The Stolen Christmas Carol

Failte, Reader. Welcome back if you're a regular.

Christmas is almost upon us - how's that sitting with you? 

I'm very aware that not everyone celebrates. Indeed, Christmas is a fairly young celebration that was invented by the church as a way to replace older traditions. But that's for next week's podcast episode and post. I hope you enjoyed the poem last week. It was a scary release for me, but I'm all about diving head first into fear and riding the tides of trepidation. 

This week's podcast episode is a softer one, all about the historical evolution of Christmas Carols. The Christmas tradition isn't the only "steal" of old ways by the church. It turns out that carols themselves were not originally associated solely with Christmas. The term "carol" itself seems to come from the name for a particular kind of dance in Europe, a dance which may even go back as far as ancient pagan dances around stone circles. It would take many, many more years before carols became the carols we know today. 

Not only that, but they also shifted and changed, much like traditions and religious practices do, every time they were sung. There were no fixed tunes or even words for a long time. One such tune that was changed was Jingle Bells. That song was originally written for an Autumn festival involving sleighs. 'Twasn't associated with Christmas at all, no Santa, no elves, no bells. It was only way later that it became synonymous with Christmas. At that time, its tune was changed completely too...

...buuuuuttt... but but, reader, but - its tune did not disappear completely at all. I believe it was sampled and made more famous than Jingle Bells itself is - and that made me as excited as a child on Christmas Eve watching out for Santa. I think...I think very strongly, that I have discovered a crazy link between the original music for jingle bells and a very, very famous hip hop song from the 90s. Well, I think it's a crazy link. You may think I'm mad. Let me know if you can hear the similarities in the tunes. Skip to the end of the episode if you really don't want to listen to the whole thing.

However, there is something very unusual and rare to learn from the episode too. I talked about a condition I suffer from but never really realised was a condition, nor acknowledged it for what it was. It's called Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome, and as I say, it's really rare. Only about 3 in 100,000 people suffer from it. It's characterised by long bouts of vomiting, extreme fatigue and, according to some research, depressive symptoms. Every Christmas Eve, and whenever I went on holiday, I'd projectile - vomit all over the place. It was kind of a running joke...I was the projectile child. 

The same thing happened to me in 2021, except that time it happened more often than it had ever happened in my life. Every month at least, I'd have a day of being sick and a day of recovery, or a few days. Though not much research exists on it, in my view, and from my experience, it's very much related to sensory activation and how traumatic experiences manifest in the brain, and as a result, in the body, or more specifically, the visceral system. The term "sick to the stomach" exists for a reason. 

To heal, I've got to be very strict with my diet, my sleep, and what I allow into my life. As I am sitting with the realisation of this having been a lifelong challenge, I'm starting to realise a lot about how careful I have to be with things that happen in my life, and how debilitating that can be, especially when it comes to building relationships and being out with people. Most people don't understand when you say you don't want something in your diet. They think you're being picky and difficult. It becomes easier to simply stay away or make up a story as to why you can't have things. People accept stories. It makes them feel better, or less self-conscious. 

The older I get, the less I care about this kind of thing, but that doesn't make it easy either. If you've ever experienced anything like this, or you know someone who has, or you have a child like me who gets sick often, check it out. Listen to them when they say they don't want something, and respect there might be a reason why which they don't feel comfortable sharing. 

I'm off to Ireland this Saturday for Christmas. I'll be making the paté for family and friends almost as soon as I land. That I can eat by the bucket load. Do you like it? How are you celebrating if you are?