How to create your own pagan holiday
Step one: Rule out all existing religious traditions. One way to do this is to sit down with someone else who shares your dislike of previously organized religions, survey your options, and say "We don't like any of them. So what the fuck do we do?"
Step two: If you want to start a pagan holiday, you must first define your concept of the word "pagan." Don't give yourself a label that you don't understand. You may choose to use a dictionary definition of pagan, or create your own--but however you decide to codify it, make sure you fully understand what the word means to you (and means/will mean to anyone who shares this new holiday with you). Also, be sure that you have considered the implications associated with the word pagan--what assumptions will society make about you and just because of that label?
Step three: If you're going to create a holiday, there should be some sort of point. This implies that you should either A) have a specific event to celebrate/commemorate or B) have some sort of belief system to reinforce.
Step four: If you already have a specific event to celebrate/commemorate, skip ahead to step 6 (or read the other ones anyway, because they're pretty great). If you plan to organize a belief system to reinforce, then obviously the next step is to start figuring out what beliefs will be the basis of your holiday. You may choose to borrow theologies from existing faiths, or you may prefer to say "those are all bullshit" and start from scratch. Don't feel like you have to pin down every detail of what you believe, but do come up with at least a few concepts that are central to who you are as a spiritual being. Write these down. It doesn't have to be eloquent--it can be a few fragmented words scribbled down in a notebook, as long as it means something to you. On the other hand, some may wish to create a journal of sorts to chronicle this spiritual journey.
Step five: Now you have a general grasp of what you believe. So why is it worth celebrating? Stop looking at me, dumbass, ask yourself! You're the one doing the creating here. Will this holiday be a celebration of what you hold dear? Will it be a way to spiritually rejuvenate yourself? Do you wish to praise/invoke a deity? Is your aim to connect with others who are on the same spiritual path as you are? If your only goal here is "to burn stuff," then you're probably doing it for the wrong reasons, and you should consider rethinking your definitions of words like "pagan," "holiday," and "belief." Besides, who needs a holiday to burn stuff? ANY day is a good day for fire--don't waste your time planning; get thee to a matchbook (lighters/torches/flame-throwers are also acceptable, or flint if you're really cool) and light something up (preferably outside, for the sole reason that your neighbors probably won't appreciate the incessant beeping of smoke detectors). But thanks for reading this anyway.
So back to the people who still need to plan a holiday. Get off your high horse, you're no better than the people who just want to burn stuff. You're both special and the authors like all of you. Have you been thinking while I've been lecturing the pyros? Good. Make a decision then--what is the point of this holiday? Write it down. Proceed.
Step six: So you're ready to get creating. You're equipped with your definition of pagan, some basic beliefs, and a reason to celebrate. The end. JUST KIDDING! Now you have many questions to ask yourself. Who will participate? When will the event occur? How frequently? How long will it last? Is there a significance to the timing? Where will it take place? What materials do you need? Try to take into account anything and everything you can think of. The most important part here is to make sure that your holiday has a set beginning and end.
Step seven: At this point you should be ready to plan the liturgy--that is, the order of events. What is going to happen, who/what will cause it to happen, and when it happens are just a few things that should be taken into account here. Your liturgy can consist of just about anything--and the fact that you are creating your own most likely means you want it to be different than anything else that already exists. Of course you can incorporate parts of other rituals, but make sure everything has significance to what you are trying to accomplish.
This is the meat of your holiday. Make the most of it! If you plan to celebrate by yourself, go ahead and add any sorts of symbols that have meaning for you. If you plan to celebrate with others, get their input as well. Choose events and icons that will be significant to everyone involved. For example, you may want to choose certain colors that should be worn in representation of an event or goal, or, on the other hand, you may wish to caution against other colors that should be avoided during the duration of your holiday.
Again, this part is largely up to you (and anyone else who may be helping you plan). It is important to be specific though. If you try to wing it, you may end up with a great opening ceremony that ends with you and your hypothetical companions looking at each other and thinking "well that was cool, but what the hell do we do now?" Don't let this happen--be prepared! Know what's going to take place next, and how it's going to take place. The more detailed you are in your planning, the less room you leave for awkwardness.
(...to be continued)
