Episode 50: The Secret Party at the Carousel No One Ever Told You About...

Welcome to the Carousel of Happiness Podcast.

There’s a holiday tradition at the carousel that very few people know about. It's a party so exclusive that it's been hidden from the general public until now. But, for the first time in carousel history, we've been given permission to share the story of this tradition with all of you, and invite you to participate this year.

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Want to participate in this year's Theme of Giving? Make a donation anytime between now and December 22nd in honor of someone else and your donation will be MATCHED, dollar for dollar, by friends of the carousel, Larry and Jane McGrath. Go to our website here and make a donation "In Honor of..." or "In Memory of..." in order to get the match. You and your honoree will receive a personalized thank you from Lady Mayor herself. 

Happy 56th Wedding Anniversary, Larry and Jane!!

The Carousel of Happiness is a nonprofit arts & culture organization dedicated to inspiring happiness, well-being, and service to others through stories and experiences.

Check out the carousel on the CBS national news! https://www.cbsnews.com/news/carousel-daydream-helped-marine-get-through-vietnam-war-he-then-made-that-carousel-a-reality/

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider visiting the Carousel of Happiness online (https://carouselofhappiness.org/), on social media (https://www.facebook.com/carouselofhappiness), or in real life. Or consider donating (https://carouselofhappiness.org/once-donate/) to keep the carousel and its message alive and spinning 'round and 'round.

If you have a story to share, please reach out to Allie Wagner at outreach@carouselofhappiness.org

Special thanks to songwriter, performer, and friend of the carousel, Darryl Purpose (https://darrylpurpose.com/), for sharing his song, "Next Time Around," as ou...

Transcript

Welcome to the Carousel of Happiness Podcast. I’m your host, Allie Wagner. 

On last week’s episode, you heard my conversation with author, speaker, and evidential medium, Travis Holp. We talked about mediumship, how we can connect with our loved ones on the other side, signs and synchronicities, and what death can teach us about life.

The plan for today’s episode was to pick back up with my personal story, but it looks like we’ve got some breaking carousel news to attend to this week. 

There’s a holiday tradition at the carousel that very few people know about. It’s been going on a long time, 15 years in the making. But the event itself is not open to the public. In fact, the event is not open to human beings at all. And up until now, it’s largely been kept secret. But, for the first time in carousel history, I’ve been given permission to share the story of this tradition with all of you, and invite you to participate this year.

Let us begin with today’s story.

GONG

There’s a special party that happens every year. It’s not the Met Gala or a White House state dinner. It’s not Coachella or Burning Man or even Uncle Ira’s Annual Chili Cook Off.

The party isn’t featured in Page Six, and there’s no mention of it in the New York Times. In fact, no invitations are sent out, no public event listed on a calendar anywhere.

Because every single year, for the last 15 years, invited guests know exactly when the party will be. At dusk. On an even numbered day in December. Between the first and third snowfalls. Every year. Just like clockwork. 

As the day approaches, guests know it is coming. They can feel it. First, the days become shorter and shorter, then the temperature drops. Next, the winds begin to howl and and howl and howl and...with every gale and every gust, the anticipation for what’s coming builds and builds. The anticipation for what’s coming builds and builds as the barometric pressure goes down, down, down.  

The invitations don’t go out on cardstock, there’s no stamps for the mail. The invitations come in hushed tones and in whispers, in between rides and after hours. “It’s time,” they say to each other. There are many squeals. Some hisses. And even a honk or two.

On the night of the party, just after the carousel closes, after the sun sinks low behind the Continental Divide. After the day’s tickets are counted and the floors swept. After Pat locks up, and Burt says goodbye. 

Then, the table is set. The candles lit. Wreaths and garland are hung. Twinkle lights twinkle, glass and glitter sparkles and a warm, gleamy glow begins to radiate from the inside of the carousel house. And within minutes and in moments, the Carousel of Happiness transforms into the site of the annual Cozy Season Party.

The Cozy Season Party is one of the carousel animals’ most beloved traditions. Camel appreciates the fact that it welcomes all animals, regardless of faith traditions or backgrounds. Dog likes that there’s no dress code, because he finds holiday sweaters to be far too itchy and matching pajamas to be way too conforming. Duck enjoys the singing, the way it sounds when everyone’s voices join as One. And Panda loves the comfort food feast, despite the fact that they pay for it the next morning.

The first Cozy Season Party took place on December 4th, 2010. At the beginning of the carousel’s first winter in operation. That year, the winter winds had picked up in earnest and members of the El Tropical Coalition, which, at the time, included Mermaid, Dolphin, Fish, Frog, and Gorilla, were a bit…let’s say, frazzled. 

That year was their first Real Life Winter and it was unlike any they had expected. Primarily, because none of the El Tropical animals had ever experienced Real Life Winter before.

They had seen winter on TV, of course. And they heard about winter on the radio when Scott left it on in the shop for them. 

But, it turns out, Real Life Winter was very, very different than TV Winter. TV Winter looks like fat, lazy snowflakes slowly drifting to the ground. Real Life Winter looks like sleet and slush and sideways snow, and frontways snow, but almost never fat and lazy snow.

Radio Winter sounds like joyful carolers, tinkling bells, and Mariah Carey on repeat. Real Life Winter, however, sounds like howling winds and rattling windows and scratching branches.

“We don’t like Real Life Winter!” Mermaid wailed.

“We can’t live like this,” said Frog. Ribbit.

“I was not built for these conditions,” Gorilla said calmly but sternly. “My body responds best to very little variance in temperature, it prefers 23 degrees celsius, actually. And approximately 11-13 hours of sunlight, if that isn’t too much trouble.”

“What’s a celsius?” asked Fish. Everyone looked down at the ground. Nobody else knew what a celsius was, but they didn’t want Gorilla to know that.

The other animals listened openly to the El Tropical Members, but some of the carousel animals were very, very confused, if they were being honest. Moose didn’t understand why they weren’t enjoying the cooler temperatures and Dog wasn’t sure why they were complaining about the wind, quite frankly. He loved to feel the wind on his face and regularly stuck his head out the window any chance he got. Didn’t they get it? Didn’t they understand? It is so much fun to stick your nose into the wind and smell the whole world as it blows by?

Smell the world? Gorilla looked at Dog like he was, well a dog. Bless his heart.

Giraffe chimed in. He knew firsthand how troublesome the wind could be the higher up you got, but he also knew the importance of accepting what is.

“I know it is difficult, but you must make peace with the wind,” Giraffe said kindly and gently to his friends. 

“Peace with the wind?!” asked Mermaid. “How can you make peace with such unruly, erratic, craziness!?! It’s madness!”

Kangaroo and Frog took a couple of hops away from Mermaid. Cat meowed and ran under a bench. 

“Yes, you must make peace with the wind,” Giraffe said. “The wind represents freedom, Spirit, and the unseen flow that connects all beings. And it’s very powerful - wind has the ability to clear stagnation, cleanse our spirit, and infuse our life with new life.”

“I want a new life!” wailed Mermaid. She appeared to be taking it the hardest.

“Now, now,” said Giraffe. “Running away is not the answer. Because wherever you go, there you are.”

“I can outrun it!” wailed Mermaid. “I’ll outrun this wind,” she said.

Cow looked down at Mermaid’s tail, got very uncomfortable, and looked away.

“I’m pretty sure you need feet to run at all,” Coyote said, intending to be helpful. 

It was not helpful. 

Mermaid began to sob. Messy, sloppy, woe is me, look-at-me sort of sobs. Her face got all blotchy and her nose got very, very runny, very, very quickly. Mermaid sucked some snot up her nose and flung herself onto Bear’s bench sobbing.

“Thank you for your kindness during this difficult time,” she said to Bear as she wiped her nose on his arm. 

Bear became stiff. There was a lot of snot in his fur. He did not like snot on his fur.

“There, there,” he said to Mermaid, patting her head. It seemed safer to do that right now than to go to the bathroom to clean his fur, which is what he really wanted to do. 

As he patted Mermaid’s head, Bear’s fur got wetter and wetter. Surely, it was bothering her too now? Bear looked down. It was not.

After a moment, Bear tried to inch his arm away from Mermaid, but Zebra gave him a sharp look. He wasn’t exactly sure what the look meant, but he was pretty sure it meant, “stay put.” Bear sighed.

“There, there,” said Donkey to Bear.

As the group coped with their new understanding that Mermaid was, indeed, an ugly crier, the other carousel animals tried to make their tropical friends feel better about the wind.

“The wind reminds us that we are not alone,” said Duck. “That there are forces larger than all of us at play.” 

“The wind is windy and it makes me cranky,” said Fish.

“The wind drives transformation, encourages flexibility, and brings with it new energy,” said Heron.

“The wind makes sounds that startle me and make it hard to sleep at night,” said Dolphin.

“That’s it! We want out!” said Gorilla. The rest of the El Tropical Members agreed.

The animals then gathered the very first Council of Kindness that evening to discuss the concerns of the El Tropical Coalition. Scott had told each and every one of them that they could leave at any time, but no one wanted that. And, quite frankly, no one wanted to go outside anyway. It was far too windy.

As always, the solution came from the unlikeliest of places. Just as the meeting was ending, no resolution in sight, the littlest of voices chimed in, “Let’s have a party,” chirpped the little blue bird sitting on Elephant’s trunk. 

“A party?!” Gorilla was not impressed.

“Yes, a party!” said the Blue Bird.

For the first time in what seemed like hours, Mermaid stopped crying and looked up. “I like parties,” she said. Kangaroo offered her a tissue. Mermaid declined and rubbed her snotty nose on Bear.

“Yes,” re-chirpped Blue Bird. “A party. It will let us honor the wind and its importance, and it will help us prepare for Cozy Season.”

“Cozy Season?” asked Dolphin. “What is Cozy Season?”

Bear suddenly got excited and forgot his snotty fur for a moment. “Cozy Season is the time when the nights are long and days are cold,” said Bear. “Cozy Season is a time for cozy activities like sleeping and napping and dozing and resting.”

“And knitting!” chimed in Cow. “I like to knit in Cozy Season,” said Cow. 

“I like to snuggle and tell stories by the fire during Cozy Season,” said Alpaca.

Gorilla liked stories. And she definitely liked snuggling. “Tell me more about this Cozy Season,” she said. 

“Cozy Season is a time for singing by the piano and hanging twinkle lights inside,” said Duck. 

“Cozy Season is a time of reflection and introspection,” said Panda. “And also, comfort food.”

“Let’s do it!” shouted Mermaid as she sucked some snot up her nose. “Let’s have a Cozy Season party!”

*

It was decided. The El Tropical animals would remain at the carousel, but only if they held a Cozy Season party each and every year as the winter winds started to blow.

The first Cozy Season Party was held that very night. Cheetah and Sheep decorated the carousel with evergreen garland and twinkle lights. Bear and Panda organized an international comfort food potluck featuring heaping bowls of ramen, macaroni and cheese, poutine, pierogies, empanadas, pad thai, and more.

And the animals gathered in the center of the carousel and they ate. They sang songs. Some of them knitted. Others snuggled. And as the wind blew and blew and blew outside around them, they gathered more tightly and tightly together while Moose read a copy of “How the Carousel Got its Name” to everyone in the circle.

Finally, the carousel was at peace and Cat finally inched her way out from underneath the bench and curled up in Gorilla’s lap.

Just as the party was ending, they heard a sharp rap on the windows. The animals ran to the glass only to see every single one of the birds of the carousel flying high in a beautifully intricate formation in the wind. Heron dove in front of Peacock and swept around in a broad circle, as Pelican soared straight up followed by a long trail of tiny, little songbirds in her wake.

The animals whooped and they clapped at the bird’s spectacle. And everyone gave Ostrich a little hug, her toes planted firmly on the ground.

“It’s because I’m afraid of heights. That’s all,” she said.

“There, there,” said Bear.

 “I love Cozy Season!” said Mermaid as she wrapped a pashmina the size of comforter around her neck.

*

Since that very first party, the traditions of Cozy Season have morphed and changed as the years have gone on. Every animal now contributes their own signature flair to the party. But the Birds’ ceremonial wind dance happens every single year. When Birds of the Carousel fly high above it, weaving in and all around each other, all in unison, all making peace and dancing with the wind.

Well, not all of the birds, of course. Ostrich usually skips it. Because she’s afraid of heights, of course. No other reason.

And while most of the traditions of the Cozy Season Party remain the same year to year, a special thing happens in a carousel election year. The current Mayor of the Carousel makes their Attitude of Gratitude Address. It’s a tradition Moose started during his term back in 2021. In the Attitude of Gratitude Address, the current Mayor of the Carousel highlights two things: that year’s Theme of Giving and their contribution to the Thankfulness Project.

The Theme of Giving is sort of like a White Elephant game, but certain animals do not appreciate the use of the term, so they don’t use it. The Theme of Giving is a way to encourage carousel animals to engage in acts of service with each other during Cozy Season. No presents are exchanged, only acts of service, compassion, and love.

During Moose’s term, the Theme of Giving was “MicroKindness.” That Cozy Season, the animals shared quick acts of kindness all year long in increments of 90 second or less.

During Giraffe’s term, the Theme of Giving was the exact opposite, it was called “SlowKindness.” The animals gave the gift of slowing down and spending more quality time together. 

The Thankfulness Project is the same every year. It’s a way to share kind words with each other. Each year, animals draw names from a hat and they share words of gratitude, kindness, and appreciation with each other. 

This year, after the songs and before the snuggling, Mayor Pig gathered the animals around the center of the carousel for her Attitude of Gratitude speech. The animals waited with baited, and in some cases, slightly stinky, breath, as Lady Mayor spoke.

“It is my honor to be your elected Mayor of the Carousel, but I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge those who came before me.” She looked over to Moose and Giraffe.

“Former Mayors Moose and Giraffe have supported me and guided me with their experience and expertise during the last couple of months. Moose taught me how to balance the budget and Giraffe has helped me with long-term planning. 

Lady Mayor continued, “But I wouldn’t even be in this position without my human friends, Larry and Jane McGrath. Larry and Jane have been long-time supporters of the carousel as volunteers and as donors. And I am honored they have chosen to keep the carousel spinning by adopting me year after year.”

The Mayor continued, “Larry and Jane sponsored a donation match at the end of the election this year that helped bring me to victory. I am grateful for their generosity and their joyful enthusiasm to encourage generosity in others.

That’s why, this year, I want to encourage generosity among humans and animals alike this year.  I invite you all to celebrate this Cozy Season by making a contribution of some kind to an organization you love in someone else’s honor.”

The Mayor continued, “If that means a financial contribution, great. Make the donation and then tell the person you’re honoring. If that means volunteering your time. Great. Do that and let the person you are honoring know. It is a way to give this Cozy Season and multiply the fun.

“So, if I give Bear a foot rub in honor of Lynx, that counts?” asked Panda.

Please say yes, please say yes, mumbled Bear.

“Yes,” said Mayor Pig. “The idea is that you are giving to someone else in the name of your Honoree.”

The animals began to buzz with excitement. They had never done something like this before.

“I told Larry and Jane about my plans for this year’s Theme of Giving and they loved it. In fact, they loved it so much that they have graciously offered to match any donation that comes into the carousel between now and December 22nd. That’s the date of their 56th wedding anniversary. And they are choosing to celebrate it by encouraging others to donate to the carousel between now and then in someone’s honor.”

The animals were definitely buzzing now. This was very exciting news. They had never had human participation in the Theme of Giving.

And this is 100% true. Larry and Jane are long-time volunteers and donors to the carousel. Their family built its first cabin in Old Town in the 40s and Larry and Jane built their own cabin next door to their family’s cabin a year after they married in 1970. Both teachers, they were fortunate to be able to spend every single day of every single summer in Nederland between 1970 and 2020. They were early supporters and volunteers at the carousel, and even now, they support the carousel from their home in Scottsdale, Arizona by adopting Pig every year.

When they heard about Lady Mayor’s campaign to encourage giving on behalf of others they decided it was a perfect way to celebrate their marriage 56 years ago. If you, or someone else you know, makes a donation to the Carousel of Happiness between now and December 22, Larry and Jane will match your donation. All you have to do in the little drop down menu online is choose to donate “In Honor of” or “In Memory of” someone. If you do, Larry and Jane will match your donation, dollar for dollar, and you and your Honoree will receive a personalized thank you note from Mayor Pig herself. Please include an email address for your Honoree in the “Notes” section of the online form. Bonus points if you share with us why your Honoree is so special in the first place. 

As for the Thankfulness Project, I’ll be sharing my contribution next week. After a year of exploring the magic of the Carousel of Happiness on this podcast, I will share what I’ve learned from the carousel about life, art, and the art of living a joyful life. 

In the meantime, take care. Be well. And, as we like to say at the Carousel of Happiness, “don’t delay joy.” And we’ll see you next time around.