Pantheistic Holidays

[Ouroboros]

I was thinking. I know from something I read once that some pantheists celebrate certain holidays.

To list a few:

Winter solstice (i.e. Christmas. Perhaps the real "New Year" celebration?)

Darwin's birthday. Bruno's birthday.

What else? And, what do you think would be the reasons to celebrate holidays as a pantheist?

 

[Baladas]

I have observed the Solstices, though I have never really done anything to celebrate.
I do acknowledge the Winter Solstice privately during Christmas with my family.

As a pantheist, I am not sure. I know that I personally enjoy being more in tune with the seasons.
I also observe the Lunar New Year, which I enjoy for the same reason, and also due to my love of Chinese culture.

 

[Quintessence]

If one wants their pantheism to be more than simply an idea, but a religion or way of life, then ritual is a key component to introduce towards those ends. In some cases, someone with pantheistic theology is already affiliating with a religious identity, in which case the rituals are an extension of that religion and not so much pantheism directly. That's how it is with me - I'm a contemporary Pagan (or Neopagan more properly) whose theology happens to be animistic/polytheistic/pantheistic. Ritual celebration of the seasons or other aspects of reality/nature is a very common practice within Neopaganisms. It serves no purpose to affirm pantheism itself, but other religious goals. Specifically, it connects and attunes me with my gods.

I might argue that pantheism (or any ideology, really) is relatively meaningless without ritual or practice, but I suspect some might be put off by such a suggestion. I might also argue that anyone who practices pantheism and goes beyond it simply being an idea is basically a contemporary Pagan, but I suspect some might be put off by such a suggestion too. That, and it's obvious that I have some pretty strong biases in saying something like that.

 

[Ouroboros]

As a pantheist, I am not sure. I know that I personally enjoy being more in tune with the seasons.
I also observe the Lunar New Year, which I enjoy for the same reason, and also due to my love of Chinese culture.

Lunar New Year? I can look it up, but I rather read your explanation. When is it?

 

[Baladas]

Lunar New Year? I can look it up, but I rather read your explanation. When is it?

Well, it is celebrated between January 21st and February 20th, depending on the length of the lunar year. Several of the larger East Asian countries usually celebrate in on the second New Moon after the Winter Solstice.
It's more widely known as the Chinese New Year (well, the variation I celebrate), so that may be why you haven't heard of it. We have a festival downtown - paper lanterns, parades with dancing dragons, firecrackers and music.
There is also a tradition of giving gifts of money in red paper envelopes, and of older people giving gifts to younger people. It is also a time to honor ancestors, and any gods one may worship.

It really is a lot of fun, but I'm sorry if it isn't exactly the sort of thing you were looking for. It does tie in somewhat, as it celebrates the moon.
Like I said, it helps that I have a particular affinity for Chinese culture.

I am unsure of other holidays that may exist for celebrating Nature...perhaps someone else knows of some?

 

[Quintessence]

Plenty. There are more well-recognied ones:

Earth Day.
Arbor Day.

You could add in honoring aspects of humanity, because human civilization is as divine as anything else to a pantheist:

Labor Day.
Memorial Day.
Independence Day.

Virtually any Pagan holiday, historical or modern, would work:

Solstices.
Equinoxes.
Harvest festivals.
Planting festivals.

And really, a holiday is any time we want to set aside to acknowledge something sacred. I've been known to mark:

First thunderstorm.
Spring ephemeral time.
Fluffy time (this one probably begs some explanation - it is the time when the cottonwood trees release their seeds and the seeds are... well... fluffy. And I really enjoy chanting "fluffy time!" over and over again as I drive around town watching the seeds drifting).
Acorn dropping time.
Crow roosting time.
First snow.

It goes on and on from there.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

All of that is fine and dandy. I personally only celebrate Christmas, Holloween, Memorial day, and Thanksgiving. Family tradition.

I always thought of every day as a holiday. As a pantheist, my ever-growing relationship with God (well, it's always been that way, so my realization of my relationship with God) has made me feel more comfortable in the here and now. The here and now are always important, and the here and now are always holidays to me.

 

[Ouroboros]

All of that is fine and dandy. I personally only celebrate Christmas, Holloween, Memorial day, and Thanksgiving. Family tradition.

That's pretty much the ones we celebrate too.

I always thought of every day as a holiday. As a pantheist, my ever-growing relationship with God (well, it's always been that way, so my realization of my relationship with God) has made me feel more comfortable in the here and now. The here and now are always important, and the here and now are always holidays to me.

Amen to that.

 

[SomeRandom]

Bruno's birthday.

Forgive my ignorance, but who's Bruno?

 

[Ouroboros]

Forgive my ignorance, but who's Bruno?

Giordano Bruno.

An Italian astronomer, before the science of astronomy. I think he was one of the first to challenge the geocentric model held by the Catholic church. He was executed, not just for that reason, but he was an early scientist.

 

[Norebo]

The Solstices are meaningful for me, since those solar events are about as universal a celebration as we can get here on Earth! I'm not Neo-Pagan, so I don't care about those "cross-quarter" days or any particular myths/rituals.

My family celebrates Christmas, and while that holiday means nothing to me, I enjoy the excuse to get together.

Thanksgiving is also an important one for me because of the emphasis on gratitude. Halloween is also just too fun to pass up

 

[Jumi]

I celebrate these, though not every year... Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year, Midsummer.