How Can I Celebrate When the World Is Suffering?

The holiday season can evoke a complex mix of joy, pressure, loneliness, cultural expectations, and reminders of unresolved family dynamics. In our practice, we approach this through an abolitionist lens, viewing struggle as something that exists within a broader web of connection, history, and community strength. Healing is not merely an individual performance; it is a collective tapestry we weave together.

On our homepage, we feature a quote from poet and Indigenous feminist leader Lorena Cabnal, whose work informs this philosophy. She describes the wisdom that sustains Maya and Xinka communities as a collective force that emerges in times of crisis. As she writes, “You are born with a reason for being and contribute your consciousness to the Web of Life.” During the COVID pandemic, she reminded us that ancestral resilience is not an abstract concept but a living practice.

Below are three practices inspired by this worldview that can support us through the holiday season.

1. Draw on your resources, even the quiet ones

The holidays can bring a whirlwind of mixed emotions. Stress about gatherings, grief for those we miss, and tensions within family systems can surface all at once. Many of us tend to minimize our feelings, often believing they are insignificant compared to oppression or individual suffering.

Our emotions inform us that we are part of a larger relational story. Even the act of looking to authors and poets for direction, reconnecting with one friend, sending a message, or asking for support is a way of weaving back into the web of life. As Lorena explains,

“Women with ancestral knowledge are joining forces to create strength… grandmothers, grandfathers, and siblings with spiritual wisdom.”

Community healing is not standardized; it emerges through care, ritual, and connection in many forms.

2. Honor your feelings without judgment

Holidays can magnify old memories. Some feel grounding and comforting, while others may carry unresolved pain. Lorena has spoken with deep honesty about her own early experiences of violence, displacement, and the long journey toward reclaiming her sense of worth. She describes healing as the realization that,

“it is worthwhile to heal the painful memories that remain deeply internalized in our body… because we are bodies that deserve joy, affection, and pleasure.”

During a season that often pressures us to be cheerful or self-sacrificing, we can remember that we are meant to be free and feel satisfied with our lives. Listening to yourself with honesty is a powerful act of resistance. Recognizing when you need protection, rest, or support is a powerful act of self-love, and acting on that awareness does not have to look pretty or perfect.

3. Establish or rediscover meaningful rituals

Rituals anchor us during overwhelming times. They do not need to be elaborate or rooted in a single tradition. You can create new ones, adapt familiar ones, or reconnect with cultural practices that once supported your family.

Some celebrate the winter solstice, others light candles for ancestors, pause for gratitude, or prepare foods that evoke memories of belonging. Rituals are more about giving moments or people in your life significance than having something to do. As Lorena reminds us, “the communal is also political.” When we connect, grieve, celebrate, or rest together, we strengthen collective bonds that systems of oppression have tried to fracture.

Conclusion

Lorena illustrates that healing is an act of profound love for life. She encapsulates the Maya Q’eqchi’ understanding of connection in the phrase, “You are me and I am you.” As we move through the holiday season, remember that you are not meant to carry everything alone. You are woven into a wide tapestry with roots deeper than any one season.

Her closing message resonates deeply in our work: “We do not lose our indignation, but we do recover our joy.”

May this season create space for both.

Source: All quotes from Lorena Cabnal are translated from her interview published by Avispa Midia: “Tejernos en conciencia para sanar la vida.” Available at https://avispa.org/lorena-cabnal-tejernos-en-conciencia-para-sanar-la-vida/