At this time of year, as we bring trees into our homes to gather round with friends and family, I am excited to (likely) be the first to wish you a Happy Roots Day!  Yep, apparently today, December 23rd, is uncommonly known as Roots Day.  A holiday whose origins are ironically unknown, Roots Day is a celebration of returning to family, learning more about your history and experiencing comfort through a sense of belonging.

Though we often think of our family genealogy in the form of a clean, simple and symmetrical “family tree”, this model clearly misses many significant connections and complexities that make each of us who we are today.  It is the nature of roots to both be tangled and to serve as a means of underlying support; there exists the possibility to uproot and to establish new roots at any time.  Roots are what ground and connect us to the earth, and thereby to one another.  So though it is unclear from where this whole Roots Day came, I’m looking forward to embracing the day with celebration.  I hope you do the same; Happy Roots Day to you and yours!

(Photo of Alison Saar‘s Treesouls taken at Madison Square Park)