from like the beginning of December to you know early January. I found that pretty fascinating.

SPEAKER_02 2:29

What was the most fascinating one?

SPEAKER_00 2:31

The most terrifying one I know I can share.

SPEAKER_02 2:35

And that's in what? Y'all want to go to that Germany?

SPEAKER_00 2:40

What's that the one that you were going to? Well, I close to Germany. Well, Austria is where I was going because they do have a celebration of Saint Nicholas or Father Christmas around the 6th of December every year. But his counterpart is Krampus. Krampus.

SPEAKER_02 2:58

Yeah, that's that's Germany. Yeah, it's all over there. Yeah, and they have parades. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 3:05

Yeah, he's terrifying though. Have you seen like what he supposedly looks like? He's terrifying. Yeah.

unknown 3:12

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 3:13

Like a devil creature. There's a movie. There's a Christmas movie out, Krampus.

SPEAKER_01 3:18

Well, it's it's meant to scare children into being good. Like that's really yes.

SPEAKER_00 3:23

Yeah. Oh, it would scare me into being good. I probably wouldn't even leave the house because here's a tradition there. If you're a good child, Saint Nicholas comes and he brings you treats. If you have done something naughty or a bad deed, you have to sit with that fear as you wait until Krampus shows up on Christmas Eve to show you what your punishment is. That punishment, and I wrote down some of the things I found online that punishment can be you get beaten with branches and sticks. Yep. That's a dog eaten or taken to hell. Oh my gosh. I mean, this doesn't feel very Christmassy talking about this, but that is what it said on the internet. Now I I've never been there, I've never experienced this. I really want to do that.

SPEAKER_01 4:17

You I've seen videos where they like people that go to the parade, they'll come out and they'll spank them and they'll there's actually an office episode, and as most people know, my favorite show where they they bring Krampus in and he either he does this and he spanks a few people with branches.

SPEAKER_00 4:38

Well, I was happy to know that even if you were a little bit naughty or you strayed during the year and did something that wasn't very nice, he does have a weakness. And like his kryptonite is fruit. So if you've been bad and you offer him fruit, he will sit down and eat it with you and have a conversation, and then you usually don't get in trouble or have to suffer his consequences.

SPEAKER_01 5:06

Did it happen to say if it had to be real fruit or it could be like fermented grapes? I didn't see fermented grapes, but um fermented grapes?

SPEAKER_02 5:15

Oh, wine.

SPEAKER_00 5:16

Oh gosh, why didn't I put two and two together there? This is Christmas. I'm full of cheer, I'm full of wine, I'm full of champagne.

SPEAKER_01 5:25

I'll sit back and have a you know glass of wine with Krampus and just chat about how naughty I've been. So I you just Michelle, you said something and it clicked in my brain. And I just want to draw attention to the whole elf on the shelf thing, which is huge around Christmas time. Because I find it creepy as hell to have this little watch in your house watching your kids, yeah, you know, and getting into mischievous like mischief. That was the wrong word, but I like every time I see one and I talk to parents about it, I'm like, I I know when if I have kids, I'm there will be no elf on the shelf in my house.

SPEAKER_02 6:07

I'm not doing fun, it's so fun. You actually would love it. It's creepy.

SPEAKER_00 6:14

You actually would love it. So this year, one of my friends thought it would be funny to work off the elf on the shelf theme since we don't have any young kids at home anymore. So she sent my husband a snoop on the stoop, I think is what it was. And it's Snoop Dogg to kind of watch over him and report to Santa if he's being good or bad. I love that. That's funny. The symbol of an elf reminds me of my grandma because she used to always have this little one on her Christmas tree. So I like elves, but that little sucker, he is a little bit creepy.

SPEAKER_02 6:47

Yeah, we yeah, we you and you have to move it every night. And then you forget it, you're in trouble. You're in trouble because then they're like, oh my god, this is it. They're not going.

SPEAKER_00 7:00

I wonder how many terrified kids have come away from the elf on the shelf experience. I know that my nephew witnessed his, they were standing at a hotel, witnessed his elf being picked up by a housekeeper, and he lost it because if you touch them with your human hands, they lose their their magic. And he had to go play a hockey game, and he was melting down on the ice about this elf on the shelf, this tough hockey kid melting down at a game over this elf on the shelf.

SPEAKER_01 7:30

So I've I've seen um videos online of kids losing their ever-loving minds because somebody touches the elf and it loses its its magic, and it's the most, it's the worst thing. And that's where, like, for me, I'm like, no, I'm good.

SPEAKER_00 7:46

It does bring me a little bit of joy to see those videos though, because I mean, like, that's just the pure magic kids believing so much and celebrating the season so much that you know they're having these reactions, which I mean, I feel bad that they're so sad, but they are entertaining, they are there definitely.

SPEAKER_02 8:07

And my daughter, it was sad because you know, I wanted to give her all the magic of Christmas. And then one day we're driving to daycare and she started crying. And I said, What's wrong? And she goes, Mama, I don't want some man to come down the chimney and and put and come into our home. And I said, Oh, and I had to sit there and I said, Well, and I had to tell her, I said, Well, do you want me to tell you Santa's not real? And she goes, Yes. I said, Okay, well, Santa's not real, no one's coming, it's just us. She was like, four, and then she was like, Well, I want press anyway. It was back and forth, but it was so interesting. Someone like my daughter was like, Wait a second, let's be realistic about this.

SPEAKER_01 8:47

Some strange dude's gonna come into our house and bring stuff in, and then you know, you have the other stories too, just to kind of jump off on that, like the Grinch who stole Christmas. So now you've got this guy that brings stuff, and then you've got another dude that comes and takes it all away and then realizes that he was wrong.

SPEAKER_02 9:06

It is weird when I'm when I looked at it through her eyes like that. I was like, Oh, that is kind of scary.

SPEAKER_00 9:12

And my fear of Santa Claus is I never wanted him to like grab my toes while I'm asleep because I sleep with my feet outside the sheets. So that was terrifying. And then my grandpa used to share the story about when he was a little boy, how Santa came down the chimney or came into the house, and him and his brother woke up and Santa threw ash in their eyes. And so I was I never wanted to see him because I didn't like, yeah, like Santa's like, you can't see me. And he threw ash in their eyes. Oh my god, it was just magical Christmas powder, so they didn't remember what actually happened, but that's what my grandpa used to tell us.

SPEAKER_01 9:48

That's terrifying.

SPEAKER_00 9:49

Yeah, no, it was a little bit scary. So what we do to our kids for the magic. I know, I know, but there's nothing like it.

SPEAKER_01 9:58

Oh no, you know, I I think that if we, you know, stepping into tradition and stuff like that, I think that there's a way to, you know, introduce the traditions and have it not as scary as it as it sounds. You know, I I love that we opened this episode talking about Krampus and then we're talking about, you know, the elf on the shelf and then the Grinch and having this random guy jolly guy deliver presents because my my brain also at this time of year goes right to um the the Jack Skellington. Oh, that's my son's favorite movie. But it's mine as well. What is it? Nightmare before Christmas. Oh, you know, because he steals Christmas and he gives all these terrifying gifts to the world. And it's it's just it's so interesting that we have this like wholesome end of a holiday, and then you've got the exact opposite in you know, all steeped in traditions.

SPEAKER_00 10:54

One of the traditions I found just fascinating, and I don't even know why, but in Japan they don't really celebrate Christmas. Instead, at least in this article that I read, it said that families go to KFC and it's their tradition to go to KFC. Well, why not Popeyes? Well, they probably don't have Popeyes, but KFC, and I think the year was like 1972 or something, it became a tradition. I could be wrong, but that's what I read in one article, and I thought that was just fascinating. One of the interesting things I found about Christmas in Sweden is they have a Yule goat. And this is let me see, 42 feet high and like 3.1 tons, and they just put it out in the square for people to come and pet it or take pictures and celebrate. It's just their sign of Christmas. So I thought that was really interesting. I want a Christmas goat. You got a Christmas skeleton? Yes, I do. We I need to decorate him. Yeah, yeah. No, a goat that might terrify me a little back to the horns, or do goats have horns? Yeah, yeah. So oh, here's a cool one. In Finland, one of the things they do, one of their traditions is they will make porridge out of milk and rice. And inside the porridge somewhere, they'll drop an almond. And whoever gets the almond in their porridge is the winner. So it's kind of like a king cake at Mardi Gras. So I thought that was really fascinating.

SPEAKER_02 12:26

You win.

SPEAKER_00 12:27

I don't know what you win. Maybe just title of finding the almond, not the almond, but the almond finder or whatever it is. Yeah, yeah, the almond. But it did say also sometimes parents don't want the other kids to feel left out, so they'll put almonds in like all of theirs to find that's fair. But it is really bad Christmas. In this article, they also said in Finland they end Christmas with taking a hot tub or sauna.

SPEAKER_02 12:53

Oh, I like that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:56

One thing I don't think about, well, I should because I'm in Arizona, so my Christmases here are much different than Alaska because it's warm and there's no snow on the ground. But in New Zealand, it's still summer, so they'll maybe do a casual cookout to celebrate Christmas. What do you think of that?

SPEAKER_01 13:13

I get chisies, bikinis, and turkey. That's hard for me to picture because of where I am. Like I I know, you know, obviously in the US, for example, you've got the warmer states, and you know, they don't have the traditional snow on Christmas, but it it like for me, it's mind-blowing because I've always had colds and winter. So it's always very interesting to hear, you know, the different areas.

SPEAKER_02 13:41

Yeah. I'm warm here in Austin, but not that warm.

SPEAKER_00 13:46

Oh, Norway. That's the one I want to do because this would fit my vibe so well. But they celebrate Christmas starting the 3rd of December. So the whole month up until the 23rd, which is like their family day. But their whole idea of Christmas is going to bars and restaurants. Hell yeah. Sign me up. I'm there with you, Michelle. Let's do it. Well, I that's what I read in this one article, which I will reference also in the notes. But I thought that was pretty cool. That helps the economy out too. It sure does. They've got it down right. And then in Mexico, they do I'll this will be the last one, and then I'll tie it back to spirituality. Mex they do pastorials, which are shepherds' plays, and they're basically going around telling the Christmas story, like acting it out. So I think that's really cool. And they also bring in the red point set as there. I love that. One of the reasons I wanted to talk about how people celebrate around the world is really that's what Christmas is all about. Like when we think of Christmas, we think of being the best versions of ourselves. What can we do to help other people? How can we raise the vibration and be happy? Unfortunately, as we all know, and it's always important to say this: there are a lot of people who are not out there enjoying the holiday season for one reason or another. And to them, I am sending love out to you today because I have been there myself. It was a, you know, a couple hard holiday seasons, but you've got support and you have love. And so part of the holiday seasons for me has always been showing up, doing acts of kindness. But I had a friend say to me, Well, you do that all the time. And I'm like, I know, but why it's so different at the holidays is because it's being done around the world. People are taking a moment to pause. Wars are still going to continue, but everybody is taking that moment to recognize their traditions, to celebrate with family, to really think about what's important to them. And that raises the collective consciousness. We're all in this together. And I think that is one of the truest, best descriptions I can have of the feeling of the holiday season and how we all stepping into that collective consciousness.

SPEAKER_02 16:07

And the gratitude, the gratitude. Gratitude is huge. It does bring out a lot of anger when you get on the on the road or shop. It's just stressful, you know, because there are a lot of expectations about who you have to be and what you have to do for your family. But if we can all pause and remember and go back to gratitude, we go back to that calm going in the flow time around the holidays.

SPEAKER_00 16:38

And I will share, you know, so many of those stressful moments are expectations we're placing on ourselves. And we need to learn to balance those with like the reality of the situation. So your house isn't decorated to perfection this year. It's just a year. Next year it'll be different or it won't. So accept your wins, accept, you know, things where you just have to let go a little. And it really is all okay because it is really about that feeling. And I will say, and I don't know how to describe this in any other way, on December 24th, when everything is said and done, there is a stillness and a quietness in the air that I don't feel on any other day of the year. And I don't know how to put it in words. It's just peace. It just soft peace. That's all I can say. And that makes me so happy. Like I'm getting all choked up because it really does.

SPEAKER_01 17:33

You're giving me like full body chills because as you talk about it, I'm able to kind of step into that feeling. And, you know, here where I live, every December 24th, they light lumineers like throughout the town, you know, on the edge. So if you drive through my town, there are just these small, you know, little candles that are lit at like all along the roads. And that feeling that you were just explaining, Michelle, is it that's if you see them and you can step into that that moment of peace. I and I love that you say peace, but it's almost like the silent like love, even for those that struggle uh throughout the holidays, and there are so many that do, uh finding that one moment can change so much.

SPEAKER_02 18:23

Yeah. That's so cool.

SPEAKER_00 18:25

But even thinking about Christmas movies, the traditional Christmas movies, you look at them, and that theme, uh, a theme that runs through them really is that collective consciousness. Look at elf. What is what do they say at the end of it about singing, how everybody should sing, because it's gotta raise that Christmas spirit, and that's what it feels like. Think about the movie The Grinch. Yeah, he didn't know he had anybody until he knew he had everybody, and it's stepping into that Christmas consciousness, that Christmas love, Christmas love, which is so beautiful, it's uh magical, really. And uh earlier we were talking about that gift we give to our kids and uh small children, like just to see that it's worth all the headaches. I I I think. I no, I absolutely agree with you. And Stacy, when you're talking about the lights, I love that because that's very similar to the traditions in the Philippines, too, and their tribute to the Star of Bethlehem. So that's really beautiful. And I think it's really important before we move completely out of this episode. A lot of people are missing loved ones at Christmas time, and there really are a lot of ways to bring them close. I was having a conversation with my daughter-in-law Eva earlier, and she feels like at the Christmas time the veil is so thin. And it really is because we're stepping into the memory of, and there's so many ways that you can step in and connect with loved ones. Is there something that you and your grandma love to do? Well, I just shared she had this elf on the tree. I love to find the elf in the tree. It was something we did. Another grandma we baked. So there was so so much you can bring them in through traditions, they live on through that.

SPEAKER_02 20:19

Lighting a candle for them. Yeah, I love that at the table, lighting it. You don't have to put them in a chair, the candle at the chair, but lighting a candle for them uh during Christmas dinner, sharing a story, yeah, sharing a story, you know, making them those memories come alive again.

SPEAKER_00 20:38

And that's beautiful. It really does bring them into your Christmas. They're not forgotten, they're just there in a different way, and it they kind of like pass the torch on to you so you can carry on these traditions with your own kids or your own family. Um, I wrote down again a couple ideas for bringing deceased loved ones into your Christmas celebrations. One again, a stepping into the tradition. I love the candle, I love the stories that you just shared. Have a conversation with them as you step into gratitude. Just talk to them. And you can either talk to them while you're meditating quietly, or if that feels weird to you, write them a letter and set it next to your bed. Just let them know you're thinking of them because I do believe that draws them closer. Welcome them into your dreams, have that dream journal by your bed. And then music too. Christmas music is very connective. Is there a favorite song that you would listen to all the time? There was one uncle, the song we listened to all the time was Must Be Santa. And to this day, I just find so much joy. Must be, I mean, I get into it like I'm three years old because that's what that song meant to him. And so every time I hear it, it's bringing his memory into the present day Christmas. And I'm getting to share that memory with all of you. So So it's spreading. That's kindness.

SPEAKER_02 22:02

Grandma got ran over by a reindeer. My grandmother loved that song. She'd turn it on and everyone would sing. And she'd get up and dance. So yeah, that song was a big one. I love that too.

SPEAKER_00 22:15

Stacy, what are you laughing about, girl?

SPEAKER_01 22:17

You're just you're making me think of all of the songs. And you know, my my dad is definitely still here, but he would create songs from the Christmas songs that would always make me laugh. So whenever I hear them, I sing them like my dad does. So, you know, I I think it's gonna be one of those forever things that I always do. You know, creating those traditions and having those moments is just so perfect, I think. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:41

Does it seem like the season's going by way too fast already? Yeah. Time I'm not time is flying lately. Time is flying. Do you have any tips for the listeners as to how to slow that down or how to step into the season without getting overwhelmed or overrun by it? Try to stay in the moment, you know.

SPEAKER_02 23:01

Just go back to gratitude. You could set a timer every three hours. What am I grateful for? Like for me, mine's my daughter. It's her last year at home, senior. And oh, we get to watch a movie tonight, and all the phones are off. Everything is no.

SPEAKER_00 23:18

Yeah, well, does it count if you step into gratitude and you're like angry at your gratitude? I'm so thankful that I have another gift to wrap.

SPEAKER_01 23:26

Just get someone to wrap them for you. Oh, you see, I love wrapping gifts. That's my favorite thing.

SPEAKER_02 23:31

Hate wrapping gifts. I detest, like, I love having cute wrapping paper and all different, you know, unique wrapping paper, but I cannot stand doing it. Mine's horrible. I rap horribly, by the way.

SPEAKER_00 23:46

You probably rap horribly because you don't want people to ask you to wrap a gift again. That's what my husband does. He'll like take newspaper and wrap gifts and like three different types of paper and just stick it on there. And I'm like, please never wrap another gift. But he does it with so much joy in his heart at the very last minute. So that's kind of his tradition, I guess. Well, anything else you want to share about Christmas or how you're celebrating or what you want the listeners to take away from this episode.

SPEAKER_01 24:14

I think the only thing that I'll throw out there is to, you know, step into gratitude as often as you can and make it yours. You know, I think creating a holiday tradition and stepping into the holidays can be very stressful, but make it yours and try to have fun. And how about you, Carissa?

SPEAKER_02 24:30

It's just gonna go back to gratitude and try to slow it down because I'm in that place where my daughter's gonna be leaving soon. So slowing it down, slowing it down.

SPEAKER_00 24:41

And she may be leaving, but she won't be going far and it the it'll change and there'll be different memories. But I guess what I was gonna share, and you sharing that about your daughter is so perfect. You know, we live this life, and every year we have a Christmas and we get to experience something. So I really look at the holidays as a way to connect what has happened and what is happening now, and it builds on each other and those memories build on each other. And so just step into the magic of that, the people around you, uh, the times you've had. Um, and I'm just gonna say, and it's Jesus' birthday, and so we need to celebrate that. And that's again being celebrated around the world. The the collective energy behind that is so powerful. I really do believe in Christmas miracles. I believe this Christmas magic can move mountains, and it's just I love Christmas and I'm so so grateful.

SPEAKER_02 25:35

I love Christmas. I honestly when my daughter opens her gifts, it's the best feeling ever.

SPEAKER_00 25:43

Yeah, that wonder, that excitement. Yeah, thank you everybody for sharing a part of your Christmas week with us. We are so grateful for you. And with that, Stacey, stay classy, stay sassy, and stay badass. Merry Christmas, everyone. Merry Christmas.