asakiyume: (feathers on the line)
asakiyume ([personal profile] asakiyume) wrote2014-10-01 10:42 am

October 1: spontaneous ceremony

On this day in Pen Pal, Kaya took an action to express grief. You might say she created a spontaneous ceremony.

I think people do this a lot. Prescribed rituals do give us a way to proclaim and honor our big feelings (the happy ones as well as the sad ones), but sometimes they're not enough; sometimes we need or want to go further. We want to make a personal statement. Or, like Kaya, we may not be in a position to engage in prescribed rituals.

Do you have any spontaneous ceremonies you've created that you can share? And did any then go on to become personal traditions? One of mine that I don't mind sharing, for instance, is doing a great bow (after the manner of the fairy queen in The Perilous Gard) in locations of great physical beauty would be one.

One that my kids do is bake cakes on the occasion of the birthdays of characters from anime or video games. I highly endorse that one!



[identity profile] cmcmck.livejournal.com 2014-10-01 02:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Some people in my position create an additional birthday.

I don't have to as my natal birthday and that day fall on the same date- 8th May- I got to choose that date- which is kind of special in its own way! :o)

[identity profile] asakiyume.livejournal.com 2014-10-01 02:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Very nice! Do you have anything particular and special that you do--always eating something special (I mean, there's birthday cake, but beyond that), or saying special words, or anything like that?

[identity profile] cmcmck.livejournal.com 2014-10-01 03:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Not specifically anything that isn't birthday-ish anyway but the idea always was to be sure there'd be something to celebrate. I like to remind myself that it's also my re-birthday and certain very old friends get forgiven for wishing me a happy fanniversary! :o)

[identity profile] asakiyume.livejournal.com 2014-10-01 03:24 pm (UTC)(link)
the idea was always to be sure there'd be something to celebrate

♥ understood.
Edited 2014-10-01 15:24 (UTC)

[identity profile] cmcmck.livejournal.com 2014-10-01 05:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh! And I always say 'Good morning' to magpies! :o)

[identity profile] asakiyume.livejournal.com 2014-10-02 07:45 am (UTC)(link)
This is a traditional British-Isles thing, right? My husband does this too.
Edited 2014-10-02 07:45 (UTC)

[identity profile] cmcmck.livejournal.com 2014-10-02 10:40 am (UTC)(link)
My grandma did it, so it may well be northeastern in its origins.