Living as an Anglophone in Montreal is a bit like living in Roberts Creek. A small, tight-knit community with an unusual proportion of musicians and artists, the weather is nicer here but the smoked meat is not. Also, a lot of folks come from “away.” During the period between Christmas and New Year’s, St. Laurent Street (the Main) is abandoned for the hearth of the homeland and the exodus to get some of Mama’s cooking leaves it a ghost town. Being the helpful type, and with plans to stay put, I was roped into housesitting a friend’s apartment and cat. The week before Christmas had been brutally cold that year, with daytime highs in the minus 20s, so when the morning of the 25th brought +5 degrees, everyone in town was relieved for a bit of warmth. As evening approached, I grabbed a snack and made my way to feed the feline. Upon arrival I was confronted with the result of the freeze/thaw cycle that every homeowner dreads – the pipes had burst and the ground floor apartment was three inches deep in water. I entered by walking on furniture and put the cat’s dish on a chair as I got comfortable on the couch. As my fingers turned orange from the Cheezies, I thought to myself, in Alanis Morissette’s voice, “Well, isn’t this nice?” By comparison, I think this year will be fine, thank you very much.
The solstice is upon us – the longest night of the longest year, marked around the world and down through history as an important time. Saturnalia, in ancient Rome, when food and drink were plentiful and the normal social order was turned upside down, slaves would become masters, business and schools were closed for a week so that everyone could join in the fun. “Yalda night” is the Iranian festival, Toji in Japan, the Zuni people of New Mexico had Itiwanna, the rebirth of the sun, and the Hopi solstice was in celebration of Soyal, the Sun Chief. Scandinavia did honor St. Lucia, but calendar reforms moved her day to the 13th, and for the Norse each spark from the Yule log was the promise of a new piglet or calf to be born in the coming year.
All had one thing in common – the end of darkness and the beginning of the growing light. The world feels it, and if you feel it you should share this feeling.
It’s a perfect time to pick up the phone, schedule a Zoom, contact that friend you haven’t seen in a while or family who needs your voice now more than ever. We live in a fortunate age of advanced technology – the Dick Tracy video phone watch is real, for crying out loud! Flying cars could be just around the corner, but I’m not convinced that’s a good idea. All this tech is only as good as how we use it. Use it now to show you care, let them know you are thinking of them.
