With the advent of modern technology, including the computer and cell phone, people are drifting farther and farther apart while at the same time communicating more and more. It's a complex commentary on society in general and may be opening the way to make true celebration obsolete. Celebration in the very sense of the word: "To observe (a day or event) with ceremonies of respect, festivity or rejoicing."
What is Ceremony?
Ceremony is a declaration. Someone has accomplished something. Someone has been born, graduated, got a new job, bought a home, or passed a difficult, or pleasant milestone.
Life itself is an occasion for ceremony but when special days show up on the calendar so often the event is caught up in the whirlwind of work, play and family and the occasion marked with perfunctory cake and ice cream (or set up the bar) without contemplating the arrival.
Preparing for Ceremony
Being committed to a party means pre-planning the food, the place, the time and the guest list but how often is time taken to consider the small details that make it a true celebration? Significant things like lighting and the right music.
For a memorable ceremony, every detail must speak to the occasion. Create a theme around your celebration even down to the clothes you will wear. Balance the food and drink with the decoration; the music with the mood. Your guests may not notice on the surface but they will feel "special" while in your presence.
Opening the Ceremony
Before your guests arrive take a few moments for mediation and visualization. Take a mental walk through your planned celebration. See any problems that could arise and address them before you begin. Make everything available so there are no last minute dashes to the kitchen or elsewhere.
Take a few deep breaths and surround yourself with the joy, or the sorrow, of the the occasion. Be a part of what you are offering to others.
The Pivotal Point
In every celebration there comes a time when the announcement should be made, the person receiving the honor of your intentions brought forward. For preparation of this time it is best to create a circle of your guests. Let them gather around the new baby, the new graduate, the funeral urn. Include each person present in that brief but magical calling of the family. In ancient times the circle was sacred.
The Closing of Ceremony
Everything went as planned. Your guests are leaving, taking your hand, or giving you a hug of gratitude. This is indeed a special moment for honoring ceremony. They have blessed you with their presence and because of your planning, your attention to detail, your understanding of what this occasion meant to the honoree, and yourself, they are taking away a new height of feeling.
Celebrating Yourself
Don't rush into clean-up. Take some time for yourself. Bask in the glow of the a mission accomplished and know that you have created a minor miracle....a memory that will linger in the mind of your guests. A true celebration in the ancient sense of family and friendship. The food was perfect, the music complementary, the lighting just right. The announcement was made; the occasion properly marked, and best of all, you, the hostess, feel good about the event. Time was taken to plan, to meditate and to visualize the results. The ceremony itself was celebrated.
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