Ma> About lunar New Year's celebrations, I didn't exactly forget Samhain. 
 Ma> It's just that I've also known of some traditions that consider the 
 Ma> WInter Solstice to be the Pagan New Year for THEIR tradition - and I 
 Ma> didn't know which "sect" (GRIN) you belonged to.
 Ma> .
 Ma> I'm glad Pagans don't often argue over such things, as it seems every 
 Ma> coven, grove or other Pagan community I've ever heard of or known 
 Ma> personally has some little deviation from the "norm" - if there IS any
 Ma> "norm" in Paganism. (Which I doubt - hopefully not, anyway)  Because 
 Ma> when one can seperate one's mind from the "that is not how I do it" 
 Ma> kind of thinking and look at what IS being done in any given group, it
 Ma> is usual a beautiful symbol of what that ritual, for that season is 
 Ma> trying to express.  Of course you've got to realize that this is being
 Ma> written by a person who loves writing ritual for it's OWN sake,
 Ma> anyway. I once quipped that I bet that I could make up a ritual for any
 Ma> of the  8 festivals with the means at hand - but I'm glad nobody tested
 Ma> me for  that one. (GRIN)  I bet folks could have come up with some
 Ma> weird  combinations of "materials at hand". (GRIN)  One thing I really
 Ma> enjoyed about Paganism is the ability most Pagans have to rise above
 Ma> the  comparitively minor (IMO) stuff and focus on the common experience
 Ma> that causes people to perform such rituals - there's my "mystical" side
 Ma> coming in.
 Ma> .
 Ma> Yes Jewish New Year was last fall - according to Yonassan Gershom, it 
 Ma> began the year 5757.  And Chinese New Year is coming up in the spring
 Ma> - Feb./March as you said.  I'm looking forward to it, as a Chinese
 Ma> couple owns the computer company my husband works for and he may get
 Ma> the day  off.  Who knows?  Maybe I can even get him to take me into
 Ma> Boston for  the celebration?  Someday I'd love to see it, but I ain't
 Ma> holding my  breathe this year - he's still recovering from the heart
 Ma> attack and  driving in Boston is a really horrible experience, usually.
 I moved this post over to Interfaith...will answer it there....
 Marie
... Now that I've made up my mind, don't confuse me with the truth.
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