Holly Days is a twelve day holiday that starts on the Winter Solstice, and ends on New Years Day of the modern calendar. Each day is represented by a principal devoted to improving the quality of our collective lives.

It is a secular holiday, but there are inevitable spiritual connotations involved in the cycles of the earth's seasons.

Holly Days is our answer to the petty squabbles between obsolete human tribes about the true meaning of the season.

We have taken ritual aspects of all their winter-timed observances and tried to meld them into a single sensible tradition.

We invite you to add your own, and look forward to the expansion of this holiday both in scope and practice.

Since the Winter Solstice is the moment when the sun's apparent movement south ends, and it begins to move back northwards, we see the celebration of light as a central theme. Lighted decor, candles and fireworks are appropriate symbols of this celebration of the return of the sun.

Of course almost all life on earth is nourished by the sun's energy, and so that light is also the symbol of our shared life. It is inspiring to remember, at any time of year, that every other person on earth is your literal cousin, that we are all, even every beast or bug, related; sharing the same mysterious spark of life that has been passed, from parent to child for the whole history of this grand thing we call life on earth.

And so to celebrate how this life we share has managed to overcome every freezing winter, every cataclysmic challenge to its existence, we see the evergreens and especially the bright red berries of fruiting winter plants like Holly, Toyon, and Pyracantha as symbols of this magnificent, shared and indomitable life.

Red runs in every one of our veins, as it does on these glad fruit, and so we bring them into our homes as a remembrance of this holy connection.

The First Principal is Unity. Nothing is more fundamental to the formation of community than being united. On this First Day of Holly Days, the 21st of December, the first day of winter and the date of the actual solstice, we consider our Unity.

The  Second Principle we celebrate is Compassion, because to feel with those with whom we share our lives is essential to forming a livable community.

The Third Principle we consider is Kindness. Kindness builds connections between us. Kindness is a gift that forges gentle obligations of reciprocation.

In the Second Trinity we come together through Sharing. Gifting is the most primary and powerful economic form.

On the Fourth day, the 24th of December, we consider Hope. All of us want more for ourselves and our loved ones, all of us hope for better world, and as we share our longings with each other, we can see more clearly what we need and celebrate what we have.

The Fifth day, the 25th of December, is Generosity. On this day we give generously of ourselves. We try to fulfill each other's heart's desires, and we think about the way giving can be so enriching, not only to our own spirits, but to our communities..

For the last of the Sharing Trinity, the sixth principal is Gratitude, for giving without gratitude may breed resentment and greed. Gratitude for all we have always puts perspective on our lives, which are such amazing gifts, and beyond which we really should ask no more.

The Third Trinity consists of Personal Ideals that we feel can help us achieve more internal harmony in our lives.

The Seventh Principle then is Truth. Seeking the truth is one of the most glorious pastimes humans have ever devised, and it is a path that has no limits.We have faith that the more we see ourselves and our world clearly and honestly, the better able we will be to live good lives.

The Eighth Principal is Love. When we built love within ourselves it heals us as much as it does those things and people that we love. We also have faith that whenever we strive to muster Love within us, our lives will be enriched.

The last of the internal trinity, the Ninth Principal, is Courage. So much within us resists growth, fears change, and can cause us to cower, almost lifeless. We believe that only when we buck up our Courage can we move into the unknown and develop new and better ways to be.

Then on New Year's Eve, the Eleventh Principal is Forgiveness. Without this, hate and reproach fester and poison every endeavor we undertake. As the new year starts we share a Kiss of Forgiveness with those we love, and even with those we may have hated.

Finally, on New Year's Day, we consider the Twelfth and Last Principle, Redemption. Each of us wishes to be reborn each day, wishes to find our better self and the world we long for in our hearts. It is this spirit of the Redeemed that we celebrate as we end our celebration, and prepare to return to our mundane lives.