The Bare Formula of Ritual

I caught a few minutes of a PBS documentary last night that focused on a Japanese holiday where an entire community stops for something like a weekend to celebrate in honor of the dead. They make and wear special clothes, prepare special meals, sing and dance, and decorate graveyards and lakes with all manner of beautiful handmade paper crafts. It has the sensory overload of Christmas and the individual expression of Halloween. As a middle-of-the-road American it's hard to watch this kind of thing and not feel somewhat jealous.

About a year ago I read some books that managed to totally dislodge whatever remnants of mother church that may have lingered in my beleif system and I became a staunch Atheist. I grew up Catholic, went to Church on Sundays, understood none of it. I didn't bother the priests and the priests didn't try to blow me. Phew! When I got to college I took some philosophy and world religion classes. I went the Joseph Campbel/comparative religion route while managing to remain objective and critical. But I could never pray. I figured only seriously wise or seriously crazy people were able to pray with any real conviction.

Anyway, long story short, I really love Christmas. I love the rituals. I love the sight, sound, smell, touch and presents by the fucking boatload of Christmas! Is it ok to celebrate a holiday that I don't beleive in? I don't know. There are no Atheist handbooks that I know of to help me.

One of the last shots in the Japan documentary is of these paper boats the people make for their dead relatives and loved ones. Some are very simple and some quite elaborate, but they are all highly personalized. They set various items associated with the person they're honering in the boat, set the boat on fire and push it out into the water. Supposedly water is symbolic of the afterlife. I think it's a gorgeous ceremony. Though I reject notions of a literal afterlife I certainly think a metaphorical one should be acknowledged and celebrated somehow. I wonder if I could hijack this ritual for when I die? A long long long time from now.

That's one hell of a gravestone. Wish it were mine.

--Royal Tennenbaum