The Meaning of Festive Days: A Fresh Reflection on Diving at the Surface or in Depth

Do you remember what you did on the last public holiday? In this sea‑flavoured reflection, I highlight the importance of rediscovering the value of festive days – not merely as breaks in our routine, but as moments of unity around a Country, a Culture, a Community.

Thinking about the celebration of Easter this past April, I found myself wondering: to what extent do we truly live these festive dates according to their original meaning or, on the contrary, treat them simply as an opportunity to rest and head to the beach for a quick dip?

That’s how the perfect analogy for today’s reflection emerged: the way we live the celebrations of our Country, our Religion, our Culture; and the way we dive into the sea.

Think about it: going to the beach and taking a dip is easy. You grab a towel, put on your swimsuit, walk to the shoreline, and jump in. If the water is cold, you hesitate a little, test it here and there, but eventually you manage to refresh yourself. And while this is a pleasant experience, it falls far short of its potential: we can’t go deep because we run out of breath, so we’re forced back to the surface. There, we do what we always do: float, play, contemplate, swim a little… and that’s it. We return to the towel, chat, sunbathe, sip a drink, and repeat the cycle until we head home satisfied with another “well‑spent day”.

The same happens when we treat festive seasons as ordinary days: we rest, eat, drink, stroll… always the same. We live a special occasion without showing that it is, in fact, special. We don’t celebrate it either because we take it for granted, or because we simply don’t believe in it, but it still comes in handy. And so, date after date, year after year, we fail to reach the core of what each celebration symbolizes and represents for our personal and communal lives.

Diving, on the other hand, is an activity that requires preparation and is done in a group: you need a mask, snorkel, wetsuit, and fins; you must know the communication signals and non‑verbal language; and you rely on proper logistics, such as a boat ride to deeper waters and the support of colleagues or instructors. It’s more demanding than a simple dip, but it offers a far greater reward: accessing the depths of the ocean and contemplating wonders of nature that remain invisible at the surface: the variety of fish and crustaceans, the shapes and colours of corals, and so many other marvels. It’s a less accessible experience, but infinitely more valuable and transformative, revealing a beauty that delights, moves, and enriches us. It’s the kind of experience we feel compelled to relive and to share with those close to us.

The same happens when we choose to dive deeply into festive days, discovering their meaning for our lives like a treasure waiting to be found – one that cannot be reached at the surface. By immersing ourselves in each celebration with depth, we understand the “why” behind things, find meaning in them, and gain a sense of belonging, because we celebrate not alone, but with a community that shares the same history and the same values.

That’s why it’s worth making the effort to live each festive season as a vivid and authentic celebration – rooted in our culture and part of our identity – instead of trivializing or dismissing it. The satisfaction and fulfilment it brings to the human soul are incomparable. So the choice is ours: when the next festive date arrives, will we settle for another surface‑level dip, or will we take a true dive into depth?