Most of us try not to talk too much about it, and it’s most likely because talking about things often makes them worse rather than helping them, but the darkness that descends upon the world after Christmas must certainly be one of the most depressing of all global events. The fact it happens every year, without fail, yet is consistently swept under the carpet, as if it’s simply par for the course, is even more tragic.
I once heard someone say that it’s the Lights of Christmas that make it such a joyful and merry time. I suppose, discounting the birth of Jesus, which is intended to be the reason for Christmas, but is mostly forgotten these days amid Santas, elves, and Grinches, the twinkling lights deserve credit as much as anything else for the festive atmosphere, redolent with the smell of calorie-laden treats and the sound of mirthful Christmas music wafting through the streets.
After all, originally, the Lights of Christmas were supposed to be representative of Jesus being the Light of the World, and, in centuries long gone by, Christmas trees were often decorated with lit candles rather than the strands of light most of us use today. What began as symbolic and somewhat understated tree decorations has, through the years, become nothing short of a cultural phenomenon. For the Christmas lights not only embellish the outside and inside of peoples’ homes and businesses but there are even gardens, parks, and similar venues where entire events are inspired by and centered around holiday lights.
And if it is indeed these resplendent Lights of Christmas that inspire the world to adopt a mindset of peace and good will to men, that encourage people who rarely perform a deed of kindness for anyone to seek out ways to show kindness to those who need it most, is there not a way to make the Lights of Christmas come alive in other seasons, too?
Although darkness has its place and, without it, one must question whether the light would be embraced with such fervor, if decorating common, everyday things such as trees and houses with lights makes humankind behave much better all-around than it usually does, what harm could there possibly be in finding a way to make the Lights of Christmas an everyday event?
Now before anyone imagines I’ve got my head up in the clouds or tries to “bring me back down to earth” by admonishing me to be “realistic,” I want to point out that if something won’t harm anyone and might possibly do some real good, what is the objection?
Many, if not most, of us recall how excited we were as children when Christmas season started every year. If you’re anything like me, you have memories, possibly involving dear ones now gone, of excitedly cruising through neighborhoods in order to admire the splendor of the Christmas lights.
Did you ever wish that you could capture everything you felt at those times in a bottle so that you could take it out later and relive those magical moments in time? I can’t begin to count the number of times I’ve closed my eyes and wanted to transport myself back to those Christmases of times long past, where strands of clear and multi-colored lights seemed to illuminate everything, making me feel that, at least at that moment, all was as it should be in the world.
There really isn’t anything that’s more of a let down than the after Christmas atmosphere. From discount tables at retail stores where holiday themed candles, toys and other gifts that weren’t desirable enough to be bought that particular year are piled in disorderly heaps to the bare trees, tossed carelessly on the curbs outside of peoples’ houses, the after Christmas sentiment is one of sadness, bittersweet nostalgia for what could have been or what once was, and general melancholia.
The very air we breathe, once the New Year has been heralded in and all signs of Christmas have vanished, seems heavy with despair.
It’s as if the world that rejoiced before is now weeping, and, no matter what you and I and others may pretend, many of us weep with it. Little do most of us know that the lights are one of the key elements missing from our lives. The lights were more than merely lights – they were a reminder that darkness will never prevail and that even if it only happens once a year – so far, at least – people are capable of coming together to create a more beautiful, kinder, and better world.
Peace and Blessings,
Sascha 🕊
This page and all written material at A Pilgrim’s Odyssey is written by Sascha Norris. (C) Copyright 2023-2024 by Sascha Norris. All Rights Reserved.
Image: “The Hope of Christmas” by Terry F.
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