Christmas is different in Puebla, Mexico. For one thing, Christmas does not start in October (or maybe even earlier). In Puebla, they wait until December to put up the Christmas Lights and start selling Christmas items. It feels nice to have it condensed down to a month because it feels like there is more of a purpose to it, and it also feels less commercialized here.

Another difference is that Puebla (and Mexico in general) is overwhelmingly catholic. There are Catholic churches everywhere, and so there is more of a unity of purpose behind the themes. While I am one who really likes diversity, and it has been a long time since I lived in such a monoculture, where I got used to having Christmas intermixed with Diwali Light Festivals in Little India and Bodhi Day celebrations in Little Cambodia. Here, there is one message, and there is no place to hide from it.

A last difference is one that I really like, which is the emphasis on community celebrations. The city decorates the downtown and has special events and activities to bring in families on the weekends. Right now, one park is filled with vendors from Oaxaca (another state in Mexico) with specialties from that area, including food, sweets, personal items, songs, and dance. They just set up a “Santa’s Village” in the Zócalo from the state of Tlaxcala that I want to go see, and Saturday night, there was a big free concert at the Zócalo with thousands of people coming in and out of it. It is wonderful watching whole families come together in an open setting. What a way to celebrate love while being in community.

Some things are the same. A message of Love and Peace is the same. While I am not catholic, this message still resonates with my life as a minister for Centers for Spiritual Living, and so I have been thinking about how I can truly be a presence of Love and Peace in this new life in Puebla. One thing is that I have had to double down on my connection to my family. Being thousands of miles away makes it easy to be “out of sight, out of mind,” so I have been more conscious of staying connected to my children. This has meant making sure I am available and paying attention to what is going on in their lives, as well as other friends of mine that I have left behind in California.

One thing that has also come to mind is to be honest with people. Love and Peace does not mean letting people take advantage of situations, nor does it mean looking the other way. Remember that all of the God Qualities (Love, Peace, Harmony, Balance, Prosperity, etc.) imply the Highest and the Best for EVERYONE involved. So I have been checking situations in my life to ensure that I am not “turning the other cheek” in a way that does not serve all of the people involved. As a child, my family would espouse Love and Peace for the Holidays, but then Christmas tended to be a time of anxiety, anger, and hurt feelings. I think this is because we did not understand that it was not trying to maintain Peace until the breaking point, it was about trying to resolve issues in a way that everyone was taken into account. I know that Christmas is a time for family and friends and good times, and it can also be a difficult time in our lives. I think by going into the season with not just our hearts open, but also our eyes, we all have the best chance for a loving holiday.

So personally, from the depths of my heart, I hope that you enjoy this time of the year. I know that I am enjoying it in Puebla, even though I miss the constant reminder of having a community of Love around me at Ahiah. I still feel connected to Ahiah and to its members. Merry Christmas to all!

Blessings,
Rev. Scott Olson