International Day of Peace

Today is International Day of Peace. September 21 has been designated as such by the United Nations since 1981. I honestly didn't know this until recently. Now I'm excited to share.

Peace seems like such a no-brain concept. We all know the devastation that war brings, to those who lead, to those to follow, but also to innocents on both sides and others who just happen to be in the way. And yet-- war remains a fact of life throughout the world. I think it's a great idea to take one day and think about what we as an individual can do to promote peace, whether on a global scale, or, more likely, just within our own community. This year's theme is Education for Peace. To learn more about the day, it's history, and ways you can get involved, check out http://www.internationaldayofpeace.org/


This weekend also has significance on many calendars, of course. I'm most familiar with the Celtic, which calls the solstice (midnight tonight/tomorrow morning) Mabon. I love the symbolism of changing seasons. It always makes me contemplative, as the turning of the year both reminds me that life is short and I need to live each day to its fullest, but also that even in the darkest of times, the world does keep turning, and things will change, as sure as the leaves on the trees. This week we also had a full moon, the Harvest Moon, which is another special day to many people around the world.


This weekend I'll be at the Michigan Renaissance Festival. There's always a heavy presence of symbolism and early beliefs on the weekend closest to the solstice, and this year will be no exception. There will be food and drink and high spirits and each of us will greet the new season in our own unique manner.

Do you have any special ways you celebrate autumn? (Or spring if you're in the southern hemisphere.) International Day of Peace? Is this just downtime between back-to-school and Halloween? Do you have full-on rituals to mark the season? Are you excited about pumpkin doughnuts or candy corn? Leave a comment, and I'll give one winner a free download of either Motor City Fae, Steam & Sorcery or All Hallows Evie, winner's choice!