I’ve been thinking about the connection between holidays and ‘holy days’. (A little history lesson follows). The word ‘holiday’ was first used in the 1500s replacing the earlier word “haliday” which was recorded before the 1200s. Earlier, about 950, the word was “haligdaeg” and meant ‘holy day, consecrated day, religious anniversary, Sabbath’. In the 1400s the meaning of ‘haligdaeg” was both “religious festival” and “day of exemption from labour and recreation”.
In my mother’s childhood, religion was taken very seriously. In her Presbyterian household, there was no play or work on Sundays (apart from tasks such as essential cooking and cleaning) and all household members had to spend the day in quiet activity. No noisy activity or games such as cards (associated with gambling) were allowed.
Fast forward to the present day when we have ‘holidays’ which are generally accepted as a period of recreational time usually spent away from work, school, and, sometimes, home. The word has changed in meaning, both in terms of it being a ‘consecrated or religious’ day, and of it being ‘a day of exemption from labour and recreation.’
We have come a long way from a time of strict observance of Sunday as the ‘holy day’ - an observance which originated in the Christian Bible-story about God ‘making the world in six days and resting on the seventh.’ I remember when Sunday sport and Sunday shopping was introduced and there was much concern expressed about the effect of these changes on our lives. Many more changes followed - to where we are now, generally unaware of Sunday being any different to any other day of the week, unless you attend Church, which is generally on a Sunday.
According to the data gathered at the 2018 census, 48.2 % of the adult population had no religion, compared with 29.6 in the 2001 census. (This only factors in those who filled in the census form, but it does seem to indicate a growing trend.). Does this suggest that we as a society are becoming less interested in all that is considered ‘holy’ or ‘sacred’? Or does it indicate a growing number of people who are uninterested in ‘organised religion’? We may never know - as there are so many different understandings of ‘holy’ , ‘sacred’, ‘divine’. Changes in observing periods of religious significance are evident around us. Hanukkah, Holi, Diwali are some of the significant periods recognised in our communities. Of greater significance both in terms of understanding and also recognising our tangata whenua (people of the land), Matariki is becoming increasingly understood as relevant and essential in contributing to richness of our community.. I notice I’m having more conversations with (non-religious) people who acknowledge a connection with something other than that which is human, visible and tangible. They give ‘it’ various names - “Universe”… Spirit”… “Energy”,… “Mystery”. Maybe some of the 48.2 % who have no religious affiliation still see the place for the sacred and divine in our lives. And I sense a growing conviction that everyday is a holy day.
