FERTILITY GODDESSES, GROUDHOG BELLIES & THE COCA-COLA COMPANY: The Origins of Modern Holidays, by Gabriella Kalapos. Insomniac Press, 2006.

We have three reactions to holidays in this country – frantic relief (regarding days like Canada Day, Labour Day and Easter – “Finally! A day off!”), sheer panic (Christmas, Valentines) and complete indifference (Groundhog and May Days). 

And yet, despite this, we still have no sense of the history behind these holidays or reasons why we practice certain rituals during these times.  It seems that to us, it doesn’t really matter where the groundhog that pops his (or her) head out of a hole came from or what the significance of fireworks on New Year’s Day is.

And really, does it matter?

Well, author Gabriella Kalapos says it does and after reading this book, I’m inclined to agree.  After all, why should we be hiding eggs or carving turkey if we don’t understand why or where the traditions came from?  Just because people have been doing it for years?  Something tells me that we’re a little smarter than that.

For years, I’ve disliked New Year’s Eve.  To me, it’s just an overpriced night filled with desperate folks out to make memories.  There’s nothing worse to me than unmet expectations.  And trust me – I’ve tried to make it work.  I even have the shard of plastic champagne glass in my elbow to prove it.  So now, I stay home when possible and order in Chinese or sushi and listen to the fireworks pop and sputter through my window while enjoying the company of friends and family away from the $100 night out at a bar.  It’s brand new year.  Let’s celebrate.  Our own way.

But, wait a second.  That’s easier said than done.  Though you might want to break with tradition and do your own thing, you are not only going against your own family and friends’ traditions but years of history.  Maybe there’s something to this.

Traveling chronologically through the year, Kalapos introduces all of the major holidays – New Years, April Fools, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, to mention just a handful – as well as a few that you might not know about or consider a holiday, like Summer Solstice, Friday the 13th and Guy Fawkes’ Night.

It is definitely a great voyage through the ages and a glimpse into how the holidays began and the translation of traditions over time.  And while Kalapos takes great care to cement each holiday’s history in religious, historical and psychological terms, it’s clear that this book began as a simple, curious trip.

“What I found fascinating about holidays was their universality.  No matter which culture, religion, or time period, people seem to have a need to set aside a number of days of the year as special days – days to take time off from the world of mundane problems and concerns and from the world of making a living and surviving – days dedicated to connecting us to the sacred.”

A great read for both the casually curious and the history buff.  The only question remains – will you wait for a day off to read it?

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