As always feel free to express your views directly to me at alan@alancontino.com

The Holiday Issue:

Okay, a lot of people have asked me about the Holiday issue. Here it goes:
I do not celebrate holidays that I find have no merit to the nature of my spirit or the spirit of those around me.
The only exception I have come to understand is a Birthday. This is the one holiday that affects every living human being and therefore may have merit to the spiritual well-being of a particular person on that specific day they joined the world as we know it.
Religious Holidays. The description alone tells us the merit of these days.

I do not believe or practice "religion" therefore I can not celebrate those holidays. Who would celebrate something they do not believe in?

However, to celebrate a spiritual belief would be to act in a spiritual manor toward the entity to be celebrated and I DO celebrate my spirituality, yet I must always be conscious of the way in which I celebrate so to not act in a religious manor - avoiding hypocrisy.
Finally there is what I refer to as the "Couples Holidays" and "Capitalism Holidays".

These are the days that exalt the current industry with purchase of goods and services that are unnecessary to sustain human existence. In fact the only GOOD that comes from these goods, is the capitol it generates for the company (infrastructure) that issued them.

The greatest example of this would be Valentines Day and Sweetest Day.

Here you have, planned marketing strategies to directly effect those that might have some one they care about. And to what end? So that you can keep up with the Jones?? How is it that humanity has regressed to the level of gift giving merely because there has been a day assigned to it?? And of these gifts that have no relation what so ever to the individuals involved.

Is it not more prudent and meaningful that a gift be given for the sake of giving a gift?!?!?! This would be especially relevant to couples. Would not a gift given on a day special to only those individuals be elemental to the growth of the intimacy between them?!?!?!?! And why not a gift of personal value?!?!?! An item known only to those individuals, kept secret from others so to enhance the level of intimacy already gained?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!

The other aspect to the holidays is the difference between celebrating each other and celebrating the holiday. If we are in fact gathered together to celebrate a holiday why then would we exchange gifts to each other? It is entirely illogical that a gift be given to someone to celebrate something completely unrelated to that person!

To conclude, it is my belief and intended practice to celebrate one another for each other and not for the sake of a holiday. Furthermore, it is my belief and intended practice to celebrate spiritual beliefs in a manor from my spirit toward the respective entity keeping these actions separate from any religious actions or religions. And this would be my advice to anyone interested in conducting themselves in a manor so to avoid hypocrisy as well as negative influences (such as capitalism and industry) that may detract from the proper respectful celebration.